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Ok, I’ve got to say, Drake has really come a long way in the last few years. Aligning himself with Wayne and the rest of the Young Money Crew. So Far Gone, arguable the best mixtape of 2009, really created a lot of Internet Buzz and general buzz for Drake. The release of an album means very expectations from fans and critics alike. The album titled ‘Thank me Later’ leaked early and was and is all over the Internet. The title itself is ego based. Though Drake has reason to be, getting features such as Jay-Z, Young Jeezy and Alicia Keys. The album has a certain amount of expectation, a feeling that could be experienced pre release of 50’s ‘Get Rich or Die Trying’ or even the release of Lil Waynes ‘Tha Carter III’. Though the album is aimed at the mainstream market, it fails to deliver a number 1 single and therefore the downfall of which is based on. Almost every album that has sold a lot of units has had a huge first single, now I could go on with these and hit you with example after example but we will leave it too that. Anyways I’ll take this to song by song ratings.
Fireworks – The album starts off with a bang (no pun intended) . When I listened to the leaked version of this song it did not have Drake on the hook. Though on this version he is on the hook. Now the problem is, this makes the song feel like overdone. The lyrics though are very well done and Drake shows us his talent in overdrive. ‘Hate is so familiar to me I’m slowly embracing it, doesn’t come natural bare with me it could take a bit’ is speaking about receiving negativity for his sudden rise to fame and yet there are people who doubt his abilities. The song as a whole, feels like one of Drakes classic venting moments. In the past it has delivered a amazing song called Fear. Anyways, back to it, the song is also about his sudden rise to fame and how he is dealing with it. In a way he feels humbled by it, yet he is scared that he may be changing and this will effect the people around him. In the second verse he raps about his short lived, rumor filled moments with Rihanna, he goes into personal moments and things that may hint what was going on(Feeding the folks at mediatakeout), anyways he exits triumphant in his own ways. 9/10
Karaoke – To be honest, after listening to So Far Gone again and then this, Karaoke sounds like a extra cut that did not make the album. The song pokes fun in one line to his rise to fame making light at his success ‘I remember when you thought I was joking, Now I m off singing Karaoke, further then I’ve ever been’ . Though the song has its moments ‘They always say the first love is the sweetest, but the first cut is the deepest’ such as this, it shows the talent that Drake has and possesses. Yet the song itself in its entirety fails to deliver as anything of substance on Thank me Later, It would’ve felt right at home on So Far Gone. 5/10
Resistance – Now this song delivers with a type of hook that we know Drake is good for. The hook is from a point of view from his current friends that may feel that he is different from the man he use to be, and he doesn’t have the time for them anymore. The song cleverly falls into the next song though, as he feels he is free fall and can’t wait for it to ‘Over’ . ‘I said that you can kiss the past goodbye but you weren’t excited’ is from a point of a friend that may feel the ‘new’ Drake is a different person. It’s a perfect song that tells us the mindset of Drake, how the sudden rise of fame has effected his close family and friends. This song, and a addition of others on the album are what make Thank me Later a triumphant album for Drake, yet it fails from a range of errors. The song though is still great. 7/10
Over – Thank Me Later’s first single was ‘Over’ failed to deliver on a mainstream level, though it fits into the album quite well. The hook though may be a tiny bit out of the beat which too a lot of mainstream listeners to music could’ve been annoying about. The rapping on the song is on point though, it shows the abilities and talents of Drake. ‘Point the biggest skeptic out, I’ll make them a believer’ is a message to the critics and haters, he believes it himself that he is great and with his talents he could easily make them believe the same. The song is a high moment on Thank me Later, as it speaks about the problems you may be faced in live and that its better to live at its best because it will be Over. 7.5/10
Show Me A Good Time – Ok, I’ll be honest, the first few times I listened to the album I put this song on skip almost every time. After listening to the album 20+ times I forcefully gave it a listen. The song delivers in no shape or form and does not contribute to Thank Me Later in any way. It marks a low point in the album, as it lacks any substance in any form. ‘Show me a good time’ repeated in the hook with a few DJ scratching is what we get to listen too. This is probably one of the reasons a lot of people might doubt him for his music. 3/10
