ARTIST: Drake
ALBUM: Thank Me Later
LABEL: Young Money Records
RELEASE DATE: June 15, 2010
Drake Takes Thanks
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Written by Alex Groberman
Thank Me Later is the end product of the mixture of a Canadian child star, a legendary mixtape (400,000+ copies sold) and a lot of marketing money. Some have gone so far as to argue that the success of future young artists rests on the quality and selling ability of Drake’s official debut. Clearly the expectations are high, however, with cocky lines like “Last name, Ever. First name, Greatest,” he’s brought a lot of it on himself.
So did the most highly anticipated rap debut since 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’live up to the hype?
Sort of.
First and foremost, Drake’s attempt to touch deep-seeded emotional issues that many rappers are scared to delve into deserves praise. Lines from “The Resistance” like: “I heard they just moved my grandmother to a nursing home / And I be actin’ like I don’t know how to work a phone / But hit redial, you’ll see that I just called / Some chick I met at the mall that I barely know at all” give you insight into Drake’s introspective nature, all the while revealing his biggest flaws. For an emcee once heralded for his ability to offer witty lines while connecting to the listeners, most of Thank Me Later comes off extremely cold. Here Drake is trying to share something personal with the listener, yet, because of how random the information is, it’s hard to care and sympathize.
The most recognizable track on the album is Drake’s first single, “Over.” The song sounds vaguely similar to his collaborative efforts in “Forever,” (same producer) with a catchy beat and aggressive lyrics. It touches on the superstar’s apprehensiveness towards the people that are now surrounding him because of his success, as revealed by the hook: “I know way too many people here right now that I didn’t know last year.”
“Over” turns out to be the only song of its kind on the album. For whatever reason, Drake chose to let the music and beats of his songs play as large a role in the album as his actual rapping and singing. Throughout the 14 cuts of Thank Me Later, you get a combination of beats and synthesizers for large portions of songs where you might have otherwise expected the young rapper to showcase some of his skills.
Among the high points of the album is the first track titled “Fireworks.” Drake is accompanied by R&B goddess Alicia Keys as she lends her chart topping singing abilities to what should quickly become a radio sensation. Impressively, Drake manages to keep up with his counterpart and offer one of his better rapping efforts on Thank Me Later with self-aware lines like: “My 15 minutes started an hour ago.” Drake appears to understand his role as a rap outsider because of his background and embrace it.
Still, at times you wonder how confident Drake was in this album’s selling power, as it boasts an all-star lineup of collaborators. Thank Me Later features Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, TI, Swizz Beats, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. Even UGK legend Bun B stops by for a quick five-word cameo.
It’s important to understand that Drake is stuck between a rock and a hard place as a rapper. He is forced to be more creative with his music because he can’t rap about being a thug, or a gangster or a pretend drug kingpin like Rick Ross. Rather, his rhymes have to center around feelings and emotions, the desire for fame despite the cost, etc. For this fans either award him the title of “creative” or “not a real rapper.”
All in all, the quality of Drake’s album depends on how you want to judge it. Is it a solid premier for a talented artist? Without a doubt. Does it compare with the debut classics like Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt? No.