On paper, Take Care looks like an album that shoots for the stars. The list of features, like Thank Me Later before it, is staggering. Occasionally, the execution itself makes for something big, and aims for something transcendent. There’s the wall-of-sound, Just Blaze epic, “Lord Knows”, where Drizzy trades verses with Rick Ross over gospel choirs. There’s a marquee duet with Rihanna, appearances from Wayne, Nicki and 3 Stacks. There’s even a Stevie Wonder harmonica solo.
And yet, despite its excess, Take Care is an album that’s impressive, even more so, for its subtlety. It’s that push and pull, between loud and quiet, familiar and experimental, bravado and vulnerability, that’s made Drake’s music so compelling to so many people so far. But now more than ever, he and right-hand man 40 have been able to wrap their ideas around a cohesive aesthetic. And it’s restraint, more than anything else, that triumphs here.
Let’s not sell Drizzy short just because he’s a household name now. Yes, we all watched it go from bandwagon to blockbuster status. And yes, folks who go through that transition don’t always do it gracefully. But in Drake’s case, the dude has had a musical vision since day one. Aside from the unforgettable hooks, there’s the signature woozy late-night soundscapes, the constant lean toward indie sensibilities, and bars that put most other Top 40 cats to shame.
“Dreams Money Can Buy” borrows it’s dreamy atmosphere and “don’t fuck with me” mantra from Jai Paul’s “BTSTU”, and finds Mr. Graham in a familiar set of circumstances: reflecting on life in the fastlane, and dreaming big as usual. From what we can tell, it looks like the first leak from Take Care. Say what you will about Drake, but songs like this one are hard to argue with.
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Grouping music in 12-month periods every December always seems a little arbitrary. Putting them in order and deciding which ones are better than other ones seems a little arbitrary too. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for the grandiose lists and the music nerd arguments that inevitably follow. But at the end of the day, it’s all just music. A bit less arbitrary though, in my book, is showing love to folks who put out great work. And here at W&B, it’s something we like to do whenever we get the chance.
To be real, these were the artists that provided the soundtrack to a lot of our lives this year. While Cunningham was slappin Freddie Gibbs in Beijing, Jesse and I were on the road with The Black Keys on repeat. And whether we were standing in awe of the “Window Seat” video, drunkenly belting “Fuck You” at the top of our lungs, or watching Mr. West’s beautifully sprawling fantasy come to life, 2010 definitely had some moments worth revisiting. So given the timing, we thought it was only appropriate to recap, review and share some of our favorites with you.
First off, let me just say thank you for Friday night. For Nick, Ben, Amanda, KP and everybody that couldn’t make it out, it felt like you were out there in spirit. For all the folks that did make it out, you made that happen. Thanks as always for the love, for putting on, and for just showing your face and helping to get shit crackin. For the time being, we had to take a quick respite, but please believe we’re not stopping anytime soon. New songs on deck today from N.E.R.D., Yeezy, LCD and Cee-Lo, to name a few. The Ye is too real, Janelle covering “The Shape of Things to Come” is a must, and Wiz & Spitta going in over “Africa”? Jokes. Yeah, it’s Monday, but it’s good. This week is looking good already.
So it’s back to being too damn hot in L.A., but lately it kind of feels like everything’s happening the way it’s supposed to. Maybe it’s just been a great weekend. In any case, it should be crackin out at Stones Throw’s 10.10.10 event tonight, with DJ sets from Madlib, Mayer Hawthorne, Prince Paul and Dam Funk to name a few. Should be a solid way to round up a settled Sunday. For the folks staying in, we didn’t forget about you either. New shit below from Drake, Warpaint, Stereolab, and of course the latest CRS (Kanye, Pharell & Lupe) collab that dropped Friday night. Personally, I’m partial to The Roots & John Legend take on Bill Withers though. Too real for words. Oh, and if you missed Yeezy on SNL last week, peep below. That shit was epic.
We’ve changed. What has the world come to when they won’t even bump “in da clubâ€, in da club! Where did all the gangstas, wankstas and P.I.M.Ps go? Why did we leave all of our country grammar right there in Nellyville and never go back for it? Not trying to give you the run around with 21 questions, just trying to understand why many men…many many many many men just don’t listen to that shit anymore.
Good songs come from a lot of different places. I remember last month at the Foreign Exchange show at Yoshi’s SF, Phonte spoke on the all-too-common, and frankly unnecessary debate between “mainstream” and “indie” fans. The Foreign Exchange proceeded to hit us with the musically inclined, neo-soul versions of “Turn My Swag On” and “Stanky Leg”, among others. That shit was comedy. The point being that at the end of the day, it’s all music, and the lines people tend to draw often have more to do with perception than musical quality. With the Bowties crowd, maybe I’m preaching to the choir. You guys have some eclectic tastes, which is why I can drop some Diddy and some Beach House in the same post, and not really think twice about it. Anyway, we’re glad to have you behind us. The best is yet to come.