Up all Night – This song received a few skips as well, the song itself questions the critics or anyone in general who won’t leave him alone, and to be honest we have all have these moments in our lives. ‘I about whatever man, fuck what they be talking about, their opinion doesn’t count we the only thing that matters’ is also about the media attention that may have increased ever since the increase in his stardom, a lot of media people that can’t or won’t leave him alone. Nicki Minaj’s verse adds some more oh this ego filling ‘I’m better then you’ attitude into this song. Though the idea of the song is admirable the execution fails. The song is playing with more fire with people that may not like him. More Filler on the album. 4/10
Fancy – The song comes out of nowhere. I guess this is going to be what’s going to be played to death by the DJ’s at Clubs and Radios. Swizz Beats and T.I. add some much needed vibrance into the album as the last two songs may have wanted to too turn off your ipod for another day. The song is about that one girl who are different from the pack. Swizz does a good job on the hook ‘Well you fancy huh’ drives in the intention of the song. Drake raps a good first verse which shows off his talent, but the state of T.I. ever since he has gotten out of jail is outstanding. T.I. outshines Drake in his verse, ‘aren’t you a breath of fresh air? From all these superficial gold digging bitches in here’ and more and more lines of gold in his verse really does leave you to ponder and get excited about T.I.’s future projects. Anyways, the song slows down at the end and allows Swizz to drop a bridge and Drake finishes the song off with another set of smooth lines. The song in no way fits into the album, but shows off the features that the album has to offer which in this song add another dimension to Thank me Later.. 7/10
Shut It down – This song is a long 6:59, but it is a monster. It speaks about the pretty girl who does not think very highly of herself. I think we’ve experienced this in our lifetime, that girl who we are crazy about but she doesn’t really know it. Therefore it delves into the thoughts of the male. Drake sings ‘Put those fuckin heels on and work it girl, let that mirror show you what your doing’ is talking too the girl subconsciously while she is getting ready. The song was made by Drake originally as a song Women can use to get ready to and get some confidence when they go out. The Dream adds some melody to the song backing up what Drake had done on his previous verses ‘every time you come around you shut it down like computers’ . The hook is very well done with Drake and The Dream providing background vocals. The last verse by Drake was a very good addition to song which is a hazy taken back verse. Drake makes an example of this song as a whole and shows his talent as a R&B heavyweight. Though his music will never be as mainstream as Akon or T-Pain it does show that it will however always have more content then ‘Buying you a drank’ or hitting on the bartender. Drake and The Dream make a amazing combination working together on this song. 8.5/10
Unforgettable - This song features Young Jeezy. On paper it may sound like a sound collaboration, it showcases more of Jeezy’s talents then it does of Drakes. Jeezy raps a worthy verse on this song. Though Drake does his best on his verse, his is otherwise undone by Jeezy. 7/10
Light Up – Arguable the biggest feature on the album. The beat feels very normal too me and it does not fit what the song is. The song should’ve been huge for Drake and the beat is just not enough. Drake raps about how far he’s come and the jealousy of other people. The hook is very soft but well done, ‘They always telling me nobody’s working as hard as you’ is telling us how hard Drake is working, for the album and his life in general. Jay-Z lays down a verse but it doesn’t feel too special. All said and done the song does not deliver in anyway, the beat is the biggest let down. Also being told by Drake before the album was released that he though Jay-Z’s verse on light up was one of his best. The problem is we as listeners expected greatness and we got a good song, but we have reasons to believe it is not. 6.5/10
Miss Me – The biggest letdown of the album. When the song first leaked it was just about 2 minutes long, released by Evil Empire. Being released at this time many people believed that the song was just a mixtape cut or a throwaway. Later we learned that Lil Wayne was featured on it. Honestly, we know Wayne well for his amazing one liners and cleaver wordplay. There is not one line that is quoteable in his verse, which is odd. In the past both Drake and Wayne have had some amazing Collaborations(see Ransom,Ignant Shit,Uptown) and this collaboration does not live up to the expectation. The song is flawed in soo many ways and does not even have the feeling of a song that should be on an album. Drakes half hearted attempted at a ‘hook’ does not help either. 4/10
