Review: Drake - Take Care

Review(Ratings are 1-10 with 10 being the best):

1. Over My Dead Body - A great intro for the album, the beat has an upbeat/inspiring sound to it and the lyrics go great with it. The only problem I had with this track was that it was too similar to Dream's Money Can Buy. 

Rating: 8.7/10

 Favourite Line:

"The backpackers are back on the bandwagon/ 

 Like this was my comeback season back, back in the day"

2. Shot For Me - Easily one of my favourite tracks on the album. Vintage Drake style with a good mix of singing and rapping. It's emotional and something people could vibe too. The ending was a great transition into the next track: Headlines. 

Rating: 9/10

 Favourite Line:

"This is one I know you hated when you heard it/

 And it's worse because you know I deserve it/"

3. Headlines - The first single off the album. A strong opening with great lyrics but I felt the beat was a little lacking. Don't have much to say on this song, I like it and had it on repeat for a while. As a side note, I have to say, watching the video make's this song a lot better for me. 

Rating: 8/10

 Favourite Line:

"I might be too strung out on compliments, overdosed on confidence/

 Started not to give a fuck and stopped fearing the compliments/"

4. Crew Love ft. The Weeknd - This song gives me many mixed feelings, while I find the sound effects in this track to be a bit annoying, they help create the atmosphere of this song. Drake had the stand out verse in my opinion but The Weeknd does this thing with the whole atmospheric vibe. After hearing this and "The Zone" I can easily say that I'm looking forward to any future Drake/The Weeknd collaborations.  

Rating: 8.5/10

 Favourite Line:

"Smoking weed under star projectors/

 I guess we'll never know what Harvard gets us/

 But seeing my family have it all/

 Took the place of that desire for diplomas on the wall/"

5. Take Care ft. Rihanna - This track is bound to be a mainstream success. Rihanna sounds great on the hook but I really enjoyed Drake's blend on singing/rapping in the verses. This helps the song from becoming repetitive and boring. The beat gives the song a pop/hip-hop feel which is perfect for clubs and the radio.

Rating: 8.4/10

 Favourite Line:

"My only wish is I die real/

 Cause that truth hurts, and those lies heal/"

  

6. Marvin's Room / Buried Alive (Interlude) ft. Kendrick Lamar - Marvin's Room has been one of my favourite songs of the year. It has that personal feel and does an excellent job of conveying emotions through lyrics. Now moving into Buried Alive the song gets a bit faster and once Kendrick Lamar comes in he. goes. off. Sick flow and lyrics, he doesn't fail to amaze. One of the best verses on the album.

Rating: 9/10

 Favourite Line:

"I think I'm addicted to naked pictures and sitting talking about bitches that we almost had/

  I don't think I'm conscience of making monsters out of the women I sponsor, til it all goes bad/"

7. Underground Kings - Personally, this is one of my favourite tracks on the album, Drake's flow is on point and the beat compliments the lyrics well. 

Rating: 8.9/10

 Favourite Line:

"With fame on my mind, my girl on my nerves/

 I was pushing myself to get something that I deserve/"

8. We'll Be Fine - This track reminds me of Drake's verse and hook on 4 My Town. It's pretty good, my only problem was that I didn't really enjoy the beat and felt it was a bit empty. Birdman's cameo at the end of the track also sort of threw off the vibe the track had going. 

Rating: 8.7/10

 Favourite Line:

"I heard you got your ways, I never would have known

 She said, "you're such a dog", I said, "you're such a bone."

9. Make Me Proud ft. Nicki Minaj - A radio single with not too much going for it. It's not a bad track but I felt as if Nicki's part brought the song down. Drake had a nice flow and the hook is extremely catchy but Nicki's whole "split-persona" gimmick didn't come off to well on this track.

