On Drake, 2012's Loud Silence And "So Far Gone 2"
I hope they document what Im becoming
This time four years ago, whether or not Hip-Hop was truly aware, some wide-eyed, former TV actor, Jewish kid from Toronto stood on the brink of musical superstardom. The buzz for Drakes third mixtape, appropriately titled So Far Gone, had reached mass hysteria-levels. Even the questions and doubts surrounding Lil Waynes prized find helped fuel anticipation. In retrospect, it was almost as if it were the perfect storm.
Would the tape live up to its billing?
Would raps often fickle fan base accept an artist from outside its American boarders?
Could a former TV star legitimately replicate what the Fresh Prince had done two decades earlier, only in reverse?
And lastly
Was Drake a flash in the pan?
Followers of Drakes music prior to 2009 were cognizant of his first tape Room For Improvement, a raw glimpse into what Graham was capable of producing during the Nickelus F phase of his career. 2007′s Comeback Season proved to be a testament supporting Aubreys authenticity as an artist. He could rap, and he could rap pretty damn well despite the release having no real road map. And as time eventually mapped out, SFG would crash land two years later literally catapulting a run so overwhelming, so infectious, so whatever the appropriate term is for Drake blew the entire fukk up. This was Hip-Hops Linsanity.
Despite boasting marquee features the likes of Santigold, Bun B, Lloyd, Lil Wayne and Trey Songz, Gone unquestionably casted Drake as the star of his own show. The tape was an illustration of flash, reflectiveness, emotion and bravado essentially the four trademarks that would go on to define his music moving forward. Gone, more than anything, transcribed the tale of a 20-something-year-old attempting to wrap his brain around impending adult-fame while celebrating a dream becoming reality before his very eyes in real-time.
How the story pans out from here isnt exactly confidential information. SFG would go on to become arguably 2009′s most impactful release spawning hit singles, a nationwide tour and quite the public bidding war. A year later hed manifest his debut album Thank Me Later to instant success. His features were radio magnets. There was the fling with Rihanna whose island goodies allegedly incited a civil war in a New York nightclub. There were the countless women who broke his heart spawning new material and lingo (Marvins Room). His sophomore LP, Take Care, arrived in 2011 and now labels itself Grammy-nominated. shyt, he even graduated from high school and picked up culinary art.
Nonetheless, for a guy apart of a good chunk of last years biggest songs (Pop That, Amen, No Lie, Stay Schemin and fukkin Problem) and who effectively stole the show on each, its almost as if he fell back on purpose.* Possibly the regression was by design and he wanted to experience life without the pressures of creating music sans time limit; a major component into the staggering transparency of his music. And possibly that contract killer jab from The Black Bar Mitzvahs Us indeed holds serious weight and is a prelude to his final days under the Young Money umbrella. Whatever the case, Drake strategically picked his spots in 2012. In fact, he didnt release a song of his own. Not one.
At some point in 2013, his third album will hit shelves. And for his fans, such news is good news. Still, for those clamoring for new music much sooner than from the now-Los Angeles resident, there needs to be some sort of happy medium in the vein of a new project because its not as if theres a shortage of records in stock. Maybe an EP of six or seven records he or 40 uploads at four in the morning like theyve so famously done before. This, of course, is preceded by an ominous tweet or an Instagram photo of Drake smoking hookah in the studio. Or maybe there is, in fact, a new tape those outside of his OVO comfort zone have no clue is on the horizon.
Like, possibly, say, So Far Gone 2? Chances are Drake would never refer to his hypothetical tape by said title anyway, in the same vein Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa decided to go with Live In Concert** instead of How Fly 2. The masses would unfairly deem it inferior prior to downloading regardless because of the running logic 98% of new material has a snowballs chance in hell of replicating the quality of previous works. Similar to 2009, however, there is a certain degree of intrigue and mystery about the next chapter in his matriculation through the carnivorous world of rap. Unlike 2009 though, the questions of whether the hype can produce lucrative and critical successes are settled.
The bottom line is this. Despite what a large conglomerate of his more awkward photos than Chris Bosh, message boards, Twitter handles and actions outside the recording booth may preach, its nearing time for Drake to return to music. Perhaps Drake and 40 will lock themselves in a five-star hotel room with nothing but a laptop, microphone and pounds of weed to restore the feeling the weeks leading up to February 2009 helped bring about. Four years ago proved a star was born. 2013, a more active 2013 at that, hammers home the notion thatll start an argument quicker than Kobe/LeBron.
fukk back then, we the shyt right now
He aint lyin. Theres a body of work supporting that.
Read more: On Drake, 2012's Loud Silence And "So Far Gone 2"
2013 da gawd is about to shut the haters up. Again.
