Degrassi star releases new mixtape "So Far Gone"
Shomari Smith
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Lifestyle
Toronto rapper Drake is known for the role of Jimmy Brooks, the physically disabled character he played on the Canadian teen drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation". What most don't know is that "Wheelchair Jimmy" has talents other than his acting ability. He is also a rapper, singer and songwriter who has recently caught the eye of Cash Money's Lil' Wayne. With two mixtapes to his credit, Drake is looking to increase his fan base and solidify his spot as an upcoming artist by releasing his latest offering, "So Far Gone."
The mixtape is a 16 track collection continuously showing Drake's talent and versatility across different genres of music. With this, he is bringing back a certain level of creativity and raising the bar for both current and future songwriters. Drake's single, "Best I Ever Had," is currently getting heavy rotation on major radio stations across America.
The mixtape starts out with the mellow "Lust For Life," where Drake raps about becoming famous and having to deal with the good and bad things that come with fame. This song shows his lyrical skill is only getting better with time as he proclaims that he is "fresher than a pillow with a mint on it." He switches to singing for his next song, "Houstatlantavegas," which is about a woman he is in love with who is addicted to the glitz and glamour to the point where it is breaking him and her down. Another song that is a standout is "The Calm," where he speaks about his way of keeping his cool intact when some things in life aren't working in his favor. Other standout tracks include "Successful" featuring Trey Songz and Lil' Wayne, "Say What's Real," "Little Bit" featuring Lykke Li, and "Unstoppable" featuring Santo Gold and Lil' Wayne.
This mixtape is arranged better than most albums that come out. Drake is a part of the new freshmen class of rappers and aims to bring skill with wordplay back to the hip hop culture, which has been scarce as of late. "So Far Gone" is a sample of the future records that can be expected to drop from this artist, which looks to be most impressive.
The mixtape is a 16 track collection continuously showing Drake's talent and versatility across different genres of music. With this, he is bringing back a certain level of creativity and raising the bar for both current and future songwriters. Drake's single, "Best I Ever Had," is currently getting heavy rotation on major radio stations across America.
The mixtape starts out with the mellow "Lust For Life," where Drake raps about becoming famous and having to deal with the good and bad things that come with fame. This song shows his lyrical skill is only getting better with time as he proclaims that he is "fresher than a pillow with a mint on it." He switches to singing for his next song, "Houstatlantavegas," which is about a woman he is in love with who is addicted to the glitz and glamour to the point where it is breaking him and her down. Another song that is a standout is "The Calm," where he speaks about his way of keeping his cool intact when some things in life aren't working in his favor. Other standout tracks include "Successful" featuring Trey Songz and Lil' Wayne, "Say What's Real," "Little Bit" featuring Lykke Li, and "Unstoppable" featuring Santo Gold and Lil' Wayne.
This mixtape is arranged better than most albums that come out. Drake is a part of the new freshmen class of rappers and aims to bring skill with wordplay back to the hip hop culture, which has been scarce as of late. "So Far Gone" is a sample of the future records that can be expected to drop from this artist, which looks to be most impressive.