Take Care: A Review

It seems like so long ago when Drake put out “Dreams Money Can Buy” to the masses. Though there wasn’t anything particularly outstanding about the track, it did give me a different vibe and I went on record saying that “Take Care” was going to be the album that “Thank Me Later” should’ve been. I hate to toot my own horn (Who am I kidding?) but from the very first lines on the album, “I think I killed everybody in the game last year man F*ck it I was on though” all the way to the last line on the final song ”My sophomore, I was all for it, they all saw it. My junior and senior will only get meaner,” Drake brought his A-game and really created a versatile piece of work this time. Despite being pushed back due to clearance issues and then being leaked a week early, Drizzy greeted it all with a smile because he knew what was coming.

 "He’s Just So Emotional..."

I think the funniest reaction tweet I read was “I just heard Take Care. I think my boobs grew a cup size. Sincerely, A Man.” Hilarious? Yes. Do they have a valid point? ….Not really. Drake has never been a “hard” rapper, so when people have reactions like this, or expectations that he’s going to drop “Life After Death Part 2,” I assume that they were put onto Drake after he blew up, because this album is essentially the evolution of his career changing mixtape, “So Far Gone.” Yeah, he can keep up bar for bar with “tough guys” like Lil Wayne on “Ransom” or Young Jeezy the “Lose My Mind” remix, but he is far from a “gansta” and he’ll tell you that. Why would this album be driven by cheap synths, loud 808’s, and hardcore lyrics when his past efforts haven’t been? They have NEVER been. That’s not who he is. Take Care is “So Far Gone” on steroids. He still talks about stippers, love, falling in love with strippers, money, and his problems…the only difference is the fact that the Phatom that was mentioned in “Successful” doesn’t have to be leased anymore.

Features, Features, and More Features

I didn’t even get a chance to think about how many guest appearances were on this album until I started writing this review.  From multiple appearances from R&B’s up and comer,The Weekend, all the way to a musical LEGEND, Stevie Wonder, the rotating list of names keeps things fresh without overshadowing or drowning out Aubrey. Also, a lot of unique samples from artists like UGK, Jon-B, and even former Cash Money Millionaire, Juvenile made it in to the final mix. (I believe there’s even an SWV sample heard at the end of the ironically sobering “Shot For Me.”) Hats go off to 40, T-minus, Lex Luger, Boi-1da (who didn’t make much of an appearance besides “Headlines”; It was definitely noticed) and the rest of his production team for a job well done.

A real surprise was the Kendrick Lamar Guest appearance on the “Buried Alive Interlude” which was conveniently tucked after the Youtube cover sensation, “Marvin’s Room.” Admittedly, it flew over my head the first couple of times, but so does most of Kendrick’s stuff—that’s why I like him. One of the better features on the album, it shows the downside of fame for a person who hasn’t quite gotten there yet.  Kendrick is in the process of coming to grips with the sacrifices associated with being successful in the rap game, describing his new found popularity as “the reason why my best friend tell me that she loves me more than life, but I live a double life and have to let her go.”  It is a great change in pace for the album and it’s a perfect set-up for another standout track, “Underground Kings” produced by T-minus.

A cool highlight for me would be the title track “Take Care’ featuring Pop’s finest, Rihanna. On this contagious too- perfect-to-not-be-a-single track, Drake boasts that in spite of “dealing with a heart that [he] didn’t break,” he’ll do what he can to take care of his girl. Regardless of what may (or may not) be going on between the two behind the scenes, they have the perfect chemistry on tracks, which we have seen before on Rihanna’s smash, “What’s my name?”

Soo…

WHATEVER it is that they are doing, it’s working. Could it be reflective of the relationship between the two? Who knows? Lord Knows.

Wait for it, wait for it…

Ok, ok… that was a corny attempt at leading up to what may have made it into the ranks of my Favorite Drake Records of all time. On “Lord Knows” produced by the infamous Just Blaze, Drake delivers what may have been some of his hardest spitting on a rap record since his 9AM in Dallas freestyle that dropped prior to the release of 2008’s “Thank Me Later.” Drake’s newest partner in crime, Ricky Rozay makes a guest appearance on the track and based on his ability to hang with the rapper without loosing any momentum, you can’t help but to feel optimistic about the rumored mixtape effort that may be in the works between the two.

Ok Jonel, what don’t you like?

I know Drizzy Drake repeatedly swears his allegiance to his beloved YMCMB team, but honestly, the Young Money appearances on the album took away a few points for me.  While Wayne’s appearance on HYFR hit me as a pleasant surprise, I winced at his verse on “The Real Her;” a song that would have been just fine with Andre 3000’s verse. I have a special place deep deep…deep down in my heart for Nicki Minaj, but it seems like she always goes hard on other rappers’ tracks and gives Drake her throwaway verses. “Im a star…sheriff Badge” C’mon Nicki.

My CURRENT Top 5, because its really changing on a day-to-day basis.

5. Crew Love

4. Over My Dead Body

3. The Ride

2. Underground Kings

1. Lord Knows

I’m not going to lie; I picked on the title for the longest. After seeing Drake’s smiling face in his GQ spread and hearing that the follow-up to his platinum selling debut, “Thank Me Later” was going to be titled “Take Care,” I laughed for about 47 seconds straight, and agreed with my best friend when she branded him the first rapper with manners. Almost a year later, and it all makes sense. He didn’t rush through it like he did the first time around and it shows. He took his time with it. I’ve heard plenty of opinions about it, but here is one thing that’ll I’ll say. This time, a Grammy isn’t far fetched.

Yeah, I said it.

Take Care.




Follow drake on Twitter @Drake
Follow Missez Turner @MissezTurner

Nicki Minaj Sings 'Super Bass' with Sophia Grace (Full Version)

This was tooo adorable! I LOVED the fact that she encourages the girls to stay in school. Go Nicki!!

