Review: Drake – Nothing Was The Same

BY OLIVIA PASCALE-WONG

After four years in the industry, Drake has proven himself to be one of, if not the best artist in his genre. The half Jewish, half black kid from Canada who was on the television show Degrassi: The Next Generation currently holds the record for most number one songs on the Billboard rap charts. His debut album Thank Me Later laid the foundation for the legendary artist he has transformed into. His latest album Nothing Was The Same embraces everything that Drake stands for not only as an artist, but as a person as well. His recognized and respected style of merging rap and R&B vocals does not disappoint. As of right now, and for as long as he can, Drake holds his rightful reputation of being “the best in the game”.

Listening to Nothing Was The Same, his boastful lyrics stand out. Drake is fully aware of the fan base and publicity that surrounds him. Even with the hype and recognition, his honest and heartfelt lines about his personal life manage to land him the label of the “sensitive rapper”. This far in the game, it appears that Drake will go to any length to produce quality music for his fans and never seems to dissatisfy. His lyrical brilliance along with his passionate and emotional rhymes has gained him the respect from some of the rap games most influential artists.

One of the most popular songs on the album, “Pound Cake/Paris Motion Music 2” features hip-hop legend Jay-Z and embraces a distinctive beat with alternating verses between the two rap icons. Throughout this track Drake stays true to his softer side while giving Jay-Z the reverence he has earned and room to show off his talents. Jay-Z keeps younger rappers in check with his first line: “I had Benzes before you had braces.” On another one of my personal favorites “Too Much”, Drake joins with R&B singer Sampha, who is said to be the “London version” of the artist The Weeknd. Drake speaks about the developing distance between him and his relatives while Sampha serenades melodically behind him.

Drake continues to do what he does best all throughout Nothing Was The Same. He unsurprisingly sings just as much as he raps, which will make old Drake fans happy to hear. Sharing his most personal thoughts and private feelings on this album, one might feel that they are reading his journal.

Encompassing his brilliant lyrical and story telling talents, the long anticipated Nothing Was The Same goes down as Drake’s best piece of work yet.