Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

yeah

Album Rating: 4.5

I think you'd like it Scoot.

Album Rating: 4.0

i...god i shouldn't evven be arguing this and i'm really happy that more people are liking drake and giving him a chance but....god i feel like there's some sort of hivemind effect going on here, really. i don't see how this is really critically different from Thank Me Later in any way except being longer and perhaps more ambitious. so honestly if it were up to me i'd give the advice "if you don't like drake [you should] then you prooobably won't like this." but it seems like a lot of people like this and don't like thank me later so i guess that's wrong?? although the sheer amount of people who just fucking hate drake (there were always going to be some, but seriously) still baffles me either way



so, uh, listen? it's really good

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

"gabe, what exactly is the appeal of Drake? I don't really see it"



Erm, well I guess in general it's his beautiful atmospheric, ethereal production and his chemistry with his main producer and best friend 40, the obvious catchiness that you'd expect to find in pop rap, and in his better rap songs you'll hear his personality shine through. Basically he's this self-deprecating-yet-self-absorbed guy that acknowledges he can be a shitty guy but half-assedly tries assuring himself of how great he is. His spitting can actually get pretty hard when he wants it to, though on the most part his rapping is a very conversational style and doesn't focus on technicality.

in his R&B tracks, he usually has a perfect mastery of melody and poppiness along with gorgeous production in the back. Basically he was like The Weeknd before The Weeknd (which makes sense because Drake is probably Weeknd's biggest influence)



in Thank Me Later, he's just this kid that was thrust in the spotlight and he's just confused and doesn't know what to make of it, but he convinces himself he's worthy. And in this album, his personality kind of matches the album cover. He's just like this King that's at the top of the game and has everything, but he's still not content and he feels empty.



if you're looking for harder songs spitting-wise where his personal lyrics are more obvious:

From Thank Me Later - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDNaVtTzPvg

From Take Care - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJTI2xRTw4



For his great R&B:

From Thank Me Later - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbEKc_2f-_c

From Take Care - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbEKc_2f-_c (This song is seriously gorgeous, it's just aklsdfjsaldkf so so so good, but it's kind of sped up in the Youtube version so his voice is higher than normal. Still good)



He's actually pretty technical in his Comeback Season and first mixtapes, but they lack his personality. And his So Far Gone mixtape is where he started getting his style and how he got his fame, but I still like his albums more.

Album Rating: 4.0

you posted shut it down twice

Album Rating: 4.5

This and Thank Me Later have completely different vibes so I think it's definitely possible for someone to like this and not like Thank Me Later. This is a lot more laid back and smooth sounding and has even more of an R&B feeling.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

and yeah, robertsona. I think most of the people who are digging this and gave Thank Me Later a 1 never really listened to the latter and are like, "HOW DID HE IMPROVE SO MUCH WHEN THANK ME LATER WAS SO AWFUL?" when he was always this good to begin with. Idunno. I'm happy people are actually giving this a chance, though.

Album Rating: 4.0

top thwee:



1. marvins room / buried alive

2. over my dead body (maybe not lyrically his best at all but oh my god it's so gorgeous. the female vocals are absolutely perfect)

3. look what youve done

(next would be the real her, lord knows, and the ride)

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I love Marvin's Room so much but the Good Ones Go interlude is definitely the R&B height of the album. I just wish it wasn't attached to the only real filler song of the album next to Shots For Me.

Album Rating: 3.0

it's because, for me, the songs on this are just more memorable, which is already a very good improvement on it's own, but the fact that this thing is 80 fucking minutes long and rarely falters makes it even more impressive.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Oh shit, Idnuf if you're reading this I don't want to edit the comment because that will kill all of the line breaks because of this site's stupid HTML so this is the R&B song I meant to post for Take Care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNDxuI05M9I

Album Rating: 4.0

"cameras" isnt amazing i will agree but i do really like whatever sample that is in the chorus

Album Rating: 4.0

and OHHH i know you dont looooove meee baaaaby *bass enters* shivers down my fucking spine every time

Hm, listening to Good Ones Go right now and maybe I just have to settle for "it's not quite my style" (though I appreciate your post on the last page). I have the same problem with the R&B stuff and the rap stuff in that it doesn't have any impact. I mean I know R&B just isn't my cup of tea in general but Drake is so flat and unmemorable for me. It's not like I need music to come out and punch me in the face for me to understand it but this is does nothing. I think the right word is harmless. The lyrics are harmless, his flow is harmless, his voice is harmless (also I just don't like the timbre of it), his production is harmless, everything. I can't remember a single thing about any Drake song I've heard.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

That's all cool, cuz. Different strokes, etc.

Album Rating: 4.0

NOOOOO what are we doing. i dont want legitimate conversation. not in my thread

Album Rating: 4.0

idnuf that totally makes sense. but to me "harmless" is something more like....intensely pleasing? drake's tracks i guess dont really shock me with their audacity as much as...i don't know. it's just like taking a nice bath. except the bath is filled with slick gorgeous synth pads and beats instead of water. yeah. like that

Album Rating: 3.0

The man sampled DJ Screw on the last 20 seconds of the first track.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Hahaha what an analogy.



but really, I think 40's my second favorite modern producer under Clams Casino. Those low end grooves along with nearly invisible synths sometimes that you have to catch and those hard drums that punctuate with hardly a hi hat to be seen. Mmmmm.

Album Rating: 4.0

every time i listen to this album i totally forget about the lil b esque monologues at the end of shot for me and headlines