Customer Reviews

Thank Me Later

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

Back in 1997, a young, up and coming rapper seemed like he was on everybody's remix, collabo & posse cut all before his first album dropped. He was the must have MC. That rapper was DMX. And he brought a new energy that had everybody hyped about his debut album. Now in 2010 we have Drake,who has been everywhere since his mixtape "So Far Gone" dropped last year. Since then he has been everywhere singing or rapping on your favorite rapper or R&B artists' song. Now its time for Drake to hold his own with his major label debut, the highly anticipated "Thank Me Later".

This is Drake's official introduction to the music world. No more buzz. No more guest collabo's. This album is all about him. And if you can get past all the hype, he did a pretty good job. Right now, he is not an A+ rapper. He's more average. His raps shine the most when he has a veteran hip hop artist on the track with him. He seems motivated on the Jay-Z-assisted track "Light Up". When Lil' Wayne shows up on "Miss Me", Drake feels like he has to compete. Young Jeezy shows up on the Aaliyah-sampled "Unforgetable", but Drake is singing most of that song. "Up All Night" shows Drake's true rapping potential over the albums hardest beat. And when he gets a chance to shine on his own, he's at his best on "The Resistance" As far as the R&B side of the album, Drake falls short in a lot of ways with the only ones any good being "Find Your Love" & "Shut It Down" ft The-Dream (Even though I had trouble figuring out who was singing which verse)

All the hype around Drake has destroyed his credibility. Its easy to dis mainstream hip hop like we did back in 1990 when MC Hammer was flying across the stage. But how many rappers today would like to sell Hammer records? How many rappers want to have top selling albums? If these rappers truly talk about making money why wouldn't they. I'm a a music fan first, not just a hip hop fan. And as a music fan I cant knock Drake's hustle. His music is not that bad. He's not the best singer or the strongest rapper. But he has clever rhymes and that "I'm-going-to-ride-this-train-til-the-wheels-fall off" mentality . That can get annoying but it worked for Lil' Wayne, Plies & DMX. How does Plies, with two Gold selling albums and three Top 5 singles, get more credibility than Drake?

The rap/R&B genre is not new. But a new wave of hip hop/R&B acts are hitting the shelves. Kid Cudi & B.o.B have been doing it for years. T-Pain was a rapper before he found auto-tune. And Andre 3000 made an R&B album. Now its Drake's turn to put his bid in. Drake's singing is no better than other hot R&B artist like Trey Songz & The-Dream. And he is not Rick Ross or Young Jeezy when it comes to rapping. But he is only 23 years old. Drake's lyrics has an early Kanye West feel to them. Which isn't bad. But just like Kanye, I expect his rhyming skills to improve. This album is not as overhyped as people think. Sure there are something's Drake could have left out. And there are things he should have added. But if you just woke up from a coma and never heard of Drake and listened to this CD, you would notice a young artist laying the ground work of more to come. And his growth has no ceiling.

It been a weird trip for Drake, as by the time of the release of Drake's first full-length album, the Canadian rapper was already a star. Therefore Thank Me Later needs to lives up to the hype and it does to a degree but not enough. Thanks to the rich and nuanced production and Drake's thoughtful, playful, and intense lyrics, Thank Me Later is a friendly, chart-topping collection of singles but also a serious examination of Drake's life that holds up as an album. However, Drake is not the hip-hop savior he was hyped to be. Instead, he flows through what should have been his energetic coming-out party, he comes off as a weird kid, missing the days when he was 19 and it was just about him and his girlfriend. Memo to Drake the days of being Jimmy from Degrassi are over.

The record mostly finds the rapper conflicted about his growing stardom and fame. He continues to splits the difference between rapping and singing, his quite serviceable voice occasionally distorted and made to sound better due to auto tune. I was really looking forward to this album since Drake had not put out a bad record since he came out but this "Thank Me Later" album is decent not good. I am disappointed, as he does not sound good on songs by himself as he only shines on features. He reminds me of Nate Dogg because he kills hooks and puts out good music with other people but he just sounds like something is missing on this album when he is solo.

So in the end if you're an huge Drake fan your going to pick this album regardless of what I think. However if your on the fence just download it from LimeWare. It is not worth paying full price.

