Drake: From Wheelchair Jimmy to Mixtape King

I will be reviewing Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape for this post.

Listen to or download the mixtape here:

http://www.mixtapes.tv/drake-so-far-gone-mixtape.html

Background Information:

• Birth name: Aubrey Drake Graham 
• Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• How long has he been doing music: Since 2006
• Influences: His family members; Larry Graham and Mabon 'Teenie' Hodges 
• Type of Artist: Underground
• Genre(s): Hip-hop, R&B
• Current Label (s): Young Money/ Universal Motown 
• Similar Artists: J. Cole, B.O.B, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Lil’ Wayne
• Fun Fact: He was once in a Toys'R'Us commercial.  

            Aubrey Drake Graham was born October 24, 1986. He became a part of the spotlight when he acted on Degrassi: The Next Generation as Jimmy Brooks. In 2006, he released his first mixtape Room for Improvement. Since then he released Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009). So Far Gone debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. His debut album Thank Me Later will be released on June 15, 2010. 

Introduction:

Drake is a Mixtape King because has yet to release a mainstream album, but a lot of older hip hop and R&B artist are getting him to feature on their songs and vice versa. Jimmy from Degrassi has now made a name for himself in the rap industry without having a studio album. I listen to his major mixtapes, and since doing so I cannot wait for him to release his first album “Thank Me Later.”

Favorite Line: Say What’s Real-“Account’s in the minus, but yet I’m rolling round the f[@$#]in city like your Highness.”  http://www.metrolyrics.com/say-whats-real-lyrics-drake.html

Top 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I like most to the song I like least.)

1. Brand New- This song’s is about a relationship Drake is in, and he wonders if he can compete with his significant others past mates. Brand New made me feel the need to evaluate my own relationship and ask “Is anything I’m doing brand new”. He really showcases his singing, and after hearing this song I consider this to be one of Drake’s best songs.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCWyR436n1Q
2. Say What's Real- Gives the true essence of Drake. He talks about the problems that he has. The title is befitting because it seems as he really said all the things that were real issues or topics in his life. In this song Drake gives a glimpse of his triumphs and troubles.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQwGyDvCUZc
3. Uptown- Drake raps about a number of topics in this song, but he flows nicely from one topic to the next. The lyrics show his versatility. Bun B and Lil’ Wayne are both featured on this song, and his lyrics are much better than theirs.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW81Fl83Kik

Bottom 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I dislike most to the song I dislike least.

1. Bria’s Interlude- Drake and Omarion both sing on this song, but I do not care for the way either of them is singing. The singing sounds whiny to me at times. Also, the instrumental seems creepy to me for some reason. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwKPJJxSnOE
2. Little Bit- All I like about this song is the instrumental and the 25-30 seconds Drake raps. For him to sing softly on this instrumental was not fitting at all. I would have preferred for him to either sing harder or rap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IunhUfwHDOk&feature=related  
3. Ignat [S#!@]- This instrumental was used by the Isley Brothers before, and I like the way they did it better. When it comes to mixtapes, which use older instrumentals that are popular, you must do a great job because you are expected to make your best attempt. I don’t feel as Drake made his best attempt, this was good but I was expecting great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfY4ay7VHlA&feature=related

Overview:
            I recommend the So Far Gone mixtape to people that enjoy listening to real music. In this mixtape Drake is ahead of the seasoned rappers (like Bow Wow and Lil Romeo) in his age bracket; he is definitely so far gone when it comes to his current content versus the current songs of Bow Wow and Romeo. The mixtape sounded as he put as much time and effort into it as someone would put into a studio album. Drake has already made a nice legacy within four years.

Other Drake Related Links:

http://allthings-fresh.net/blog/about-drake/

http://www.drizzydrake.org/

http://www.yodrake.com/content/biography-aubrey-drake-graham

http://www.biggeststars.com/a/aubrey-graham-home.html

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1013044/bio