Cece’s Interlude – Too me it seems like Drake is a master of these short Interludes. This beat is perfect for him to lay out a verse and add some melody and calm the album down a bit. He sings about wishing how he wasn’t as famous as he is now. This is what Drake does best, and he showcases this for show too everyone. This is probably why So Far gone was such a big hit because this is all Drake did but he did It so well. 7/10
Find Your Love – This seems to be the big hit during the summer. Mainstream this was a perfect song for Drake to put out(even if the music video is way too long) . It seems he will get a lot of attention and buzz for this song and it was a great single to also release pre album time to promote it. Now the song is produced by Kanye West and it may sound a little bit like something that would’ve been on 808’s & Heartbreak. Now in all honestly I think a lot of people would admit that the song could’ve been sung by Kanye. The song itself isn’t that bad, itself. The beat is up-tempo yet Drake is versatile enough to sing on it adding in some back up vocals to help with this. The hook is nicely done with a genius line of ‘I bet if I give all my love then nothings gonna tear us apart’ which is a good addition. Drake is even able to slow it down near the end and has enough gas to finish it off. All in all, a perfect combination of good hook, lyrics and beat. Which is a equation for mainstream buzz. 8/10
Thank Me Now – This song is the Outro for the Album. Warning: Listening for a few minutes may make you feel extremely tired and sleepy. Drake puts up a few good lines in this song but nothing really to get excited. He also adds his Jamaican Accent which is quite frankly embarrassing. 5/10
Overall – Thank me Later is a good debut album by Drake on paper which has several triumphant moments but for every one of these there is something that pulls it back down to reality. It parts it is riddled with rookie mistakes but that is what you can come to expect in a debut album. Though in a sense the album is a very good debut, the expectations that Thank me Later had was almost monumental and this is the downfall as he was unable to feed the expectation of this monster. Therefore feeding the people with something timeless and classic as a first album was much too far a stretch for anyone… Even Drake. For a lot of Thank me later, it tells a story about the transformation about a man and how people and things around him have changed, in other parts its just a party with a lot of fun and up-tempo beats and catchy lyrics. 6/10
Written by Ryan aka Lil_Weezy_
Fireworks – The album starts off with a bang (no pun intended) . When I listened to the leaked version of this song it did not have Drake on the hook. Though on this version he is on the hook. Now the problem is, this makes the song feel like overdone. The lyrics though are very well done and Drake shows us his talent in overdrive. ‘Hate is so familiar to me I’m slowly embracing it, doesn’t come natural bare with me it could take a bit’ is speaking about receiving negativity for his sudden rise to fame and yet there are people who doubt his abilities. The song as a whole, feels like one of Drakes classic venting moments. In the past it has delivered a amazing song called Fear. Anyways, back to it, the song is also about his sudden rise to fame and how he is dealing with it. In a way he feels humbled by it, yet he is scared that he may be changing and this will effect the people around him. In the second verse he raps about his short lived, rumor filled moments with Rihanna, he goes into personal moments and things that may hint what was going on(Feeding the folks at mediatakeout), anyways he exits triumphant in his own ways. 9/10
Karaoke – To be honest, after listening to So Far Gone again and then this, Karaoke sounds like a extra cut that did not make the album. The song pokes fun in one line to his rise to fame making light at his success ‘I remember when you thought I was joking, Now I m off singing Karaoke, further then I’ve ever been’ . Though the song has its moments ‘They always say the first love is the sweetest, but the first cut is the deepest’ such as this, it shows the talent that Drake has and possesses. Yet the song itself in its entirety fails to deliver as anything of substance on Thank me Later, It would’ve felt right at home on So Far Gone. 5/10
