http://noisey.vice.com/
By Diego Ugaz
There probably isn’t a rapper who divides hip hop fans more than Drake, yet he keeps delivering hits, keeps delivering viral Internet moments, and his third studio album, “Nothing Was the Same” only feeds the fire more in this debate. So much so that our school even had a listening session this semester to figure out if, “Drake is too soft for men.”
No, Drake is not too soft for men, he just makes music for men who will not admit that they are just as misogynistic as any Rick Ross fan. They pretend to care for the ladies because they listen to “Best I Ever Had.”
First and foremost, let’s give credit to one of the heroes on this record, producer Noah “40” Shebib, who creates the main ambiance and feel of the entire production. Without this guy, we would not be writing or talking about Drake. He helps on nine out of the 15 tracks on this record, and knows best how to play to Drake’s strengths. He crafts glorious sounds that fit with the clouds image on the album cover. Reopening track “Tuscan Leather,” which lasts six minutes.
In the rap game credibility, origins and personal history are important, which makes it impossible to forget that Aubrey Graham (aka Drake) grew up comfortably, was a child actor, and never truly struggled in life. This makes brags like, “Started From the Bottom” feel like he spits in the face of all those who have struggled more than him. Still, the sentiment of the song is very relatable and empowering, so it was impossible for this song not to become an instant hit.
His past also makes it hard for people to take his threats seriously, so it can’t be helped but to laugh when Drake talks about “catching bodies” and taking people out. However, in “Worst Behavior” he brings forth his best attempt yet at sounding hard and intimidating, and I can even say he succeeds – it is his meanest song on this record.
Where this record falls short is that it lacks balance, a problem with his other releases as well. When people talk about legends like Biggie, Jay-Z, Kanye, Outkast, or Nas, the thread that ties all of these rappers together is that the records they make have wide ranges.
There are ballads, there are hype tracks, there are party anthems, there are conscious tracks, there are love songs, but Drake seems to mostly be stuck on ballads and love songs. Still, the record has hits, it is not a catastrophe, but it lacks the completeness of a legendary record.
Maybe one day Drake will put out an album that shuts us up about his character, his feelings, or where he came from, and we will simply just talk about the music, however this is not that record.
