A lot of hype has surrounded Mr. Graham ever since signing to Young Money and teaming up with many of hip-hop's heavyweights. What's befallen Drake is that the expectation for his debut, Thank Me Later, has reached the heights of those anticipated for both Yeezy and Weezy's third album's (Graduation and Tha Carter III respectively). Was he able to meet these unreasonable expectations? In a word: No. But is it still a stellar debut? Of course.
Surprisingly, Drizzy opts for slower, more atmospheric pacing on the majority of songs. "Unforgettable" features both hazily rapped verses and sung hook, the foreboding synths in "Light Up" dominate the speedy lines and heavy bass, and "Find Your Love", while up-beat, is unaffected crooning without the faintest hint of Auto-Tune. Despite "Over" and the stellar "Miss Me" sticking out as the only party jams Drake's steady supplied in the past, these restrained tracks stick out as some of the highlights. Guests like Alicia Keys, Jeezy, Jay and The Dream all bring elements to the table without taking over the song too much, which says something both about the quality of the composition and Drake's skill set. There's a touch too much filler for me to give Thank Me Later too much love, but it's, to say the least, a solid start for an up-and-coming star who will be shining long after a lot of the big names in hip-hop have hung up their mics and designer high-tops. Props.
Buy: Drake - Thank Me Later
MySpace: Drake
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