Another nail in the coffin of the genre that I watched come to life a few blocks from where I grew up on 219th Street in The Bronx when Kool Herc first set-up The Herculords and brought Jamaican "toasting" to the widest audience it'd seen.

I've heard (and countered) all the "evolution" arguments ... all the "the game needed new life" arguments ... and, especially, the flaccid "you're just hating" excuses.

Drake's lyrics are trite & weak and his flow is non-exsistent. Hip Hop has always been forgiving in one of those two requisite areas: but never when both are lacking.

Unfortunately, the commercial success of today's rap (which has absolutely no semblance to true Hip Hop whatsoever) is predicated not on the talents of the rapper but the producer.

The creations of a Swizz Beats, Neptunes, etc. can ... and most certainly HAS ... led to undreamt (and undeserved) success of rappers who would've been laughed off the mic as little as 20 years ago; if they were even allowed to go near the mic at all.

The reviews here that talk of "the hype" have hit the nail on the head. Today's rappers are hand-picked and pre-packaged, then put on the public relations converyer belt, and served to the masses as "The Next Big Thing".

Hey, "business is business" ... I get that. So far as business is concerned, this release is yet another milestone in the rise of rap music.

However, like nearly every other pre-packaged product, it lacks soul.

No, I'm not talking about what he, Drake, put into it. I'm sure he puts every ounce of talent (God bless him) he has into every rhyme. Does a 3 year old put any less heart into his fingerpaint? No ... so that's not my point.

If I have to take the time to explain soul .. if I have to name drop Tupac, Biggie, Rakim, KRS, Chuck, Mel, etc .. then I'd waste a lot of bandwidth and be completely off topic.

This is about Drake's release and it's impact; history class it ain't.

Hip Hop (rap, graffiti, breaking) once meant something: it was a medium by which, for example, kids from The South Bronx told their stories of superiority to the kids from Bushwick Brooklyn. Brooklyn, in turn, would tell their stories ... and those were the parameters of battles.

Rap once was just as fun as the cuts played on the radio and clubs today without ever compromising its soul or, for that matter, integrity. The difference is the conduit ... the rapper.

Yes, we did have the "one and off" novelty rappers like The Rapping Duke, but that's to be expected in every arena where a something new has found some commercial success.

If this sounds elitest, then I accept that wholeheartedly because I have nothing but pride and respect for the pioneers and visionaries who paved the way for rap music. Due to the life's blood that they and untold numbers of others put into getting rap music beyond areas like my old neighborhood in The Bronx, we were able to see Lauren Hill hold an Album of the Year Grammy Award ... something that was once unthinkable.

If all that still has you in "he just hatin'" mode, consider this"
of the three areas of Hip Hop, Rap has become the most commercially successful and, some would say, the one most wanted to do.

Why?
because unlike dance and art, which require a talent from birth, Rap has been devoled into just making words rhyme over a beat; the hotter the beat the more successful the rapper.

Like I said, I'm fine with "business is business" ... but let's cal it like it is:
"Thank Me Later" is the first major label release of rap's Justin Beiber

From that perspective: congrats and good job.

... but dissing those that came before you is not only bad form but it betrays your middle class pseudo-priviledged upbringing and exposes you for the poser you truly are.

Just smile & wave and perform your Bubble Gum Rap for your fans.
(The Rock said it best "Know Your Role ... and Shut Your Mouth")

I bought this album last year @ the height of the "Drake hype" and I must say that it has held up well over the year for me - I still enjoy it as much as I did the first time I heard it. I am an older music fan who kind of grew up with rap but fell out of love with it as the lyrics grew more violent & misogynistic but back in the day I loved the creative men, women & groups who put their own spin on hip hop - those who mixed jazz and r&b beats in with their sound especially drew me in which is why I gave Drake's album a chance.

I was saddened by the hateful comments so many people made about him being "soft" and his music not being relatable to "hood dudes & chicks". On one message boards guys berated him for making essentially "chick music" and more than a few claimed that they would look "gay" to other guys if they blasted Drake's music in their cars - ridiculous but that's what our society has come to I guess.

