So, gettin' straight to the point, I'm not a HUGE Drake fan, but that's primarily due to me being a HUGE opponent of Lil Wayne. Drake's music is actually enjoyable to a certain extent. With Thank Me Later, Drake pushes that certain extent to the limit, and sadly, I feel he crossed it.
In Layman's terms, most of the material on Thank Me Later sounds nearly identical to most of the material on his last, and most famous mixtape, So Far Gone. Hell, the first three tracks, "Fireworks", "Karaoke", and "The Resistance" all sound as if most listeners wouldn't know the difference between them if they were a capella.
I'm sure everyone knows by now, that compared to his life as Jimmy from Degrassi, Aubrey Graham is having a hard time adjusting to life in the fast lane as Drake. Add to that, his fame has been keeping him from contacting his loved ones as much as he'd like, and when he's not reminiscing over his many ex-girlfriends, he's partying with the niggas he would die for; i.e. his Young Money labelmates and affiliates. How do we all know that, you ask? Maybe because EVERY song he makes talks about one of these topics. I, for one, did expect his debut album to go places his mixtapes didn't, but I guess Drake went for the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" formula. I'm not sure how many different ways you can talk about the same shit, but it appears as if Drake is focused on showing us. After all, he IS labelmates with Wayne; and he's the master of finding different ways to talk about the same nothing.
The album is not all bad, though. It's rare that the first single of an album is a track that doesn't get skipped over when listening to the entire album, but "Over" is one of the best songs on the album. Take of that what you will. I find it crazy how much the end of the second verse of "Over" sounds so similar to the end of the second verse of the very next track, "Show Me a Good Time" ("It's about time you admit it, who you kiddin'?/ Man nobody's ever done it how I did it, ahh!" in comparison to, "Call me overrated or created or too jaded/ because anyway you put it, bitch I made it, YEUUH!"), but I digress.
The album picks up a head of steam at "Up All Night" with Nicki Minaj, a track that while very anticipated (a punch-line filled, bass-heavy track with a feature from a Young Money artist) still sounds nice enough to draw the attention of rap fans and trap fans alike. "Fancy" with Swizz Beatz and T.I. is the one unpredicted track on the album, due to the features and the tempo. The topic of the song (fly, independent women) has been done by Drake time and time again, however, and The-Dream's take on the topic, which strangely has the same exact title, came out a year before.
Speaking of The-Dream, he's featured on the next track, "Shut it Down", which feels pretty much like "Fancy" (Drake's version) set to a slower, sexier tempo, very reminiscent of "Houstatlantavegas". I also feels as if it should've ended at the 5:09 mark, where it teases us as if it will end before starting back up, signifying an in-track change in scenery, from the club to the crib. "Unforgettable" with Jeezy feels like a track just added to fill out the album, and the "At Your Best (You Are Love" by Aaliyah sample just bedazzles me.
The only difference between "Light Up" and "Miss Me" is that one features Jay-Z (who KILLED his verse), and one features Wayne respectively, and that they obviously have a different beat and hook. "Cece's Interlude" is yet another track dedicated to an ex (how many women has this dude dated?!), with whom Drake wishes things ended better, and I don't understand why "Find Your Love" was selected as the second single over tracks like "Fancy" and "Shut it Down", which sound much better, and more radio-oriented. For a description on the last track, "Thank Me Now", see any of the above.
In closing, this is not a collection of BAD music. Just music I'm personally tired of hearing from the same artist. I mean, the worst part about having a "buzz so big [you] can prolly sell a blank disc" is that when you put the same sounding music on your album as you did on your mixtape, EVERYONE effected by that buzz will notice. I, for one, don't think this album is indicative of what to expect over Drake's career, though. I get the feeling that right now, Drake is just tying up loose ends as far as his music is concerned; it really doesn't feel like he's making music for HIM. But instead, for his exes, his family, and the mainstream audience. I'll give him more time before I pass judgement on him as an artist, but I really don't feel we are getting all we can out of this talented young man. The sky is the limit, and I think it will only get better from here. Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5.
~Trufe
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