Drake's Thank Me Later is no doubt among the most anticipated projects of the year. His incredibly fast rise to the top rings of the rap game without a studio album under his belt had everyone on the edge of their seats to see whether he could extend his 15 minutes of fame. Hit the jump to see my review of Drake's debut album.
Fireworks (featuring Alicia Keys)
Opening the album is somewhat of a dreary sounding track production-wise but three crisp, well-developed verses make it worth the listen. I wish Alicia Keys would have bullied Drake out of co-hosting the chorus, she's a monster with the hooks if you'll let her be.
Karaoke
Brace yourselves, for about the first 2 minutes of this one Drake ditches the sing-rap act and dives straight into R&B. I'm not feeling it.. the singing or the rapping that follows. Or the beat for that matter, that ocean-crashing sound makes the whole track sound amateurish.
Resistance
My confidence in Drake boosted some after hearing this one. Call him corny but there's no denying that he is very good at putting himself out there on a track. It's nothing I'm gonna sing-a-long to but I can appreciate his emotion through vivid lines like, "Should I spend a weekend in vegas? I'm livin' inside a moment, not taking pictures to save it".
Over
I'm guessing your familiar with this one since it's been all over the radio for awhile now. I got no problems with "Over". I know some people who can't stand it, some who love it, I stand pretty melancholy.
Show Me A Good Time
Another one I don't particularly care for. I could maybe see how someone else could be feeling it though. Drake definitely didn't make this one for my gender, there's not really much I can say.
Up All Night (featuring Nicki Minaj)
Niiiiice! By far my favorite track on the album. Drake leaves the introspective emo raps behind and gets cocky, spitting lines like, "I got money in these jeans, so they fit me kinda snug, plus the game is in my pocket nig*a this is what I does!" over a whopping bass-heavy beat by Boi-1da. Nicki Minaj even sounds half-decent over this production.
Fancy (featuring Swizz Beats and T.I.)
AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! Back on the bullshit. First of all, I usually can't stand Swizz Beats when he tries to get on the mic, this time I almost friggin killed myself. The hook is horrible, period. Second, this is a waste of a perfectly good guest spot from T.I. who could have really gone in on a song with some different subject matter. Excuse me if I'd rather not hear the King of the South spit about some unknown, unimaginable woman. Skip.
Shut It Down (featuring The-Dream)
This is a good song.. not really my taste, but I see how this could be a hit. Drake's flow, the slow beat, the feature from The-Dream, it all works. While I can't say I'm necessarily a fan of The-Dream's work, I can surely respect him. Dude gets out of his bed and shits hit records. He knows how to sculpt a song.
Unforgettable (featuring Young Jeezy)
The prominent Young Jeezy feature was an interesting choice on this song, especially because the production didn't change at all with the guest artist's style to differ from the rest of the album. I don't it really worked as well as it could have. Jeezy's adlibs and part in the hook sound awkward, I just don't think his style blended very well. Someone like Rick Ross would have fared better in the guest spot in my opinion.
Light Up (featuring Jay Z)
Jay Z seems to be thriving on these simple, raw beats lately. I love his verse ("I don't do too much blogging, I just run the town, I don't do too much jogging"//"And to these nig*as I'm like Windows 7, you let 'em tell it they'll swear, they invented you"). I know some people expected more from this collaboration but I was fairly satisfied with the final product.
Miss Me (featuring Lil Wayne)
Just about what you'd expect from the Weezy feature on this album. If your into the whole Young Money sound you'll like this one no doubt.
Cece's Interlude
Another one that wasn't intended for me. No comment.
Find Your Love
Heard this a couple times on the radio and what not, the beat's not bad but again, it's just not for me. I could see this bumping out of light blue and pink convertibles all over America though.
Thank Me Now
Just a closer. Nothing special, I wouldn't listen to it again but it's a solid end.
Overall:
I guess I can't really say that this album is good or bad, especially since I can see that it wasn't really targeted to my type of listener. For those who would much rather hear Drake spitting than singing, this is one to pick through. Drizzy flexes his lyrical prowess at times but focuses the album mostly on a softer side, appealing to a different audience. I'd say all in all this was a a successful debut from fast-rising superstar, I don't see Drake leaving the rap spotlight anytime soon.
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