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Review: Drake - Take Care

Over the past few years, Drake has established himself as the most compelling new voice in mainstream rap by perfecting the emo R&B/Rap hybrid Kanye pioneered on 808s and Heartbreak.  He has a unique ability, rivaled only by Taylor Swift, to articulate a specific and intimately personal narrative in a way that is universally relatable.  He is tailor made for this "time where it's recreation/to pull all your skeletons out the closet like Halloween decorations."

This album is the culmination of all his artistic development.  For better or for worse, it is exactly the album Drake wanted to make.  On one hand, it is incredibly cohesive and sonically compelling.  It takes hip hop closer to R&B than it has ever gone, mixing contemporary rap, 90's Timbaland, and Marvin Gaye in surprisingly organic fashion.  There are some stunning lyrical moments as well, most notably the 1st verse of "Look What You've Done," which is the worthy followup to Tupac's Dear Mama that Kanye's Hey Mama never was.  On the other hand, many tracks drag on for a bit too long, and there are a few barely listenable tracks sprinkled throughout

The original version, even without the bonus tracks, is already a significant step up from his previous work.  However, with the removal of some of the weaker tracks and the addition of some tracks that inexplicably ended up elsewhere, this album becomes a stone cold classic.  Here's my re-sequenced track list and a download link:
  1. Over My Dead Body (Feat. Chantal Kreviazuk)
  2. Shot for Me
  3. Headlines
  4. Dreams Money Can Buy
  5. I'm on One (Feat. Rick Ross)
  6. Fall for Your Type
  7. Take Care
  8. Marvin's Room
  9. Under Ground Kings
  10. We'll Be Fine (Feat. Birdman)
  11. The Motto (Feat. Lil Wayne)
  12. Lord Knows (Feat. Rick Ross)
  13. Aston Martin Music (Feat. Chrisette Michele)
  14. Good Ones Go (Interlude)
  15. Doing It Wrong (Feat. Stevie Wonder)
  16. HYFR (Hell Yeah Fucking Right) (Feat. Lil Wayne)
  17. Look What You've Done
  18. The Ride (Feat. The Weekend)
Rating: 
Original: 9/10
My Edit: 10/10

For Context:
Drake - So Far Gone - 2/10
Drake- Thank Me Later - 7/10
Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot - 7/10
Eminem - Recovery - 2/10
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - 9/10
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne - 6/10
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 - 1/10
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III - 7/10
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV -  3/10
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday - 2/10

In reference to the ratings, my edited version of the album is the first rap album to get a 10/10 since Kanye's Late Registration from 2005, and one of only four hip hop albums to merit a 10/10 (The other two being Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show).

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