I hope they document what Im becoming
This time four years ago, whether or not Hip-Hop was truly aware, some wide-eyed, former TV actor, Jewish kid from Toronto stood on the brink of musical superstardom. The buzz for Drakes third mixtape, appropriately titled So Far Gone, had reached mass hysteria-levels. Even the questions and doubts surrounding Lil Waynes prized find helped fuel anticipation. In retrospect, it was almost as if it were the perfect storm.
Would the tape live up to its billing?
Would raps often fickle fan base accept an artist from outside its American boarders?
Could a former TV star legitimately replicate what the Fresh Prince had done two decades earlier, only in reverse?
And lastly
Was Drake a flash in the pan?
Followers of Drakes music prior to 2009 were cognizant of his first tape Room For Improvement, a raw glimpse into what Graham was capable of producing during the Nickelus F phase of his career. 2007′s Comeback Season proved to be a testament supporting Aubreys authenticity as an artist. He could rap, and he could rap pretty damn well despite the release having no real road map. And as time eventually mapped out, SFG would crash land two years later literally catapulting a run so overwhelming, so infectious, so whatever the appropriate term is for Drake blew the entire fukk up. This was Hip-Hops Linsanity.
Despite boasting marquee features the likes of Santigold, Bun B, Lloyd, Lil Wayne and Trey Songz, Gone unquestionably casted Drake as the star of his own show. The tape was an illustration of flash, reflectiveness, emotion and bravado essentially the four trademarks that would go on to define his music moving forward. Gone, more than anything, transcribed the tale of a 20-something-year-old attempting to wrap his brain around impending adult-fame while celebrating a dream becoming reality before his very eyes in real-time.
How the story pans out from here isnt exactly confidential information. SFG would go on to become arguably 2009′s most impactful release spawning hit singles, a nationwide tour and quite the public bidding war. A year later hed manifest his debut album Thank Me Later to instant success. His features were radio magnets. There was the fling with Rihanna whose island goodies allegedly incited a civil war in a New York nightclub. There were the countless women who broke his heart spawning new material and lingo (Marvins Room). His sophomore LP, Take Care, arrived in 2011 and now labels itself Grammy-nominated. shyt, he even graduated from high school and picked up culinary art.
Nonetheless, for a guy apart of a good chunk of last years biggest songs (Pop That, Amen, No Lie, Stay Schemin and fukkin Problem) and who effectively stole the show on each, its almost as if he fell back on purpose.* Possibly the regression was by design and he wanted to experience life without the pressures of creating music sans time limit; a major component into the staggering transparency of his music. And possibly that contract killer jab from The Black Bar Mitzvahs Us indeed holds serious weight and is a prelude to his final days under the Young Money umbrella. Whatever the case, Drake strategically picked his spots in 2012. In fact, he didnt release a song of his own. Not one.
At some point in 2013, his third album will hit shelves. And for his fans, such news is good news. Still, for those clamoring for new music much sooner than from the now-Los Angeles resident, there needs to be some sort of happy medium in the vein of a new project because its not as if theres a shortage of records in stock. Maybe an EP of six or seven records he or 40 uploads at four in the morning like theyve so famously done before. This, of course, is preceded by an ominous tweet or an Instagram photo of Drake smoking hookah in the studio. Or maybe there is, in fact, a new tape those outside of his OVO comfort zone have no clue is on the horizon.
Like, possibly, say, So Far Gone 2? Chances are Drake would never refer to his hypothetical tape by said title anyway, in the same vein Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa decided to go with Live In Concert** instead of How Fly 2. The masses would unfairly deem it inferior prior to downloading regardless because of the running logic 98% of new material has a snowballs chance in hell of replicating the quality of previous works. Similar to 2009, however, there is a certain degree of intrigue and mystery about the next chapter in his matriculation through the carnivorous world of rap. Unlike 2009 though, the questions of whether the hype can produce lucrative and critical successes are settled.
The bottom line is this. Despite what a large conglomerate of his more awkward photos than Chris Bosh, message boards, Twitter handles and actions outside the recording booth may preach, its nearing time for Drake to return to music. Perhaps Drake and 40 will lock themselves in a five-star hotel room with nothing but a laptop, microphone and pounds of weed to restore the feeling the weeks leading up to February 2009 helped bring about. Four years ago proved a star was born. 2013, a more active 2013 at that, hammers home the notion thatll start an argument quicker than Kobe/LeBron.
fukk back then, we the shyt right now
He aint lyin. Theres a body of work supporting that.
Read more: On Drake, 2012's Loud Silence And "So Far Gone 2"
2013 da gawd is about to shut the haters up. Again.
