No sophomore slump for Drake

Unlike most second releases, Drake’s second album is far from a sophomore slump. … Take Care

Drake

Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money, Universal Republic

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Unlike most second releases, Drake’s second album is far from a sophomore slump.

His newest release, Take Care, provides the usual mix of R&B and club bangers we’ve come to expect from the Toronto-born artist. Coming a long way from his days as Degrassi star Jimmy, Drake continues to impress with both his lyrical and vocal skills. Lil Wayne already told the world on the track “Money to Blow” that Young Money, Cash Money Entertainment would “… be alright if we put Drake on every hook.” And with his second album, Drake proves that he can produce far more than a catchy-sounding hook on someone else’s track.

Right from the start, this album showcases Drake’s true skills. “We’ll Be Fine,” the first song on Take Care, combines a club beat with Drake’s gifted, lyrical talent to make a song that’s hard to take off repeat. The chorus — “I’m trying to let go of the past / Should we make this one a double? / Ya ain’t even gotta ask, Ahh / Because it’s hard to say no (say no) / Yeah it’s hard to say no” — is too catchy to stay away from and will soon be the reason after-hour partygoers across the world dance until the bars and clubs shut down.

Discussing his rise up from the mixtape game to his more recent commercial success, Drake continues the album with the track “Underground Kings.” This beat is very different from than that of the more commercial “We’ll Be Fine” as well as the other more R&B-style tracks off the album.

But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, this track has a more aggressive style, one reminiscent of “Miss Me” from Drake’s last album, Thank Me Later, and further proves how multitalented Drizzy really is. Dealing with the newfound fame of the past three years, Drake raps, “It’s been two years since somebody asked me who I was.” It’s pretty hard to dismiss his fame when you can barely listen to the radio for a half-hour without hearing a song by him. As the album continues, the lyric “I’m the greatest, man, I said that before I knew I was,” gets harder and harder to deny.

All club tracks aside, it wouldn’t be a Drake album if there wasn’t a heavy dose of R&B. Drizzy showcases his vocals on “Practice,” a song that moves a little faster than previous Drake slow jams but still gets sparks flying. An eight-minute interlude also fulfills the R&B requirement, as the slow beat allows the words to linger. The track “Doing It Wrong” even features Stevie Wonder — what could add more R&B credit to an album than that?

Other songs that will soon be played everywhere include “Make Me Proud,” featuring Drake’s crush Nicki Minaj, and the single “Headlines.” There’s even a little something for hip-hop enthusiasts in the song “Lord Knows,” produced by Just Blaze. This track not only has bumpin’ bass, but also gives Drake the chance to show off his lyrical prowess as he speeds along the driving beat. The darker beat of “HYFR” — short for Hell Yeah F*ckin’ Right — featuring Young Money, Cash Money artist Lil Wayne also allows Drake to showcase his skills.

Trying to listen to this CD without getting up to dance is nearly impossible.