Drake – So Far Gone

by Stephen Primeau on December 4th, 2009

Drake – So Far Gone
September 15th, 2009
Young Money/Cash Money
Rating: 8.5

Fresh off a Grammy nomination, Aubrey Drake Graham is continuing to establish himself as hip hop’s fastest  and brightest rising star. What is so special about this nomination is the fact that Drake is yet to release a full length album. All the buzz and praise garnered has come from a few mixtapes — the most notable being So Far Gone –, a massive single in ‘ Best I’ve Ever Had’, and numerous guest spots (from taking over the hook duties on Jay Z’s ‘Off That’ to appearing in Jamie Foxx’s remix of ‘Digital Girl’). Oh, and a huge co-sign from one of hip hop’s biggest stars, Lil Wayne, doesn’t hurt.

So Far Gone was released in September as an EP with select tracks from the mixtape cut down from 19 ditties to 7, including ‘Fear’, a track not appearing on the SFG mixtape.

‘Houstatlantavegas’ starts off the EP with a mellow beat and Drake flexing his vocal pipes for everyone to hear him singing about strippers. Don’t get the wrong idea, the song is done with class and is actually regarding the trials that the women go through to get out of the situations they are placed in. Following that is the Trey-Songz-and-Lil-Wayne-assisted ‘Successful’, which is a somber track with an eerie yet calming beat provided by 40. Drake litters the song with witty wordplay, as he usually does, as well as introspective bars about the pros and cons of success as well as its price. “I want things to go my way, but as of late, a lotta shit been goin’ sideways, and my mother tried to run away from home, but I left something in the car, so I caught her in the driveway, and she cried to me, and I cried too.” Trey Songz does absolute wonders with the chorus as his voice displays a sincere yearning for the success that, well, everyone wants.

‘Best I Ever Had’ steals the show and has held a prominent spot in the rotation of radio stations and music channels alike. Drake provides his own hook and gives listeners three verses filled with sweet talk, braggadocio, and swagger. Add all of those elements, throw on a catchy beat by Boi-1da, and you have a song that girls want dedicated to them and guys want a girl to dedicate it to. Drake puts it best in his own words: “See, this is the type of joint u gotta dedicate to somebody. Just make sure they that special somebody.” Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne show up to help tear up ‘I’m Goin’ In’, a track dripping with Southern elements and aggressive verses from all three rappers that keep the energy going throughout the song. Conscious lyrical content need not apply. Young Jeezy steals the show from the young gun with the third and final verse, “I’m goin’ in, where should I begin? I don’t even know, maybe where my blunt ends”. Bun B also pops in to lend a hand on ‘Uptown’, again with Lil Wayne, which could be a bad thing but Drake and Wayne share great chemistry when captured together.

The one knock on this EP is the fact that out of the 7 tracks, 3 have guest spots. Although the guest spots are all good and do not hurt the songs, it borders on being a Drake/Lil Wayne duet album. Lil Wayne being part of a project is either hit or miss. This will help expand Drake’s fan base but at the same time limit it, as anti-Wayne fans may feel Drake is cut from the same mold.

The final track on the album, ‘Fear’, is possibly Drake’s best work to date. Essentially, this is Drake’s “venting” song and he does just that. Expectations, love for hip hop, avoiding trouble, adjusting to life as a rising star, maintaining artistic integrity, and family problems. This is what makes Drake a potentially great hip hop artist, the fact that even though he’s enamored with the finer things in life, that isn’t the only thing he raps about. He is personal, accessible, and relatable. Drake also lets us wander through his thoughts which come across as angry, dark, and inspired on ‘The Calm’. “I’m just so far gone, Octobers own, please leave me alone, drunk off champagne, screamin’ in the phone, see my house is not a home.”

Superstardom is just around the corner for this charismatic young man who has developed quite the following and converted non-believers (myself included) into fans, hopefully opening doors for other Canadian hip hop artists. The So Far Gone EP has Drake’s debut full-length as one of our most anticipated albums of 2010.

From a wheelchair to the Grammys. Not bad at all.

Stephen Primeau

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