Y2K Hits: “So Far Gone” by Drake

The 2010s was the last decade of Drake. Boasting essentially the most profitable business run of the final decade and galvanizing a era that infused rap with pop and R&B, the Canadian artist has left an indelible mark on the music business.

Nonetheless, earlier than Aubrey Drake Graham turned the adorned musician we all know as we speak, he was releasing mixtapes and appearing within the award-winning tv present “DeGrassi.” In selecting to drop appearing, Drake launched into a journey of chart-topping success which began together with his 2009 mixtape “So Far Gone,” which explores themes of dishonest, success and broader life struggles.

Rap and R&B collaborations had been gaining chart momentum within the early 2000s. Although the genres had been largely segmented, albums like 50 Cent’s “Get Wealthy or Die Tryin’” transcended boundaries by permitting solo artists to partake in each.

Relatively than taking cues from 50 Cent’s braggadocious type, although, Drake charted his personal course on “So Far Gone.” The document mixed his trademark crooning type with assured supply and laid-back move. Its sound is definitely revolutionary, from using atmospheric beats to the heavy organ maintain and nostalgic melodic concepts — although it’s clear that Drake had but to return into his personal the way in which he would in later data.

The breakout observe “Finest I Ever Had”, a track celebrating the presence of a particular lady in Drake’s life, climbed all the way in which to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. It’s protected to say that its business success was well-warranted: the change in flows and the aforementioned style play help in making a dynamic document that has stood the take a look at of time.

“Sooner Than Later” is one other stable document that sees Drake’s crooning move paired nicely with distorted clapping and bassy instrumentation. “Ignant Shit” incorporates a few of Drizzy’s greatest wordplay on the challenge. I additionally get pleasure from Drake’s assured and assuring supply all through the mixtape, which has all the time set him other than his friends.

Regardless of the ambition of the challenge, Drake’s execution stays disappointing. First, his lyrical functionality was nonetheless restricted at this level, with many verses coming throughout as cheesy and unoriginal. Whereas I imagine that Drizzy was making an attempt to discover some deeper themes right here, the lyrics don’t enable this exploration to proceed past floor degree.

Furthermore, whereas the moody beats are one thing that the Toronto-based artist carried on into his future tasks, the manufacturing doesn’t sound as lush in “So Far Gone” because it does in his future data.

The mixtape samples different songs fairly a bit, however the awkward rhythms and flows fail to liven up these data. For instance, within the tune “November 18th,” Drake’s high-pitched crooning doesn’t mesh nicely with the slowed down pattern of the document “Da Streets Ain’t Proper” by Kriss Kross. “Little Bit” that includes Lykke Li, with its sparse instrumentation and low-pitched vocals, looks like a barren track.

Listening to this document in 2023 looks like coming into an incubation lab containing the previous decade of developments of the music business. The choice R&B sounds launched right here, paired with the mix of singing and rapping, seem within the sounds of different large artists like The Weeknd, Juice WRLD and Lil Uzi Vert.

Whereas “So Far Gone” could have ushered in a brand new style of hybrid rap, it’s removed from the most effective within the style. It definitely was an bold challenge that attempted to check new ideas, however the execution leaves a lot to be desired — particularly contemplating the music Drake would go on to make.

Score: 60/100