Nothing Was The Same

NWTS_Itunes_02

“How this n***a workin’ like he got a fuckin’ twin though?”

This is Drake’s proclamation on the intro to Nothing Was the Same.  And to be honest I don’t know if I believe all the Drake hype cause I think it’s true, or if it’s cause he’s so good at confidently stating it himself. I’ve listened to this album all weekend. I’ve got 3 stages of reactions to it.

1) This is good…kind of subtle but still good.

2) Have I just listened to this whole album 3 times in a row?

3) Maybe nothing will be the same?

Rap is weird. It doesn’t evolve like other art forms.  Most other evolutions tend to lead to more niche and specialized forms.  Rock evolved into its many forms to the point that I think Mumford and Sons might be their own genre.  Where as rap/hip-hop started out, actually with many forms and has slowly but surely eroded down to simply hip-hop.  Hip-hop is an all consuming word.  Along the way it has taken on any thing in it’s vicinity and reshaped itself to properly embrace it.  It’s kind of the natural evolution of the word of rock n’ roll in terms of culture.  Things used to be “so rock n’ roll” are now “so hip-hop”.  Had hip-hop stayed in its niche of purely being about the struggle of lower class Americans and the lifestyle that came with it, it might’ve not lived to see 30.  Meaning guys like Jay-z would’ve been done some time prior to the Black Album.  But it changed for the better.  Had it not changed guys like Kanye or Drake would have no place at the table, but instead they are now the honored guests.  Why?  Because a genre that was once hooked on authenticity or at least the veil of authenticity (we now know that 50 cent, even though he was shot 9 times, isn’t really scary or hood, as much as he’s just a really savvy business man, and DMX isn’t really intimidating as much as he’s just quirky and pretty much a caricature of himself) is no longer concerned with being authentic.  Which in a way is more authentic than it ever really was.  People like Kanye and Drake, who never claim to shoot anyone, or that they would shoot anyone, by previous standards would have been seen as inauthentic to the genre, but instead, are now  the standard for how to survive in the industry.

This is a long winded intro to explain that Drake couldn’t have released this record 10 years ago, but I’m glad he can now.   This album is damn good.  And good in a way that not many hip-hop albums have been.  I’m not saying it’s as good as, but it has a similar feel of longevity that Kanye’s My Twisted Dark Fantasy had or that Jay z’s American Gangster had.  It’s hard to explain but it’s not necessarily how good the album is in terms of review scores, cause both Nothing Was The Same and American Ganster are not as good as MTDF. But they are still great and very listenable.  I think that’s the attribute I like most about this album.  I can’t think of a bad place to listen to it.  Where as something like Yeezus has a very specific listening experience (one where a certain level of alcohol or testosterone needs to be coursing through my veins).  This is a classic sounding album.  You can listen to it alone, you can listen to with some people as you prepare to go out for the evening, you can listen to it in a car; I know this now cause I did all these things this weekend.  The production is subtle, but great.  He didn’t produce his own album, but credit him for having good taste.  The cast of characters he’s employed to be featured on the album are great choices too.  His track with Jay z is better than anything on Magna Carter.  But the track that stands out most is “Too Much”.  It’s the track he premiered on Fallon featuring Sampha.  He’s an artist from South London and Drake was especially excited for this collaboration prior to the record release, which now I see it was with good reason. It’s a smooth track with a lot of emotion.

In terms of lyrics and content, Drake does a good job of being true to himself.  There’s a bit of angst and pining but it seems real, and not really out of character.  He’s got a lot to prove as someone that get’s discounted as just being “Aubrey”.  There’s an enjoyable amount of cleverness and self awareness when listening to the record.  He has a knack for calling himself out before anyone else gets the chance.  On the intro he asks “How much time is this n***a spendin’ on the intro?” Which is a legit question cause by verse number three you realized he’s just turned the intro into a full blown song without a hook. Additionally it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album.  He maintains that comedic self awareness throughout the album (“That’s why every song sound like Drake featuring Drake”) which kind of makes him impossible to hate.  He’s self deprecating and self assured all at the same time.  He covers the spectrum of aww shucks to aww shit very well.  Look if you don’t like Drake, for not liking Drake-sake, then this album won’t change your mind, and I’m pretty sure no album would.  But if you were on the fence about him as I was, this album should turn you over to a supporter.  And if not for anything else, he’s a walking catch phrase.  He continues to come with ways to tell you he’s awesome with out ever actually saying he’s awesome.  He’ll never come out with the brashness of Jay z or Lil’ Wayne and just straight up call himself the best rapper alive, no instead he’ll settle for subtlety cause he’s too clever for that.  He said his goal was to channel his inner Marvin Gaye for this album, and I don’t think he’s far off.  I suggest getting this album when it’s released.  It’s a perfect segue into the fall.

8.5/10

 

 

 

Matt Cargile

About Matt Cargile

Matt Cargile is the Editor in Chief of rookerville.com. He also works in finance, but refuses to read any news printed on pink paper. He is a child at heart with adult means. His childhood dream was to either become a magician or the leader of the next great empire and somehow both these things make complete sense. He's contradictory in nature, but is always consistent.

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