This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
Drake: A Hip-Hop Sensation Falls Flat
Listen
3:55
Toronto-based rapper Drake released his debut album, Thank Me Later, on Tuesday. Aubrey Drake Graham has been hailed as hip-hop's newest star, but he's not new to the world of entertainment. He formerly starred as Jimmy Brooks, the basketball star from Degrassi: The Next Generation -- a popular Canadian teen drama.
Last year, "Best I Ever Had," Drake's hit from his So Far Gone EP, exploded onto Top 40 radio. The EP became the fifth-best-selling album of 2009, unheard of for a mixtape, and the rapper scored a record deal with Lil Wayne's label, Young Money Entertainment.
His highly anticipated major-label debut features dreamy melodies and electric synths, along with big-name guests like Jay-Z and Timbaland. But for an MC whose buzz was so powerful for the past year and a half, the album disappoints. Thank Me Later is, simply put, a pop-influenced hip-hop album. Its songs are redundant, both musically and lyrically, with Drake rapping about what he knows best: the pressures of celebrity life. But he doesn't do it convincingly enough to evoke sympathy.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