Rating: 7/10

 Favourite Line:

"A couple things due, but you always get it done/

 There might have been a time where I loved her too, 

 But you take that away and you always been the one/"

10. Lord Knows ft. Rick Ross - I think at this point we can safely say, Drake + Rick Ross = Sick shit. The definitive rap track of the album, Drake goes off, Ross has a nice verse and both of them fit in great over a hard beat by Just Blaze. 

Rate: 8.5/10

 Favourite Line:

"A lot of niggas came up off of a style that I made up/

 But if all I hear is me, then who should I be afraid of?/"

11. Cameras / Good Ones Go (Interlude) - For some reason I really like the hook on Cameras, it stood out through the whole track. Good Ones Go really showcases singing capabilities and I could hear a lot of improvement from his previous tracks. Good Ones Go also contains background vocals from The Weeknd which add to the emotional feel of the song. 

Rating: 8.7/10

 Favourite Line:

"Girl they love me like I'm Prince, new kid with the crown/

 Bunch of underground kings, thought you knew how we get down/"

12. Doing It Wrong - A very smooth song with great singing on Drake's part. It flows with the Atmospheric trend Drake has going throughout the album. This song also has the legendary Stevie Wonder near the end on the Harmonica.

Rating: 8.8

 Favourite Line:

"We live in a generation of, not being in love, and not being together/

 But we sure make it feel like we're together/

 Because we're scared to see each other with somebody else/"

13. The Real Her ft. Lil Wayne, Andre 3000 - Very reminiscent of Houstatlantavegas off of So Far Gone. Lil Wayne has a decent verse and there's also a rare appearance by Andre 3000. For some reason I felt that 3 Stacks sounded out of place on the beat. The verse was lyrically great but the voice didn't go well with the beat in my opinion. None the less it doesn't take away from a great track.

Rating: 8.5/10

 Favourite Line:

"Or should I just be realistic? Lipstick on the glass/

 I know this ain't your first, but it's better than your last../"

14. HYFR (Hell Ya'll Fuckin' Right) ft. Lil Wayne - Pardon but I have to use an internet term for Drake's verse on this track: DAT FLOW. =O The track starts slow but then Drake bounces in with some amazing flows. Lil Wayne suprisingly sounded pretty good on this track and also carried a nice flow. One of the best tracks on the album in my own opinion, only problem was that I feel Drake should have had 1 more verse on this.

Rating: 9/10

 Favourite Line:

"I learned working with the negatives could make for better pictures/

 I learned Hennessy and enemies is one hell of a mixture/"

15. Look What You've Done - A very personal track, you can feel the emotion in Drake's lyrics as he switches between fast and slow flows over a piano beat. The chorus comes in and really sets the mood. 

Rating: 8.9/10

 Favourite Line:

"I see painkillers on the kitchen counter, I hate to see, it all hurt so bad/

 But maybe I wouldn't have worked as hard,

 If you were healthy and it weren't so bad/"

16. Practice - My personal favourite off the album. I really like the feel and flow on the track. Another perfect example of Drake's ability to switch back and forth between singing in rapping to create a balance and removes the monotony that a hip-hop songs tend to have.

Rating: 9.2/10

 Favourite Line:

"Don't give them no more chances, Oh girl they had there turn/

 Everything for a reason, There's things you had to learn from them/"

17. The Motto ft. Lil Wayne - This track is alright, nothing special. Drake's delivery fits in well with the beat but nothing else really stands out. The beat is bland and the verses don't have that "wow" factor that a lot of the other tracks on this album have.

Rating: 6.7/10

 Favourite Line:

"That's how you feel, man? That's really how you feel?/

 Cause the pimpin ice cold, all these bitches wanna chill/"

OVERALL:
I would say this is definitely a mucb better album then Thank Me Later. We can hear more a much more matured and better version of Drake on this album. This album is one of those albums that doesn't play out and sounds better with each listen. Drake balances singing and rapping with great production to create one of the best albums of the year.
RATING: 8.6/10

FAVOURITE SONG: 16. Practice

Posted in: 2011,drake,OVOXO,Review,Take Care