voodoo

5y

Aged poorly imo

Nwts on the other hand >>>

Goo

5y

I know most of y'all are obsessed with Drake so I wanted to figure out what the fuss is all about by revisiting his magnum opus. It's been a long time so today I could finally approach it with fresh ears and give some thoughts. Let me tell you this (long rant otw).

Drake attacks the older generation of hip hop on this album (fans and artists alike) and claims the throne. As a rapper and lyricist I think he wasn't all the way there yet, but his knack for melody makes up for it. He hooks you with earworms on every verse, which also sets him apart from the competition. TC marks a shift towards melodic, half-sung style of rapping that'll impact music for the rest of the decade, and make hip hop more appealing to the opposite gender tbh.

There's a lot of s***-talking. He claims that old heads who s*** on him are just bitter bc they get no p**** and that his s*** is so infectious that even those haters lowkey vibe with it. Then he goes on to describe his hedonistic, luxurious lifestyle. Even duets with Rihanna and gets Birdman on a rant to let you know it's real.

However the highs don't come without the lows. The album is really well-rounded. Along with Drake's success we get to see his flaws - a paranoid guy who goes through his girl's purse and checks her phone when she doesn't pay attention. Drunk calls his ex at night and tries to convince her to leave her ex whom he's aware she's perfectly happy with. Comes across as a petty, narcissistic douche tbh but that's some real life s***.

"Marvins Room" is amazing and the first song that legit gave me chills, it's uncomfortable to listen to in the best way possible, the reason why I live for this rap s***. Has a lot of memorable lines that perfectly capture our generation, and just some visceral s*** that you normally don't hear on rap songs.

Then you have "Cameras" and "Doing It Wrong", which address how our generation's romantic relationships (among the rich and famous, but everybody can relate) are basically a facade. People are insecure and live to impress. We move fast from one person to the next, we have so many options that there's no real attachment anymore.

On "Look What You've Done" and "The Ride" he reminisces about his pre-fame days and elaborates on his grindin', gives us some insight into how he has achieved The American Dream. Those tracks add some depth to the album and make it feel cinematic, perhaps some listeners can find inspiration in them.

40 is amazing on the boards. Gives the album a sexy late night atmosphere and compliments Drake's style perfectly in that regard. Most songs are really detailed and have dope bridges and outros to them.

It's a classic album but def not a perfect one. I get a sense that Drake was rushing a release to make up for TML as the sequencing and song selection are a bit odd, and tbh towards the end of the album I was lowkey waiting for that s*** to be over.

"Make Me Proud" is too bubblegum and has the weakest hook on the album, clearly a track that's intended for radio play and nothing more. "HYFR" is your run-of-the-mill annual Young Money banger. Nicki and Wayne elevate those tracks, but they still remain bottom tier as far as the album goes. "Practice" s*** is just not for me, feel like it's a track for the girls to dance to.

Yet I have to put things into perspective. Drake was a young dude still making a name for himself, relying on Young Money not only for clout but also out of respect and obligation, reppin the south bc he loves it but also to improve his image among the naysayers (too many times he's reminded me that he's an "underground king" on this album).

Overall this album does have an artistic merit that arguably got lost on Drake's later works, musically even more so as most of that s*** is really nice on the ears.

Fav tracks: Shot for Me, Marvins Room, Under Ground Kings, Lord Knows, Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude.

Least fav: Make Me Proud, HYFR, Practice.

bloem

5y

Great read, appreciate you sharing this. Hopefully there's more great reads from Goo in the future :3

aLIEN

5y

I personally think NWTS is that album that people claim TC to be, but I respect your opinion as always, was a good read, bro

Goo

5y

People just like TC more. I prefer NWTS as well but we are in the minority.

TC is also just more interesting to write about tho lol.

quadra

5y

Classic but not perfect describes it pretty well
Good write up Goo