Drake – “Thank Me Later” Review

Drake is one of the most hyped artists in hip hop history.  It’s a bold statement, but it’s true.  The kid is in his early 20′s and started winning grammy’s before his debut album even came out, as well as having collaborations with the genre’s top names (Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil’ Wayne, etc).  I’ve been excited about this album for a while now, and I finally got to give it a good listen and review.  Here we go:

Have you ever wondered what something would sound like if you mixed the Kid Cudi album with the Kanye West 808‘s album? Cause this is pretty much it, with hints of Lil’ Wayne.  The majority of the beats are comparable to Kid Cudi, while most others will remind you of 808′s & Heartbreaks.  The song “Find Your Love” is nearly dead-on with Kanye’s “Paranoid.”  It honestly sounds like he used the same sample library.  For someone so hyped and anticipated, things like this don’t necessarily come as a knock-off, but more of a frustrating disappointment.  A lot of this album seems unfinished, like Drake wanted to lay down a bunch of great ideas but never finished the songwriting aspect of them.  Many of the choruses seem rushed and contrived, and though I understand the direction he pushes for, the melodies come off bland and uninspiring.  Along with that, Drake seems to rap the same way in each song.  I imagine someone could take the a-cappella tracks and mix-match them with any beat on the album.

There are, however, some great moments on this album.  Said moments come in the form of lyrics, though too few and far between.  When Drake talks about anything other than the usual hype of “I’m so awesome, I have money, look at me,” he talks directly about individual women.  Lyrically, it sounds like a teenager writing poetry in his English class, though an extremely talented one at that.  Every so often you’ll hear something so clever you’ll have a nice chuckle, like when Drake describes a girl as being “fine like a ticket on the dash.”  Other impressive moments will come from the featured artists; Young Jeezy kills it in “Unforgettable,” Lil’ Wayne does a good job with “Miss Me,” and T.I. and Swizz Beats team up on “Fancy” to make it a highlight of the album.  Alicia Keys makes an unimpressive appearance on the opening track, and Jay-Z gives yet another mediocre and forgettable verse in “Light Up.”  The best track on the album is the single, “Over,” and its frustrating realizing that there are only a few other tracks on the album that are as good.

When listening to the album in its entirety, you grow tired of the lyrical themes, but you leave the album somewhat satisfied.  But even with that satisfied feeling, taking into account all the hype and push, the album overall is a bit of a disappointment.  It’s exciting to listen to at first because of the hype, but you quickly realize just what it is – hype.  I give this album a 3 out of 5.  It’s enjoyable, but not nearly as enjoyable as it was supposed to be.