Take Care: Album Review

Drake's sophomore effort was released over a month ago. It has been on heavy rotation on my ipod lately and I have to say that I honestly am a big fan of the album. People say it's not rap, it's way too slow, it's way too somber, and most of all it's way too soft. Depending on who you ask you may hear that all of these things are true, but one thing that you can't say is that it isn't brutally honest in its entirety. More importantly, this album shows the personal growth that Drake has had. This is no longer the starstruck Drake you remember from tracks like "Over." This a Drake that knows he's good and deals with the consequences that come with it. This is a Drake that is confident in being vulnerable and emotional and who calls out his critics. On the tracks, "Over My Dead Body," "Underground Kings," and "Lord Knows," Aubrey responds to critics and throws a few punches back at them. For example, "Man all of your flows bore me: paint drying/ And I don't ever be trippin off of what ain't mine/ And I be hearing the shit you say through the grapevine/But jealousy is just love and hate at the same time." Drakes address rappers (Big Sean, Luda) who claim he stole their "hashtag flow" while displaying it at the same time. He directly addresses all the hate about him being soft on "Lord Knows" when he says, "I'm hearing all of the jokes, I know that they tryna push me/ 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." These lines show that Drake has stepped his game up and has come out in Round 2 swinging. I like the drive and the increased introspective sentiments in his lyrics.

On the production side of things, this album is great as well. As usual, Drake sounds right at home over 40's beats that seem perfectly suited for him. The Weeknd produced a few tracks including "Crew Love" and "Ride" that definitely show his influence. "Lord Knows" shows that the soul sample formula still works today. The track that surprised me the most was the title track. Produced by Jamie xx of The xx, "Take Care" sounds like stadium music. The Rihanna feature is absolutely perfect.

It's interesting to see a rapper who is so free with his feelings with the current state of hip hop. The thing is once those feelings are out in the open, people realize that there are so many of us that have been in similar situations. So you may call him soft (and he may be), but there is some part of you that can relate to what he says at some point on the album. For me the line, "We live in a generation of not being in love." really hit me. The line is really sad to think about, but at the same time you know that hook up culture is the norm presently. This album is a must listen, but may be too slow for certain occasions. Definitely listen to the whole thing on a relaxed night. "Let the lights dim some," and "take care."

8.5/10

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