J Cole performs 'Lost Ones' w-DJ Envy on Hip Hop Nation

"They only say that hip hop is dead because the dope sh*t is underground." -
Joe Budden

Drake feat. Nicki Minaj - Make Me Proud 2011

Cant wait!

#OVOXO

Drake - Headlines (Video) [ThatizHOT]

I was expecting a tux for the "Tuck my napkin in my shirt cause I'm just mobbin like that" part.

Young Money videos <<<

Cole World: The Sideline Story

It was 6:20AM and instead of rolling over and hitting my snooze button for the third time, I was outside of my house in a pink towel searching frantically under my car seats for a USB cable that I distinctly remember packing up before I left work the night before. My pre-order had been ready for download since 12 AM, and all I needed was that friggin cord so I could put it on my phone and get out of the house by 7.

This was no ordinary Tuesday morning. I had been waiting for this Tuesday for years. I was listening to the mixtapes back when I was working a job at a mortgage company I hated; “The Warm Up” was playing in my CD player the night I drove home after finally breaking up with my off and on boyfriend of two years, and The ORIGINAL “In the Morning” was on loop as I drove to Miami to see Drake in concert right after “Thank Me Later” dropped.

This Tuesday morning was the morning that J. Cole’s highly anticipated debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story officially became available to the public. I avoided all leaks like the plague just so I could enjoy the CD from track 1 to 18 in that order in surround sound on my (entirely too long) trip to work. From the intro track of the album I already knew that this would be a well worth the wait.

Starting with the story of how he got signed, The Sideline Story picks up where his previous mixtapes have left off. Cole manages to toss in a few-radio friendly songs such as “Work Out” and “Can’t Get Enough” for crossover appeal, while staying true to his lyrical content that that we have grown to love him for in tracks like “Dollar and a Dream III” and “God’s Gift.”

Did it live up to the hype?

Ehh…that’s subjective. There is always a ridiculous amount of hype surrounding releases like this, so if the man did anything short of fixing the economy and curing cancer on the album, it would be seen as falling short. Is there room for improvement? Of course. Do I see myself playing this album 10 years from now like “Illmatic,” and “Ready to Die?” Absolutely.

The Jay-Z Feature

For a second, I was a little afraid that Cole wouldn’t get his Jay-Z verse in time for the release which would have been way too embarrassing seeing as Jay practically had a verse waiting for Drake’s “Light Up.” Of course, Jigga did manage to come through right on time to drop a verse for the 7th cut on the album.

“Mr. Nice Watch” hit the radio a few days before release. Though it wasn’t exactly the MONSTER collabo that I expected from the two (lets be real; my expectations are overrated anyway), It’s a grower and I actually find myself humming it when I’m out and about. As first, the track comes off a bit materialistic for a J. Cole cut, but after actually paying attention, you find the song is actually about wasting money versus wasting time. As he put it; “You cant make that back.”

My Gripes:

I love almost everything Jermaine does musically, but I didn’t particularly care for “Lights Please” and “In the Morning” being on the album. I understood the significance of Lights Please—it’s the song that got him signed. But as a long time fan, “In the Morning” came off as a cheap attempt to get a Drake feature on the album.

Also, I don’t know if there is a version of the album that has “Cheer Up” on it, but if there isn’t then they really goofed on that one. That would have been PERFECT for the album...and it even had room another feature (B.O.B. would have done it justice). The song had SERIOUS radio potential, and I am a little upset about it not making the final cut.

My Top 5:

5. Breakdown

 With an instrumental simple enough to vent on, Cole takes it personal on this track and talks about his relationship with both of his parents among other things. I love it for what it is.

4. Nobody’s Perfect

Occasionally, I find myself wondering ‘Where the heck is Missy Elliott?” If you had the chance to listen to J. Cole’s last mixtape “Friday Light Lights,” you may have heard her along with the Late Aaliyah on the chorus of “Best Friend,” and wondered the same. On this fan favorite powered by drums reminiscent of the 90’s Timbaland era, Cole spits flawlessly and Missy blesses the hook with her vocals. It’s nice to see that her talent didn’t depreciate over time.

Sidenote - I heard through the grapevine that this track would be the next single from the album *Fingers Crossed*

 3. Lost Ones

 This is the only leak I listened to and I immediately felt bad for doing it—kinda like I ruined Christmas. In arguably the deepest song on the album, Cole goes into the taboo subject of abortion with the first verse coming from his point of view, and the emotionally charged second verse coming from his girlfriend’s point of view. The album cut is actually re-mastered with more instrumentation, which gives it more of a polished appeal. The original version is one of my favorites, but I can’t help to think that this track would have been much more awesome had it not leaked.

2. Rise and Shine

I think I fell in love with the production on this track more than anything. I think of this song as “Before I’m Gone” Part 2. This track is nothing but straight spitting, with enough space for the instrumental to breathe while he slips in a prayer over the sample.

1. Dollar and a Dream III

This is the first song off of the album, and it sits perfectly in that slot. You can tell this comes straight from the heart with Cole mentioning his mother, older brother, and even his girlfriend. I was trying to find a good quote for references, but I was too tempted to type out all the lyrics, so you’d have to cop it and see for yourself. I haven’t got a chance to check the production credits (my hard copy is being delivered today) but whoever did it went nuts. There are at LEAST 5 switch-ups in the beat and Cole rips all three of them with ease.

Overall, I’d give this album a 9/10.

For a freshman in the game, I would definitely say that he is holding his own and running ahead of some of the rappers that have been doing this for years (coughLILWAYNEcough).

I could be biased, though :-)

 #ColeWorld

Follow J. Cole on Twitter @JColeNC

Follow Me on Twitter @missezturner