Which is to say: ‘Nothing Was The Same’ offers the listener a lot of what they’ve come to love (or loathe, indeed) about its maker, with the occasional flash of something a little more daring than might’ve been anticipated. It’s less variations on a theme, more a mixing of fresh tones on a familiar palette. There’s originality here, that’s obvious enough, albeit of a kind fenced in by Drake’s own set of influences and his lyrical limitations. Although he alludes to the opportunity to quit now, inarguably while he’s ahead – “Bank account statements just look like I’m ready for early retirement,” he says on ‘The Language’ – Drake is still finding freshness in both rhymes and beats. “Whether he’s rapping or acting, you can tell that the only thing that will stop him is himself.” “As far as raw talent goes, an MC with raw talent and focus, Drake has both,” he said (read the interview in issue 88 of Clash magazine, details). In a recent interview with Clash, Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA spoke highly indeed of the Canadian. He’s got support – and not just from the millions buying his music, his merchandise, his tour tickets and into his OVO brand and label. But, maybe, Drake is beginning to walk like the (long-past-mixtapes) legend he’s previously announced himself to be. He’s been known to talk the talk, and does so here, closer ‘Paris Morton Music 2’ featuring a remark about being the “best of my generation”. Right now, Kendrick Lamar presents a convincing case – or, rather, peers do on his behalf be that through substantial support or disbelief at his critical acclaim.īut as Drake – it’s his middle name – Graham has now reached a level of global recognition that places third album ‘Nothing Was The Same’ under the same scrutiny as Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ ( Clash review) and ‘Magna Carta… Holy Grail’ ( Clash review). Jay Z, even, albeit probably only up to ‘The Black Album’. Stop a rap fan on the street and ask them who is the greatest rapper alive, chances are they won’t snap straight to Toronto’s Aubrey Graham for an answer. At some point in any mainstream MC’s career there’s sure to be the very biggest brag: that they are, in their own mind at least, the best of the best. If every artist’s word was taken as gospel, there’d be an ocean of Greatest Rappers Alive right now.
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