Pop music (and hip-hop in a broad sense has long become a part of it) has been steadily “sad” since the beginning of the 2000s. The peak of this sadness happened in the second half of the tenth – at the same time Lil Peep, Post Malone and XXXTentacion, and other emo-rap thundered.
Drake has a reputation for being a trendy artist like no other. His first mixtape proves it. Measured, sad beats, personal themes in the lyrics, hardcore readings mixed with melodic R&B singing – Drake saw where hip-hop was heading. He knew exactly what he was doing. But what is especially important: sadness in his music does not mean depression. The atmosphere of Drake’s songs is rather “languid”. But at the same time, they retain strong dance energy. And this is also a key point – after all, the rhythm of popular music has been growing since 2011, despite the “sad” trend. As a result, Drake sold six thousand copies of his debut album: without a label and a serious promotional campaign.
The second mixtape – Comeback Season – was released by Drake in 2007. By this point, the rapper had already attracted attention – he had both ardent fans and haters. They criticized him mainly for a strong bias towards R&B and pop music – they say, this is not rap at all. But history has shown that Drake only saw the vector of development of rap music before many others. At the same time, Lil Wayne invited Drake to join his Tha Carter III tour. Friendship with Wayne will play a big role in the Canadian’s career.
So Far Gone
In 2009, Drake released his career-turning mixtape, So Far Gone.
Drake was still not associated with any label – he released the third mixtape himself again. But now it was an “official” success: with two hit singles Best I Ever Had and Successful (both hit the hot billboard chart). In honor of the release of the mixtape, a party was held in Toronto, which was attended by LeBron James – Drake was at this level, having not released a single full-length album. However, “behind the scenes” the majors had already fought for Drake, and it was clear that in the coming years he would shoot even harder. Mixtapes are just overclocking.
At the same time, Drake gained fame as the main pop rapper, who writes music, in which everyone will find something for themselves. Subjectively, I am ready to agree with this – in his discography, you can find quite hardcore rap tracks, melodic pop, and all sorts of experiments with jazz, rock or synths, and dance music with Caribbean motives. By the way, the So Far Gone mixtape could be downloaded for free from the website of Drake’s label – October’s Very Own. At that time, this was not yet common, so here too Drake looked to the future. It’s not about a novice-no-name – about a great artist.
The music video for Best I’ve Ever Had was directed by Kanye West, whom Drake considered his mentor. Over time, their relationship will turn into a roller coaster – from love to hate and vice versa.
Thank Me Later
In 2009, Drake signed to Cash Money Records and a year later released his debut album, Thank Me Later. To be more precise, with his daughter Young Money, on which Lil Wayne was published (he even ran the company for some time). By 2010, Drake was already a sensation: in addition to the mixtape, he recorded with Wayne, Kanye West, Usher, and other stars.
Before the disc’s release, Drake stated that the album would be “real hip-hop,” unlike his previous recordings. Thank Me Later corresponded to the already formed soft pop style of the Canadian. Although there were also more old-school tracks there – for example, Over, Light Up, and Miss Me. Notable guests on the release included Nicki Minaj (who signed to Cash Money the same year), JAY-Z, and, of course, Lil Wayne.
On the day of its release, the album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and sold almost half a million copies in its first week. Some critics believe that on June 15, 2010, the industry changed and that was when rap became the number one music in the world. How Drake went to this is described above, but do not forget that, among other things, he just knows how to sing and rap. He has a pleasant voice, and tenacious timbre, he knows how to wrap up cunning rhymes and musically tell about childhood experiences and how a girl from Walgreens gave him a blowjob.
