Overview
Drake is a rapper/singer from Toronto Canada. "Dark Lane Demo Tapes" is his first album in a long time that doesn't sacrifice complexity to be empowering. He's singing, he's flowing, and the album cover is even radical enough to be current. Drake is very mainstream, but he built his fame from internet streams on Myspace. This album is a reminder of how talented he is. He isn't pushing his vocals any more than each song calls for. His focus is making good music and he's succeeding at it. Drake rivals Kanye in prevalence, but Kanye is the archetype, and Drake is the genre hybrid. He's made so many collaborations that he has a patent monopoly on relatable hood emotional songs.
Defining Track
Chicago freestyle is OVO's sound renewed by Giveon. It's nostalgic but it's still progressive. The song isn't the best song on the album but it's a good introduction to Drake's return to his earlier music formula.
Final Thoughts
Drake deserves absolute loyalty from the rap game and this album cover is proof. The rappers that sing-rap like he did years after he invented it need to pay homage. Drake is a self-proclaimed dog. Now he's making good enough music to modernize the perception of that.
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