REVIEW: Drake – Take Care

Artist: Drake
Album: Take Care
Genre: Hip Hop
Label: Young Money

Only seventeen months have passed since Drake released his label debut, Thank Me Later. In that time, the Canadian born rapper has rocketed from an already high plateau of exposure and respect (thanks to the success of his So Far Gone mixtape), to a near-unbelievable level of skill and professionalism that even those on fence can’t help but respect. His latest, Take Care, bursts with confidence reinforced from living the life most only talk about and from the outside looking (or rather, hearing) in, it sounds like a hell of a ride.

Many rappers will have you believe their albums is a big concept or message to their fans and the world, but few take the approach as seriously as Drake. Where So Far Gone captured the isolation of someone determined to make it even though they were losing touch with everything they cared about, Thank Me Later found us learning about life as your dreams begin to come true. What was once talk of wanting success had become talk of starting to get it and the eyes once set on being known were now looking for the next level of recognition, but it worked because for Drake, it was all real. Take Care continues this theme, finding our protagonist realizing that all that glitter isn’t always gold and though they tell you it’s cold at the top, you never realize it until your frozen. That’s not to say he doesn’t still know how to have a good time, there’s definitely plenty of that on track like “HYFR” and “Underground Kings,” but Drake now realizes the weight of a good time and let’s us know it in his verses.

Outside of Drake’s delivery, Take Care is an experience on a purely instrumental level as well. Most of the record feels laid back, as if you’re sitting in the studio with him late at night as he pours over the highs and lows of the life most dream of against the subtle accompaniment of drum samples, keys, strings, and synth. Instead of using the music to move you, Drake approaches music as only one piece of the larger puzzle of the record and it’s the companionship between the words and music that makes it hit hard again and again. Though it’s obviously been worked over, probably many times knowing his work ethic, something about Take Care exudes a near-jazz like essence, as if at any moment a song could turn on a dime and become something entirely different. It keeps you on the edge of your seat without feeling forced in the slightest, a truly engaging listening experience.

Take Care is without a doubt the crown jewel in Drake’s catalog up to this point, with plenty of room left for growth in the future. It’s obvious he’s not slowing, an even more recent track has already surfaced (“The Motto”), but this record serves as a picture-perfect glance into his life and the ever-accelerating world of celebrity. It’s deep and honest, while still being relatable for the average listener without sacrificing overall quality and challenges even die hard genre fans to look at hip hop in a new light.

Experience Take Care. You won’t regret it.

SCORE: 9.5/10
Review written by: James Shotwell (@UTGjames)

Still not sold? Click below to watch the video for “Headlines.”

James Shotwell
Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)
Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.