Now that the album has officially been out for awhile (and not just because it was leaked), I guess it’s time for a review. Happy to see Mr. Drake back: big fan.
I really liked Thank Me Later so I figured his latest release Take Care would have big shoes to fill. Result? It fills them, but in a different way. Take Care is mellow and deeper in it’s sentiments. You get the feeling that he’s got some more experience under his belt and as such is wiser and possibly a little more jaded too. Actually significantly more jaded. Whereas on his first album you got the sense he was ridin’ the fame wave, on his latest effort you get the feeling that he still may be ridin’ that wave but this time with both eyes open and a set of reins.
If you’re thinking that with mellow, deep, and jaded you might hear some more straight up rap, don’t hold your breath. He continues with the singing/rapping mix to the point where his rapper cred waivers a bit and leaves you thinking he’s an R&B/Hip Hop star with the ability to rap.
Like most albums these days, expect plenty of collaborations: Chantal Kreviazuk (apparently on “Over My Dead Body” even though I totally don’t hear the resemblance), The Weekend, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj Rick Ross, Stevie Wonder, Birdman, and Andre 3000.
There’s a few standouts worth mentioning such as “Headlines” (an upbeat ode to his own fame), “Crew Love” (featuring a sick intro by The Weekend……”This ain’t no fuckin’ singalong, so girl what you singing for”…love that line, makes me laugh), “Take Care” (a reggae beat with steal drums, quick rhymes, and featuring Ms.Rhi Rhi), “Underground Kings” (a badass beat, rhyme solid classic), and “Make Me Proud” (featuring his “wife” Nicki Minaj ).
Overall, it’s a good album. I would have preferred a few more upbeat tracks instead of a few songs emo-esque, sad-ish tracks that still do nothing for me after hearing them a ton but I suppose they make other people happy.
Rating: 7/10
Label: Republic
Favourites: Crew Love, Underground Kings
Awww shit kids. Our friend, Christian Flores over at WinnieCooper.net, released a brand new mix yesterday called NEAT. The eclectic tracklist for it is quite good, you can find that after the jump thingy below. He also mentioned that he made this mix specifically for listening to while you’re vacuuming, but it’s great to listen to while doing other activities too.
Neat Mix by Christian Flores Download here or here
iPad / iPhone users click here to listen
This post is dedicated to bringing you some random tunes that hit my inbox this past week.
Noah and the Whale “Tonight’s the Kind of Night” RAC Remix
Wu-Tang Clan, Nas & Damien Marley “As We Enter The Gravel Pit” Skratch Bastid Blend
YACHT “Utopia”
How many people have Andre 3000 on their “Greatest MCs” list, chances are you do as well, and if you don’t, well you lyin’ to yourself son. Here’s a mix from DJ Ideal and Hometeam featuring some of the best verses that 3-stacks have ever spat and some unreleased content as well. Tracklist after the jump.
Download: Andre Benjamin Is…
So I’m about a week out on this track. I was on vacation. Anyways for those that haven’t heard, Andre 3000 is back with a track called “I Do”. The track was found on a mix, Limelight Exclusives, which can be downloaded now. But we didn’t link the mix version, instead, we linked up the full version of the track below.
In addition to “I Do”, we also have another song, “All Together Now”, which is actually a cover of The Beatles song of the same name. The song is actually from a Nike ad campaign, so I guess props to them for blessing us with some new Andre 3 stacks.
Andre 3000 “All Together Now” The Beatles cover
