Drake doesn’t hold back in asserting his dominance. On ‘Over My Dead Body,’ the lead track to his sophomore album ‘Take Care,’ Drake brags: ‘I think I killed everyone in the game last year, man. / F*** it, I was on, though.’ And after a little more than two years of chart dominating tracks, many emcees will probably agree with him.

Drizzy took the rap world by storm with his stellar mixtapes and platinum debut album, ‘Thank Me Later.’ The Canadian emcee sold out shows all across the country, including Syracuse University’s 2010 Block Party. The bar set high for his sophomore album, ‘Take Care’ delivers a much more consistent album filled with a mix of down-tempo hip-hop and rhythm and blues.

As successful as ‘Thank Me Later’ was, it’s clear Drake and Young Money Records had conflicting visions for the album. The end result: an album that was somewhat disjointed and messy. ‘Take Care’ is the album Drake wanted to make. It sounds more soulful with Drake speaking his lyrics in rhythm instead of using his double-time rap. Only a few aggressive tracks interrupt the slow tempos.

Songs like ‘The Real Her,’ featuring Andre 3000 and Lil Wayne, and ‘Make Me Proud,’ featuring Nicki Minaj, really show that Drake may be a middle-of-the-pack rapper at best when it comes to wordplay. The three stars seemingly outshine him with their rapping talents, but Drake occasionally throws in a line that dazzles. On ‘Over My Dead Body,’ he raps: ‘Shout out to my Asian girls / Let the lights dim sum,’ and on ‘HYFR,’ he boasts: ‘All my exes live in Texas like George Strait.’ But his true strength comes from his deeply emotional lyrics.

Although most rappers talk about guns, women and drugs, Drake’s relatable lyrics make him a likeable protagonist in his songs’ stories. The album is self-conscious and somewhat sentimental. Like he did on his debut, Drake once again digs deep to talk about his worries about life and fame, his failures with love and the general sadness that surrounds him.

‘Look What You’ve Done’ narrates the story about Drake’s sick mother and how he was able to pay for her surgery. On ‘Doing It Wrong,’ featuring Stevie Wonder, Drake’s heart is on his sleeve as he tries to figure out the right words to comfort his ex-girlfriend without giving her false hope.

Though most of the album is slow-paced, the few upbeat songs scattered throughout are stellar and displays Drake’s musical diversity. Featuring The Weeknd, ‘Crew Love’ is a beautifully produced mix of rhythm and blues and synth dance music. The Weeknd’s half-auto-tuned voice works perfectly on the chorus before Drake comes in for a quick verse that he spits with impeccable flow. He declares: ‘I told my story, then made history.’ For the danceable ‘Take Care,’ Rihanna provides her beautiful vocals on the hook. Drizzy speeds up his flow, rapping to a potential female companion about being there for her.

True rap fans may criticize ‘Take Care’ for its slowness, but Drake will walk away proud of this album. Sure, to be a platinum seller, the album is a testament to how Drake is currently the best rap and rhythm and blues crossover artist in the game right now. With creative control in his power, he crafted a 17-song roller coaster of emotions. It doesn’t matter if Drizzy’s happy or sad. He’s going to tell you about it, and the world is fortunate that he’s not afraid to.

drbleckn@syr.edu

Published on November 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm