Backstory: Noah "40" Shebib →
Just what you wanted: More Drake/Take Care talk!
First, props to Sean for this interview and just doing great work over at GQ. Anyway, I really loved this interview (here’s a link to GQ’s Drake interview, too) because it reaffirms what we already know (but sometimes ignore/forget): Drake is and always will be an R&B dude! That’s why all of his albums have that snail’s pace (the lean and weed play their roles, of course) and plenty of songs directed towards women. He’s talked in the past about really needing to hone in on his rapping ability, and it’s because the R&B stuff comes so naturally. “Brand New,” still one of Drake’s best songs, was what got him noticed as something more than the novelty of being “that Degrassi guy.” And this talk with 40 just hammers it all home — Drake and his closest collaborator are suckers for good (and cheesy) ’90s R&B just like the rest of us.
I sent a Take Care .zip link to friends (the same ones that love to talk Wayne), raving about it, calling it my favorite album of the year. And they came back with the same problems they had with Thank Me Later: “too slow,” “not enough bangers,” “I wish he would just rap,” etc. Anthony compared it to “R. Kelly’s talk-rapping.” I see their points, but I’m not buying. The pacing is in the pocket of what Drake and his Toronto brothers have done all along. These guys know what they’re doing and they execute it with taste. There are plenty of times Take Care could’ve spiraled out of control, in love with its own world, but there’s restraint around every corner. Don’t let the long-running time fool you.
I have a million more thoughts on Take Care. They will either stay in my head or spill on to the page, but the fact that this record is all I’ve thought about (Penn State excluded) shows this is an album not to be taken lightly, especially on some “it’s just more emo Drake whining about fame/strippers” bullshit. It’s deeper: My mom just visited — I normally see her once a year — and “Look What You’ve Done” has brought me close to tears at least twice since she left.