Admittedly I had not heard his lead single, OVER prior to buying the album. The song that piqued my attention was FIND YOUR LOVE along with its entertaining video. I thought, hmmm a rapper who can also sing? Might be worth a listen. As I've learned more about Drake's entry into the music biz I have come to the conclusion that if he had a better singing voice, he'd rather be a singer than rapper.

The album is excellent featuring clever autobiographical lyrics and stellar musical production mainly by his best friend, Noah "40" Shebib along with Boi-1Da as well as Swizz Beats, Timbaland & Kanye West. I'm glad that Drake did not create some inauthentic persona & pretend to be a gangsta (anyone remember the female rapper Boss?) - his lyrics represent who HE is and what he knows which made the songs infinitely more interesting to me. It was a shame that the entire album leaked almost 3 months before the release date so hopefully he & his team will be more careful next time.

The album gets off to a good start with the track FIREWORKS f/ Alicia Keys. Their vocals matched very well on Alicia's track UNTHINKABLE as they do on this one. Although I love Drake singing the chorus, I wish he & Alicia had dueted that instead of her just singing the "fireworks" line over & over. Drake's lyrics about some experiences also got people talking about him and although not a released single, it is a good lead off track.

KARAOKE - very interesting down tempo track on which he sings before segueing into the rap. His voice (while rapping) sounds kind of nasally but it doesn't take away from the song. Again the musical production/arrangement is stellar.

OVER - very addictive track on which Drake honestly speaks about his experiences over the previous year.

SHOW ME A GOOD TIME - should've released this as a single! Excellent production and his rap perfectly matches the timing of the arrangement. One of my faves!

UP ALL NIGHT f/ Nicki Minaj - another fave! Both go hard on their lyrics about their allegiance to their "crew" and their new found wealth but Nicki's verses kind of outshined Drake's.

SHUT IT DOWN f/ The Dream - r&b-ish track on which Drake & The Dream sing - given that I don't think The Dream is much of a singer, I think Drake held his own.

UNFORGETTABLE f/ Jeezy - I absolutely love the Aaliyah sample used on the track while Jeezy's verses adds to the track and Drake's singing complements Jeezy's rap.

FANCY - ok, yes this IS a chick song but it's a great song that makes females feel good about getting dressed up & going out. Swizz doesn't overpower the track and Mary J Blige backing is terrific.

MISS ME f/Lil Wayne - another addictive track on which Lil Wayne didn't outshine his protege.

CeCe's Interlude - I like this track's downtempo sound.

The tracks I like but don't really have on repeat are: LIGHT UP f/Jay Z - hard track that doesn't feature any singing; THE RESISTANCE - more autobiographical lyrics about his life experiences; THANK ME NOW - cleverly arrogant lyrics about listeners growing to appreciate his music.

He can thank Eminem for being the 1st huge mainstream rapper to share what was on his mind in that conversational tone. Drake, when he does decide to rap, is fairly adept with flow skills. That being said, he's not a Jay-Z, Biggie, Rakim, or anyone else you'd put in an elite catagory. What he says is not as good as the way he says it. I agree with the reviewer that said "fake southern accent".(It's whats hot right now) but...somehow it dissapears on "Thank Me Now". Drake can thank Ja Rule and 50 Cent for gettin away with singing poorly on hooks. Drake takes this to a whole new level by singing poorly not only hooks but full songs on TML. 2 star deduction. Leave the boy band stuff to Bieber. He can even thank Kid Cudi for making that awful CD of psycho-babble so Drake believes we actually care about his "inner" thoughts. Not that Drake is being too deep, all the raps seem to revolve around the same subject...Drake. The production is good. On par with whats hot today. I would love to hear him with Primo, 9th Wonder, or Pete Rock on the boards. The real issue here is does the release live up to the hype? I cant say it doesnt because he might have 4-5 legitimate hits on the CD. I cant say it does because the hype was so huge it needed to be on par with Supa Dupa Fly, Doggy Style, Slim Shady, Get Rich or Die Tryin and Ready to Die. Thank Me Later doesnt even come close.

I'm not the first to say that i embody hip-hop...but Drake's CD debut's strength is not this album...but all the hype surrounding it.

