Likes: Fireworks, Karaoke, Thank Me Now
Dislikes: Over, Up All Night, Shut it Down, Miss Me
Overall: Decent first effort for a newcomer, but there’s lots of growth to be desired. I feel mostly indifferent about the album.
Well, Drake’s much anticipated 1st album, “Thank Me Later” is finally out. And I’m pretty underwhelmed. The album wasn’t trash, but it wasn’t great either. Although the album has its strong points (some clever lyrics and decent production here and there), there failed to be a memorable stand-out track or lyric. I was waiting for an “I LOVE THIS SONG” moment. Yes, I listed 3 songs as “likes,” but I only appreciated certain elements in those songs. I doubt that I will listen to the album again after today.
The obvious theme of the record is Drake’s fame adjustment issues and his relationship problems. For the first 4 tracks (which included “Karaoke” and “Fireworks”) Drake was lyrically reflective and had my attention. After that, the golden moments are spotty. It’s like a fluctuating signal on a cell phone; one minute its working, the next minute it’s not. I had a hard time enjoying a single song ALL THE WAY through. For example, with “Unforgettable,” I enjoyed Young Jeezy’s verse, but was kind of bored with Drake’s. I was less bored with Drake on “Miss Me,” but was turned off quickly by Lil Wayne’s vulgar, tasteless verse. Another thing that fluctuated was Drake’s attitude about his fame/romance issues. On some songs, he takes the approach of a humble newcomer who’s uncomfortable with fame, while on others, he’s borderline arrogant and seems to enjoy soaking Hollywood up. In regards to relationships, he plays honest and monogamous, then woman-chasing. Its like “which one are you”?!!
I also had beef with his so-called “singing.” He supposed to be a rapper-singer, but he’s not very good at the singing part. I appreciate his affinity for Aaliyah (i.e. “Unforgettable” and “Bedrock”) and the transitions at the end of some songs in which he makes it sound like a brand new song all together, but it doesn’t go too much further than what I’ve listed. I know it sounds like I loathe this album, but I’m honestly indifferent. Drake has some potential, but I think he’s with the wrong people (i.e. Lil Wayne and Young Money) for it to really blossom. I’m not sure if Wayne can instill the things in Drake that he’ll need to have longevity and artistic mastery in this industry, but I digress. Most people will probably like this album, but I’m not most people apparently.