No one really likes Monday mornings. Getting up early is weak. Work is weak, unless you’re job is really that clean (Crosby, Will and the rest of the Google staff, I see you). But hey, getting up early has its upside sometimes. Take right now for instance. It’s been a slow ass week, so today’s a good day to drop a gang of new tracks. For the folks who missed the latest snippet from Andre 3000, feel free to peep below, and expect to see the CDQ off Jeezy’s album soon. The K-Os & Drizzy is serious, the Röyksopp is a jam, the Matthew Dear is geeked and that Twista damn near gave me chills. One of the best verses I’ve heard in a minute. Anyway, there’s a bunch of new shit to check out, and the last two songs are about hard drugs, which is cool too. For the folks on the grind, I hope you work somewhere where it’s cool to have some headphones on.
Damn, is it really August already? By some folks’ logic, I think that’s supposed to mean Summer should be winding down. Personally, I like my glasses half-full, so let’s just say there’s a whole month left. Lately, I’m pretty partial to the Freddie Gibbs tape, but Arcade Fire, Slum Village and Seu Jorge’s new projects have all been getting some burn too. For my B-Town folks, I’m not mad at the latest from the Cataracs either. A little pop shit is only healthy. Hit MORE for all of the above, plus the new single from Wayne and Drizzy.
Had to joog the late night crowd. Leftovers don’t always come a week apart, but this week had some gems, so it seemed like the right thing to do. Big Boi’s Sir Luscious Left Foot finally saw the light of the day this week, which is reason enough for some of us to get juiced. If you feel like making that purchase and supporting a legend, check here. Either way, we got you covered on some new shit, with tracks from Ricky Ross & Drake, Chromeo and The Roots, to name a few. The Saadiq cover of “It’s A Shame” is the one to check for though.
We’ve been at this for a while, so first and foremost, thanks to everybody that’s been riding since day one. Please believe, this ride is far from over, and we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves as always. Being that we’re damn near halfway through this Summer already, it seemed like a good time to dip into the archives and pull out some tracks that, for whatever reason, never made it up to the front page of W&B over the first half of 2010. A few new joints in here as usual, but also a gang of shit that’s been in rotation for a while now. Much love to the all my Bay folks. It’s lovely to be back home.
I know, I know. Drake’s overnight success story isn’t news to anybody. Over the past year and a half or so, we’ve watched him rise to superstardom in a way that seemed almost inevitable. If anything, take this one as inspiration, or at least a pretty decent way to entertain yourself for a half hour. MTV’s documentary Better Than Good Enough is a glimpse into the days surrounding the release of Thank Me Later, with footage from studio sessions and on the road. Whether his album is in the whip right now or not, it’s always cool to have a reminder that anything can happen, if you dream big and grind hard. Parts 2 and 3 after the MORE.
A lot of cats in the rap game seem like they’re in a hurry to blow up. As if the first single is the be-all, end-all of their career, or getting picked up by a major is the only thing on their mind. It’s understandable, especially when you consider how volatile the game can be, or how hard it is to make it as an indie artist. But part of what’s impressive about Drake so far is that he has a different approach. So Far Gone had mass appeal, but it wasn’t just designed for the masses. It was personal, experimental, and fresh.
In the same way, Thank Me Later has a refreshing feel to it. Inevitably, some folks will complain that it’s not the blockbuster instant smash everybody wanted. Personally, I’m almost glad it it’s not. What Thank Me Later does successfully is create a sonic atmosphere, and a canvas where Drizzy can once again reflect on personal experience, and turn it into something tangible. So no, it’s not perfect. But it’s original, it’s subtle, and it sounds like the record he actually wanted to make. So thanks for this one, Drake.
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For much of this year and last, Drake’s given us much of the music we celebrate to. Guaranteed we’ll be celebrating to him tonight… Almost as if it was out of thin air, Drake’s become a household name, and a person my Mom asks me about. While the ascension to the pinnacle of hip hop might have transpired in what seems like a single night, I can’t help but believe that the hype is warranted. In what seems like a deliberate stream of consciousness, Drizzy and Jay take turns on the track highlighting their rise to fame, while providing food for thought for those on their own journey. From acting on Noggin, to duets with Jay-Z. If nothing else please use Drake as inspiration, because anything’s possible.
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It seems like Drake thought we needed a reminder. When KP and Matt put me up on him after “Ransom”, it wasn’t so much because of his promise as a pop star, as it was the bars. The fact of the matter is the dude can flat out spit. The latest from Drizzy, a non-album, hook-less cut is him at his best, going in over a pretty serious track courtesy of Boi-1da. In this era, who knows what “freestyle” really means, but this is quality all around. Even if it was read off a Blackberry or something. Thank Me Later is due out June 15th.
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