The sensitive rapper toughens up on his latest. “I’ve got enemies,” he admits on “Energy.” Drake then takes shots at his adversaries on dark tracks like “No Tellin’” and “Used To.” But his vulnerability shines through on “You and the 6,” where he confesses that his mother and his hometown of Toronto “raised me right.”
What a time to be Drake. The Grammy-winning Toronto hip-hop star’s mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, released in February, is one of the year’s most successful recordings, with sales of over one million. This summer, the former actor born Aubrey Graham became embroiled in a mud-slinging beef with the rapper Meek Mill over ghostwriting accusations. Now Drake has released another bestselling mixtape. Recorded quickly with Atlanta rapper Future, the collection presents the MCs’ contrasting styles: Drake’s sharp raps and Future’s spaced-out drawls. The best collaborations are the booming “Jumpman” and the hypnotic “Diamonds Dancing.” The last two tracks are solo efforts, with Future’...
Among hip-hop superstars, Drake is an anomaly: an actor-turned-rapper who’s never been shy about showing his feelings. Sure, Drake has his chest-thumping moments like any rap artist worth his salt. And, like Kanye West, he’s got his conflicted side, expressing discomfort with some of the trappings of fame. But, at the end of the night, when the party’s over, Drake is the one rapper who can open up and croon convincingly about romance and lost loves. Born Aubrey Graham to a mixed-race couple that divorced, Drake was raised by his Jewish mother in Toronto’s wealthy Forest Hill district. He first made his mark in acting, starring as Jimmy Brook, the disabled basketball player in TV’s Degrassi: ...
