The Breakdown: Drake – Take Care (Album Review)

So you want to know what a sophomore effort from the hottest emcee in the game sounds like? Well look no further.

Drake continues to walk the line between singing and rhyming.  He raps/sings about money,love and drugs. Most of the time he just comes off as the guy who got in over his head and is just trying to maintain it all.

To build up buzz for the album Drake has been releasing tracks left and right the past few months. ‘Take Care’ features guest appearances from a number of other stars, including Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, as well as new comers like The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar.

Check out the track by track breakdown of “Take Care” below and make sure you cop it on Nov 15th

 

1. Over My Dead Body:

With an eerie sample as the hook Drizzy begins the LP with some dope bars like “Shout out to the Asian girls / Let the lights dim sum,”. Then questions why there’s any doubt that he can match the success of his debut album , “Are these people really discussing my career again? / Asking if I’ll be going platinum in a year again? / Don’t I got the sh– the world wanna hear again?”. This is track shows this is not the same humble emcee from Thank Me Later. #DopeTrack

2. Shot For Me:

Now its time for Drake to address an ex who he still loves, even though she didn’t believe that he was really faithful to her. Drake simply just wants another shot. This is usually the subject of all of his R&B type songs, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Drizzy sums up the whole song at the end with some spoken word “May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you, and Heaven accept you.

3. Headlines:

By now we have all heard (click here)  this weak yet entertaining single. No doubt about it tho with this catchy beat a a few hot lines there is no reason to still turn this banger up. There is also some spoken word at the end Drake speaks on how people rather hear about the struggle.  He says “I heard once they rather hear about memories rather than enemies, about what it was and what it will be reather than what is”

4. Crew Love ft. The Weeknd:

This is by far one of the stand out tracks. The thing is that Drake doesn’t appear until the two-minute mark, making it seem more like Weeknd’s track. This joint has it all tho great R&B crooning, quiet piano sections, rapid-fire drums, and all the vocal effects one can handle. #DopeTrack

5. Take Care ft. Rihanna:

The tittle track is obviously a radio ready single.  Drake and Rihanna sing to each other about there failed past relationships. If your a Hip Hop head scearhing for that Drizzy flow you might as well have skipped this tack soon as you seen Ri Ri’s name as the feat. #DopeTrack for radio.

6. Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive Interlude:

I don’t know if this is considered Hip Hop or R&B but it is one of the best songs of 2011. You should know the story by now, Drake is wasted at a bar, missing an old flame he calls and begs to hook up with her, even though she has a new man. There should be no question to why he put it on the album. #DopeTrack

The “Buried Alive Interlude” features hot new Hip Hop artist Kendrick Lamar. I don’t understand why Drake would attach it to Marvin’s Room since the 2 min verse is pretty dope and if you skip you’ll miss it.

7. Underground Kings:

Drake switches/speeds the flow up. Reflecting on his rise to fame he spits “It’s been two years since somebody asked me who I was.” This track his influence by his love for the city of Houston and the legendary rap group UGK, as the chrous goes:

People always ask how I got my nice things
Take my crown to the grave, I’m an underground king
I bet we can make tonight the greatest story ever told
Cause I’m down to spend whatever, lately i’ve been on a roll
And I do it for the city, cause you know the city love it
Ni**a, do it for the city [reapeats 2 times], (UGK fuck these other ni**as)

8. We’ll Be Fine ft. Birdman:

This is typically Drake. He’s down to get with any chick as long as they understand they’re not the only ones after him. A distorted hook and a bass rock like beat this track is “fine” to me. Oh as for Birdman he just talks at the end, you’ll wish he didn’t tho. #DopeTrack

9. Make Me Proud ft. Nicki Minaj

When you turn this one on be ready to hear some chick say “That’s my jam.” Drake and Minaj continue their flirtatious lyrics for this ladies anthem. #DopeTrack for radio and clubs.