Resistance – Now this song delivers with a type of hook that we know Drake is good for. The hook is from a point of view from his current friends that may feel that he is different from the man he use to be, and he doesn’t have the time for them anymore. The song cleverly falls into the next song though, as he feels he is free fall and can’t wait for it to ‘Over’ . ‘I said that you can kiss the past goodbye but you weren’t excited’ is from a point of a friend that may feel the ‘new’ Drake is a different person. It’s a perfect song that tells us the mindset of Drake, how the sudden rise of fame has effected his close family and friends. This song, and a addition of others on the album are what make Thank me Later a triumphant album for Drake, yet it fails from a range of errors. The song though is still great. 7/10
Over – Thank Me Later’s first single was ‘Over’ failed to deliver on a mainstream level, though it fits into the album quite well. The hook though may be a tiny bit out of the beat which too a lot of mainstream listeners to music could’ve been annoying about. The rapping on the song is on point though, it shows the abilities and talents of Drake. ‘Point the biggest skeptic out, I’ll make them a believer’ is a message to the critics and haters, he believes it himself that he is great and with his talents he could easily make them believe the same. The song is a high moment on Thank me Later, as it speaks about the problems you may be faced in live and that its better to live at its best because it will be Over. 7.5/10
Show Me A Good Time – Ok, I’ll be honest, the first few times I listened to the album I put this song on skip almost every time. After listening to the album 20+ times I forcefully gave it a listen. The song delivers in no shape or form and does not contribute to Thank Me Later in any way. It marks a low point in the album, as it lacks any substance in any form. ‘Show me a good time’ repeated in the hook with a few DJ scratching is what we get to listen too. This is probably one of the reasons a lot of people might doubt him for his music. 3/10
Up all Night – This song received a few skips as well, the song itself questions the critics or anyone in general who won’t leave him alone, and to be honest we have all have these moments in our lives. ‘I about whatever man, fuck what they be talking about, their opinion doesn’t count we the only thing that matters’ is also about the media attention that may have increased ever since the increase in his stardom, a lot of media people that can’t or won’t leave him alone. Nicki Minaj’s verse adds some more oh this ego filling ‘I’m better then you’ attitude into this song. Though the idea of the song is admirable the execution fails. The song is playing with more fire with people that may not like him. More Filler on the album. 4/10
Fancy – The song comes out of nowhere. I guess this is going to be what’s going to be played to death by the DJ’s at Clubs and Radios. Swizz Beats and T.I. add some much needed vibrance into the album as the last two songs may have wanted to too turn off your ipod for another day. The song is about that one girl who are different from the pack. Swizz does a good job on the hook ‘Well you fancy huh’ drives in the intention of the song. Drake raps a good first verse which shows off his talent, but the state of T.I. ever since he has gotten out of jail is outstanding. T.I. outshines Drake in his verse, ‘aren’t you a breath of fresh air? From all these superficial gold digging bitches in here’ and more and more lines of gold in his verse really does leave you to ponder and get excited about T.I.’s future projects. Anyways, the song slows down at the end and allows Swizz to drop a bridge and Drake finishes the song off with another set of smooth lines. The song in no way fits into the album, but shows off the features that the album has to offer which in this song add another dimension to Thank me Later.. 7/10
Shut It down – This song is a long 6:59, but it is a monster. It speaks about the pretty girl who does not think very highly of herself. I think we’ve experienced this in our lifetime, that girl who we are crazy about but she doesn’t really know it. Therefore it delves into the thoughts of the male. Drake sings ‘Put those fuckin heels on and work it girl, let that mirror show you what your doing’ is talking too the girl subconsciously while she is getting ready. The song was made by Drake originally as a song Women can use to get ready to and get some confidence when they go out. The Dream adds some melody to the song backing up what Drake had done on his previous verses ‘every time you come around you shut it down like computers’ . The hook is very well done with Drake and The Dream providing background vocals. The last verse by Drake was a very good addition to song which is a hazy taken back verse. Drake makes an example of this song as a whole and shows his talent as a R&B heavyweight. Though his music will never be as mainstream as Akon or T-Pain it does show that it will however always have more content then ‘Buying you a drank’ or hitting on the bartender. Drake and The Dream make a amazing combination working together on this song. 8.5/10
