So Far Gone (CD)

Clean version. The Artist: Aubrey quot;Drakequot; Graham aka Drizzy is the most anticipated artist to come on the music scene in recent memory. The actor, singer, rapper has released three mixtapes since 2006 and his most recent mixtape lead to signing with Young Money Records. The Album: This is what the fans have been waiting for. The unmixed, unmastered mixtape previously available sporadically only on the internet is now mixed and mastered and available digitally and specialty album. Features include: Lil Wayne, Trey Songz &. Bun B.

No doubt about it, Drake blew up big time in 2009. The one-time TV actor (from Degrassi High: The Next Generation) hooked up with Lil Wayne a couple years previously, worked the mixtape and collabo circuit hard for a spell, and then suddenly hit with the song "Best I Ever Had." The song was taken from the So Far Gone mixtape and became, arguably, the top summer jam of 2009. After a ferocious bidding war, Drake ended up signing with Universal Motown (while keeping his affiliation with Weezy's Young Money and Cash Money intact), and they officially introduced Drake with the So Far Gone EP. The release included seven tracks from the mixtape and gave undeniable proof that the hype and noise surrounding the rapper were all justified. The productions (courtesy of members of Drake's Toronto-based crew) are nuanced and powerful, the hooks are huge, and Drake has lyrical skills and a vocal flow that make him one of the best young spitters on the scene. The twists and turns of his words keep the songs interesting on repeated listens, the equal amounts of inspired raunchiness and heart-felt introspection make for a truly well-rounded presentation, and most impressively, the youngster manages to keep up with his mentor on the three tracks Lil Wayne adds verses to. His rapping style owes some to Wayne's drawling and woozy delivery, but he also has some of Kanye's erudition, Jay-Z's bite, and plenty of contemporary R&B influence. In the end, though, the melding of the various influences means he comes up with something all his own. That the memorable, constantly surprising lyrics and smooth flow are laid on top of the rich productions and sticky hooks means that there are some jams here that will put the competition on their heels. Best I Ever Had is the instant classic, but the other six songs are just as impressive. The melancholy "Houstatlantavegas" and "The Calm" show Drake's sensitive side, "Successful" and "Uptown" are hard-edged pop-rap, "I'm Goin' In" gives a glimpse of Drake's hardcore credentials, and "Fear" wraps up the too-short EP with some nice symphonic soul-rap. When an artist is as talked about and hyped as Drake was in 2009, it's easy to write them off as an industry creation or some kind of fluke. So Far Gone shows that Drake is for real, and works as a tantalizing teaser for his first full-length record. [A clean version of the album was also released] ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide

Performer	Drake
Music genre	R&B / Soul
Music subgenre	CD - URBAN
Music release type	Release
Media format	CD
Original release date	2009
Edition	Standard
Language	English
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Series title	Drake - So Far Gone [CD]
Track listing	Houstatlantavegas,Successful,Best I Ever Had,Uptown,I'm Goin' in,The Calm,Fear
Record label	Republic
Track name	Lust For Life, Houstatlantavegas, Successful (feat. Trey Songz & Lil Wayne), Let's Call It Off (feat. Peter Bjorn and John), November 18th, Ignant Shit (feat. Lil Wayne), A Night Off (feat. Lloyd), Say What's Real, Little Bit (feat. Lykke Li), Best I Ever Had, Unstoppable (feat. Santigold & Lil Wayne), Uptown (feat. Bun B & Lil Wayne), Sooner Than Later, Bria's Interlude (feat. Omarion), The Calm, Outro (feat. Chilly Gonzales), Brand New, Congratulations
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N