10. Lords Knows ft. Rick Ross

Another stand out track. If “Take Care” was a movie this is the track that would play on the trailer. Just Blaze blends drums and operatic female backing vocals behind his hard-hitting beat.

Drake questions if some of the greats he is offend compared too can even survive in the new age of Hip Hop saying: “They take the greats from the past and compare us / I wonder if they’d ever survive in this era / In a time where it’s recreation/ To pull all your skeletons out the closet like Halloween decorations.” And as far as people who speak on his emotions he spits “I know that showin’ emotion don’t ever mean I’m a pussy / Know that I don’t make music for niggas who don’t get pussy / So those are the ones I count on to diss me or overlook me.”

Rick Ross chimes in with a verse bragging about his boss lifestyle: “Villa on the water with the wonderful views / Only fat n—- in the sauna with jewels / Went and got a yacht, I’m talkin’ Carnival cruise.” #DopeTrack

11. Cameras/Good Ones Go Interlude:

For ‘Cameras’ Drake samples intro music and the hook from Jon B.’s 2001 song ‘Calling on You’. Not the best track seems more like a filler, but the second portion of the track, ‘Good Ones Go,’ comes for the save and will leave you wondering why he just didn’t just stick with this instead.

12. Doing It Wrong ft. Stevie Wonder

Yeah you read that right…….Stevie Wonder. This is a sad breakup ballad, and if your going through one your eyes might water by the time Stevie’s  harmonica hits. Stevie doesn’t actually sing tho. But man that harmonica is enough. #DopeTrack

13. The Real Her ft. Lil Wayne & Andre 3000

Another H-Town influenced slow jam about hooking up with a girl who’s been around the block a few times. Same old R&B Weezy verse. Andre 3000 stole the song at the end. #DopeTrack if your into Drake’s R&B.

14. HYFR (Hell Ya F—in Right) ft. Lil Wayne

Drake hooks up with Weezy again. The song is so short a kinda don’t know what it was about. Anyway creative Wayne hook and verse, but should have lasted a little longer. #DopeTrack

15. Look What You’ve Done:

Drake continues to get sensitive with another ballad. I believe this one is about his mother tho, but with the slow songs that preceded it, this track can get lost. It might have been a good choice to leave off the album or maybe he should have move the slower tracks around instead of bunch them up.

16. Practice:

Drake decides to give former Cash Money artist Juvenile a  nice check as he jacks Juvi’s whole song  ‘Back That Thang Up’ for this song in which he tells a woman that other the other guys she had in the past were just practice for him. Some would like some won’t . Put me in the won’t group.

17. The Ride ft. The Weeknd

The Weeknd comes along for ‘The Ride’ for his second feature on this LP. In the intro Drizzy says: “I hate when people say they feel me man, I hate that shit. It’ll be a long time before yall feel me, if ever.” Drake let’s the us know what it’s like to be him, blowing money fast and sleeping with girls who don’t love him. #DopeTrack as he closes the album with:

I’m out here messing over the lives of these niggas
that couldn’t fuck with my freshman flow
Look at that fucking chip on your nephews shoulder
My sophomore they was all for it, they all saw it
My Juniors and senior will only get meaner
Take Care nigga

Bonus Tracks:

18. Hate Sleeping Alone

Hate Sleeping Alone’ might as well be ‘Marvin’s Room 2’  as Drake is desperate to find someone to take home. He sings, “I say I’d rather be with you but you are not around / So I’mma call somebody up and see if they be down / Cause I hate sleeping alone, I hate sleeping alone.

19. The Motto ft. Lil Wayne

Weezy and Drizzy trade bars over a simple west coast type track. Something to dance to in the club and bump in the ride as you hit the town. Wayne’s ‘Baby Got Back’ reference, “Oh my God, Becky, look at her butt” is really random but funny. ‘The Motto’ is a fun way to finish a great sophomore effort.

The album has something for everyone, it takes you through ups and downs at the same time keeping you entertained. Take Care is a must but #DopeAlbum

About The Author