“I am not the same” was one of the many positive reactions to the new album by Toronto native, Aubrey “Drake” Graham. So many hopeful individuals were awaiting Drake’s third album and much to their surprise and delight, Nothing Was The Same was leaked early Sunday morning, nine days prior to its original release date. Naturally, Tweeters grabbed the news and threw it into cyberspace. Links were flying for sites that allowed you to download and listen to the full album and the social media world was abuzz with their reactions. Fans even crashed several sites in their eagerness to listen. My reaction: Drake has reached a whole new level of rap, but still stays true to his style.
This album weaves together ideas of love and confusion, success and failure, the things you want with the things you have. Featured on this album are a few big names such as Jay Z, 2 Chainz and Big Sean, along with some newcomers. “WuTang Forever”, “Too Much”, “All Me”, “Hold On, We’re Goin’ Home” and the most popular “Started From the Bottom” are scattered throughout and have already made their debuts before the album leak, successfully getting everyone excited for the original release.
The album kicks off with “Tuscan Leather”, quickly reminding you of the love we all share for Drizzy Drake. “I’m tired of hearing who you checkin’ for now. Just give it time, we’ll see who’s still around a decade from now.” This track was became a favorite among my friends as they played it on repeat throughout the day.
“Furthest Things” throws it back to his last album as he’s still “drinking on the low, mobbing on the low, f***in on the low, smokin’ on the low.” As I lay in bed, no distractions, mind wandering through the lyrics, I’m in complete contentment. I think it’s safe to say this song is my personal favorite. In “Own It” Drake tells his girl that everything is for, as he repeats “it’s yours”.
The album kicks up with “Worst Behavior” as Drake continuously repeats “Muthaf****s never loved us”, grabbing ahold of a little self-pity and anger towards the game throughout the track. The album eases onto the brakes, taking you into euphoria with “From Time”. Jhené Aiko soothing voice begins and the mood is instantly calming. Drake takes a trip through the past, speaking about his father’s drinking problem and what a great man he is when he puts the bottle down.
“She just wanna smoke and f**k, I said girl that’s all that we do. Now she’s talkin’ my language.” Because of its easy-to-vibe-to beat, “The Language” is my second personal favorite. This leads into “305 To My City”, giving a shoutout to Toronto, and features Detail who also produced it. Drake tries to “Connect” back with a woman in his next track and expresses that he would do anything for her.
The album continues its climb into your heart with “Pound Cake/Paris Morton 2”, a track that was the favorite among Twitter users. When you are a lover of rap, it’s easy to appreciate a song that you know the artist put his heart into and here it is. One response to this song was “Maybe one of the toughest verses on the album in that song… I just like to listen to good lyrics or hard bars from the artist.” Others expressed that this album was written for Drake’s old flame, Rihanna, as Drake and Jay-Z gave her a shout-out “Now here’s the icing on the cake cake cake cake”, quoting from Rihanna’s single “Birthday Cake”. Could this small jester win her over?
My final favorite would have to be “Come Thru”. Drake takes a turn towards speaking to a woman’s desires as he tells us that he’d go out of his way to get his girl back. He looks back on the past, trying to convince the listener of what a great man he is for her. Is this one meant for Rihanna too? Rumors have been flying that this entire album was a subtle dedication to her. Not sure if that’s true, but I think it’s safe to say she’s still on his mind.
Every song is perfectly placed in the list; each harmonizes with the next and the lyrics speak louder than anything he’s ever written. This track list is all about his struggles, his worries, his triumphs and successes, and emanates wisdom and insight. But Drake doesn’t just throw down a beat; he doesn’t just spit some rhymes; he makes you listen. Regardless of the haters, Drake absolutely kills it in this album as it lives up to and surpasses the hype that surrounds it. Well done, OVO, well done.
