Album Review: Drake's "Thank Me Later"

Does Drake live up to the hype?

In my nineteen years of life, I can honestly say I've never seen as much hype surrounding one person as it has Drake.

Alas, the buzz around him was so huge that he scored a massive hit and two Grammy nominations with "Best I Ever Had", off of the mixtape So Far Gone last year. If possible, his pre-debut success increased the anticipation for his first album tenfold.

Now that it's here, the question that has been on the tips of everyone's tongues can finally be answered; is Drake really the future of hip-hop?

Thank Me Later is certainly a new kind of hip-hop album, just like Drake is a new kind of hip-hop artist. He can successfully rap and sing, which gives him the very valuable ability to sing his own hooks. The idea of fusion is the common theme of Thank Me Later. Both the lyrics and the music of the album work at blending different styles and approaches to life. Songs like "Find Your Love" and "Shut It Down" can be classified as R&B, but the spirit within them allows them to properly exist amongst the more traditional rap cuts, like "Over" and "Up All Night". More common on the album are songs that feature him rapping and singing. On "Karaoke", Drake's singing vocals are almost ambient over the sturdy, but sparse backbeat while his rapping is stronger and fuller. Even with him spitting, "Karaoke" is almost thoroughly R&B. It's an interesting, and thrilling, experiment that Drake is conducting, testing the boundaries of soul and rap as he is.

Drake isn't only known for his genre-busting production. No, it's his lyrical flow that has made him the hottest rapper right now. Thank Me Later has the 23-year old contemplating the effects fame has had on him and his recollections of the past. Again, Drake is changing the rules of the game. He is surprisingly (sometimes, shockingly) candid and frank about his experience, detailing his relationships with family, ex-girlfriends, and his Young Money labelmates, particularly Lil' Wayne and Nicki Minaj, who he proposes marriage to on "Miss Me". Even more surprising than the subject matter is how he presents them. The vulnerability and the honesty in some of his lyrics is disarming. "The Resistance" reveals in one verse how he ignored his grandmother and how one of his girlfriends had an abortion. "Fireworks" has him rapping about his heartbreak from being used by a girl (read: Rihanna). On "Light Up", he offers up some words of advice (and one of the best lines from the album): "If you're pillowtalking with the women that are screwing you/just know that she gon' tell another nigga when she's through with you".

When he isn't talking about his personal life, he laments the struggles that come with fame. "Karaoke" and "Unforgettable" have verses about relationships that fell apart from the glare of the public eye. In lead single "Over", he brushes off the pressures that have come with the massive expectations that have landed on his shoulders. Even with the struggles, he isn't above a bit of boasting about his success, which is where his clever rhymes shine the most.

There are plenty of appearances on this album, and most of them pop off right. The best by a mile is Jay-Z on "Light Up", who shows Drake who still runs this town. The only flop comes from T.I. on "Fancy";  it isn't even good enough to qualify as window dressing.

Thank Me Later is a transitional album for the hip hop genre. Drake seems to be bridging the gap between what hip hop has been for the last five years and what it could be, his vision. His vision of hip hop is more honest and accessible to a wider audience. It's about pushing the boundaries and conventions of the game to freshen it. While not perfect, Thank Me Later is one of the most complete, coherent albums I have heard in awhile. It is a quieter, restrained effort when compared to his contemporaries, which makes Drake all the more intriguing, as an artist. Yes, Drake is an artist, and after a long streak of newcomers bringing mediocrity in their wake, it is a much needed change.

Despite the title, I think its fair to thank Drake now for that.

Rating: 8.5/10

Key Tracks: "Find Your Love", "Karaoke", "Fireworks", "Light Up"