As a real hip hop fan and musician, I checked this album out for a coupla reasons: one, that I'd been really diggin' the stuff off of Drake's previous mixtapes, and two, to see what all the hype was about. This CD gets two stars in my book. It's like, Drake had put all his hottest music out there BEFORE his label debut! He should have saved most of it for his debut-it would have had a bigger impact. Still, I'll see what his next CD will be like to decide if he is either all hype...or just getting started.

If 1993 had Snoop Doggy Dogg, 1998 had DMX and 2003 had 50 Cent, then 2009-10 had Drake: The heavily saturated newcomer with mountains of industry-manufactured hype. Except the Toronto native born Aubrey Graham already had the profile of a superstar a year before the release of his debut album (national ad campaigns; several hits on commercial radio; magazine covers; mountains of press).

That a rapper like Drake is taken seriously in 2010 says a lot about the state of (mainstream) hip hop because to put it quite bluntly, his official debut album, Thank Me Later, is god-awful. Damn near unlistenable to these ears. Why?

*sigh* Where do I start?

Maybe it's the annoying, fake Southern accent he raps with, sounding like a white prep school kid doing his best Lil' Wayne impersonation? Straight up, this guy sounds like Jamie Kennedy doing a bad Memphis accent when he raps.

Maybe it's the hilarious (auto-tune aided) attempts at crooning? What's worst is that the majority of TML is actually comprised of this haphazard attempt at singing! When I first heard the single "Find Your Love", I honestly thought I was listening to an amateur 'boy band'....the flat in-the-shower singing; cheesy mid '90s Euro synths; cornball hook...and he's not trying to be ironic!

Maybe it's the drowsy, samey downbeat production that makes most of the tracks sound indistinguishable from each other?

Maybe it's the annoying and immature self-importance that shrouds the album? Drake comes across as a sheltered, pretentious, pampered white school kid who thinks that his (rather insignificant) thoughts are somehow profound when they're actually fairly vapid, dull and common.

Maybe it's the sheer corniness that is obviously just Drake's nature? The painfully corny punch lines, the phony "emotionalism", the wimpy lyrics. Hip hop is a style that's known for it's sheer swagger. This man has absolutely NONE.

All of these above reasons makes me scratch my head not at Drake's massive current popularity (he was shoved down the public's throats and the American public, by large, practices groupthink-questioning or deviating from the established common consensus is discouraged) but by the fact that many hip hop heads actually take him seriously. It's amazing that MC Hammer was seen as a dancing sell-out 20 years ago or that even a party rapper like Coolio was dismissed in hip hop circles two decades ago yet in 2010, a (bad) singing, unapologetically corny former teen actor who makes dour pop music is called the "future of hip hop" by some. Sign of the times, indeed. It confirms that hip hop's interest is now 100% corporate.

Thank Me Later is pure product and not a very good one at that. It sounds like a even duller, lamer fusion of 808s and Heartbreak (which this album's approach, like Kid Cudi's similarly awful debut, is based on, even by Drake's admission), British R&B/pop dullard Craig David and the Backstreet Boys. Except even cornier. Will the same bandwagoners who currently sing his praises be bumping this album in 2 years? We all know the answer to that question.

Instead of drinking the (dying) music industry's Kool-Aid, check out REAL emerging young rappers like Jay Electronica, J. Cole, Fashawn, Blu, Nipsey Hussle, Curren$y and B.O.B. (whose poppy major label debut, while not bad, doesn't display his full rhyme genius).

Drake, the young phenom everyone (term used loosely) has been anticipating release since last years Best I Ever Had seemingly sprung out of nowhere. The man has been much hyped and much was expected of him. Unfortunately he falls short of those expectations.

I have no problems with rappers singing. Some of the best (Andre 3000, Cee-Lo Green, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, Pimp C, even Queen Latifah etc.) frequently sang on their songs and albums and had full R&B songs. Frankly put, Drake has no singing talent. He sings with no soul and is dry as can ever be. One only has to hear OVER to hammer the point home.

On most songs the rapping seems forced. This is far from the fluid flow he used to possess but can I really fault him? He's under a lot of pressure right now and with all the features he's been on in the past year he may have burnt out and "wasted" his best verses on other people's songs. On the album his verses always seem too long almost as though he's not really that focused.