Unforgettable - This song features Young Jeezy. On paper it may sound like a sound collaboration, it showcases more of Jeezy’s talents then it does of Drakes. Jeezy raps a worthy verse on this song. Though Drake does his best on his verse, his is otherwise undone by Jeezy. 7/10
Light Up – Arguable the biggest feature on the album. The beat feels very normal too me and it does not fit what the song is. The song should’ve been huge for Drake and the beat is just not enough. Drake raps about how far he’s come and the jealousy of other people. The hook is very soft but well done, ‘They always telling me nobody’s working as hard as you’ is telling us how hard Drake is working, for the album and his life in general. Jay-Z lays down a verse but it doesn’t feel too special. All said and done the song does not deliver in anyway, the beat is the biggest let down. Also being told by Drake before the album was released that he though Jay-Z’s verse on light up was one of his best. The problem is we as listeners expected greatness and we got a good song, but we have reasons to believe it is not. 6.5/10
Miss Me – The biggest letdown of the album. When the song first leaked it was just about 2 minutes long, released by Evil Empire. Being released at this time many people believed that the song was just a mixtape cut or a throwaway. Later we learned that Lil Wayne was featured on it. Honestly, we know Wayne well for his amazing one liners and cleaver wordplay. There is not one line that is quoteable in his verse, which is odd. In the past both Drake and Wayne have had some amazing Collaborations(see Ransom,Ignant Shit,Uptown) and this collaboration does not live up to the expectation. The song is flawed in soo many ways and does not even have the feeling of a song that should be on an album. Drakes half hearted attempted at a ‘hook’ does not help either. 4/10
Cece’s Interlude – Too me it seems like Drake is a master of these short Interludes. This beat is perfect for him to lay out a verse and add some melody and calm the album down a bit. He sings about wishing how he wasn’t as famous as he is now. This is what Drake does best, and he showcases this for show too everyone. This is probably why So Far gone was such a big hit because this is all Drake did but he did It so well. 7/10
Find Your Love – This seems to be the big hit during the summer. Mainstream this was a perfect song for Drake to put out(even if the music video is way too long) . It seems he will get a lot of attention and buzz for this song and it was a great single to also release pre album time to promote it. Now the song is produced by Kanye West and it may sound a little bit like something that would’ve been on 808’s & Heartbreak. Now in all honestly I think a lot of people would admit that the song could’ve been sung by Kanye. The song itself isn’t that bad, itself. The beat is up-tempo yet Drake is versatile enough to sing on it adding in some back up vocals to help with this. The hook is nicely done with a genius line of ‘I bet if I give all my love then nothings gonna tear us apart’ which is a good addition. Drake is even able to slow it down near the end and has enough gas to finish it off. All in all, a perfect combination of good hook, lyrics and beat. Which is a equation for mainstream buzz. 8/10
Thank Me Now – This song is the Outro for the Album. Warning: Listening for a few minutes may make you feel extremely tired and sleepy. Drake puts up a few good lines in this song but nothing really to get excited. He also adds his Jamaican Accent which is quite frankly embarrassing. 5/10
Overall – Thank me Later is a good debut album by Drake on paper which has several triumphant moments but for every one of these there is something that pulls it back down to reality. It parts it is riddled with rookie mistakes but that is what you can come to expect in a debut album. Though in a sense the album is a very good debut, the expectations that Thank me Later had was almost monumental and this is the downfall as he was unable to feed the expectation of this monster. Therefore feeding the people with something timeless and classic as a first album was much too far a stretch for anyone… Even Drake. For a lot of Thank me later, it tells a story about the transformation about a man and how people and things around him have changed, in other parts its just a party with a lot of fun and up-tempo beats and catchy lyrics. 6/10
Written by Ryan aka Lil_Weezy_
I was expecting something so crazy and then we end up with 'this' Thank Me Later should've been the mixtape and So Far Gone the album danm!
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