Drake has the talent at rapping but is not really displayed on the album. I've heard him absolutely kill his songs but here the verses are only decent. The production also may have held him back. The album is way too laid back and seems as if he would have benefit from more vibrant and lively production. I've listened to the album 4 times and I always get tired around the middle of the album.

There are some gems to be found though. Find Your Love finds Drake at his very best vocally. If he would have injected the emotion of this song into his other vocal performances the album could have been better. The beat (produced by Kanye West) provides a much welcome break from the mellowness of the majority of the album. Drake wins again with Unforgettable. Sporting an Aaliyah sample Drake easily glides through this song adjusting to the beat effortlessly and in and out of harmonizing. Young Jeezy comes through as well and his personality shines on the song. Show Me A Good Time also comes through because the beat (again produced by Kanye) forces Drake to work and he does a magnificent job here. Miss Me jams too as he and Lil Wayne try to outdo each other. Shut It Down sounds like The-Dream's song (Love King on the way..be ready!) but it does work.


Not every song is up to par though. Fireworks sounds like a cheap imitation version of Alicia Keys Unthinkable Remix (which Drake murdered) and is easily and surprisingly skip-worthy. Up All Night only works because Nicki Minaj steals the show (yes she actually does have a little talent). Fancy is a disaster. Swizz Beatz gives an annoying beat with the worst chorus, T.I. sounds uninspired, and Drake just kinda feels his way through the song. On Light Up Jay-Z also phones in his verse with his horrid attempt at a "triple entendre" and Drake is not impressive either.


As far as 2010 debuts go, this one is decent. I like The Adventures of Bobby Ray a bit better than Thank Me Later. AS for debuts from the 'new rappers' I'll take the Wale, Kid Cudi, B.O.B. albums over this. It's not bad but it's not that good either. It's same sounding but not cohesive. I think this is a product of being over-hyped, trying too hard to live up to expectations, and sticking with the formula that made him famous. Unfortunately everyone's debut can't set the world on fire (although this one will radio-wise) and Thank Me Later is only something I would recommend to fans. For me though, the album is too melodramatic and laid back. 3 Stars


*heard the bonus song "9AM in Dallas" and it just makes you wonder why songs like that weren't on the album. He clearly killed that song and is better than anything found on the album. He asks on the song "is this what you want?" Yes that's what we want. This song would have been the perfect intro.*

Thank Me Later is not just an album for the summer, but also for the rest of year and then some. Drake represents a new breed of artist that seeks to combine melodic R&B and hip hop that can vary from catchy to fierce! Several people have insisted that Drake has changed to fit the mainstream market since releasing his first couple of mixtapes, but after listening to his previous work I can say that this album will attract both old and new followers of Drake. If you are looking for Drake to take the place of older, more well known artists (Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nas, etc.) do not do yourself this disservice. Drake is none of the above. However, his innovative style will generate a larger appeal to more audiences, which is what makes him such a fresh new artist. I look forward to later productions that will also hopefully showcase his growth in the music game and in life!

I am an avid music fan who doesnt really discrminate against any genre. If it is good music its good music period. So with that out the way on to Drake's debut Thank Me Later. I have to give this CD 3.5 out of 5 stars. I think it is a decent album but nowhere near as good as So Far Gone. The problem with the album is that where the songs may be ok there isnt anything that gives this album classic quality. I mean dont get me wrong it has some strong points like "The Resistance", "Fireworks", and "Unforgettable" but even these songs don't stick to your ribs like a good meal. For my hip hop heads think about the first time you heard Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor and afterwards you felt refreshed and fulfilled. Not the same thing with this album. I can honestly see this album not getting any play in say 3 months and that is being generous. The lyrics are decent and the production is decent but that doesnt equal out to be a classic. I think Drake has potential to do better as long as he stays in his lane (ala So Far Gone) but he needs to take more time crafting his sound. So for anyone thinking of getting this album if you want to hear something different that may hold you over til' something a little fresher such as j. cole or kanye then by all means buy this but if you are a hardcore hip hop head you may wanna skip this one and just get his free So Far Gone mixtape.