It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the release of Drake’s third official mixtape, So Far Gone. Originally released on February 13, 2009 the mixtape was the catalyst for Drake rise to superstardom. It also marked the first full project that the now famous duo: Drake and Noah “40” Shebib worked on together. Consequently So Far Gone had Drake finding his signature sound, fusing singing and rapping perfectly, over minimalistic banging beats.
The mixtape was the first indicator of Drake’s ability to make a cohesive, fluent project. Though Room for Improvement and Comeback Season were solid efforts, they felt more like a collection of songs then an album. So Far Gone felt like an album… a really good album. “Dropped a mixtape, that shit sounded like an album”. The way that ‘Lust for Life’ flows into ‘Houstatlantavegas‘ seamlessly, leaves no question as to whether or not these tracks were meant to be played back-to-back and this carries throughout. Anyone who has listened to the mixtape from front to back is hard pressed to listen to the tracks individually. It just doesn’t have the same vibe.
So Far Gone is also where Drake really finds himself lyrically. On ‘Successful’ Drake spits, “The game need change and I’m the motherfuckin’ cashier/ Nickels for my thoughts, dimes in my bed/ Quarters of the kush shape the lines in my head”. Even haters need to admit that that’s some nice wordplay. On ‘Say What’s Real’ he spits, “Future said, Since this Ye shit you better kill/ and I think this got that making of a legend feel”. He didn’t let Future down and couldn’t have been more correct. In a recent interview 40 spoke on how his verse on ‘Say What’s Real’ served as the foundation for the sound of the entire mixtape.
It’s almost impossible to discuss So Far Gone and not mention the breakout hit ‘Best I Ever Had’. The poppy love song took over the radio and went from a mixtape cut to a #2 Billboard Top 100 smash. It also features one our favourite Drake lines of all time, “When my album drop bitches will buy it for the picture/ And niggas will buy it too and claim they got it for they sister”. Even then Drake knew he had a ton of haters and closet fans. But he wasn’t mad at it, he embraced it. Essentially telling them you can hate my image, but you can’t deny the quality of my music. The success of the single led Drake to release the So Far Gone EP in September 2009, which went Gold in the summer of 2010.
Musically, So Far Gone introduced the world to the signature OVO Sound. Low Tom drums, clear snares, distorted guitar riffs and muffled bass lines all produced, mixed and mastered by 40, set the tone for Drake’s future projects. This sound would go on to influence a number of other artists and producers alike. Drake’s So Far Gone also featured him singing and rapping over other artists tracks. It was the first true demonstration of Drake’s ability to mix rapping and singing seamlessly. Looking back, the selection of tracks to sing on seems very calculated and incredibly smart. We got a taste of some really dope R&B with tracks like ‘A Night Off’ and ‘Brand New’. Then there are the uppity pop tunes like ‘Little Bit’ and ‘Let’s Call It Off’. It’s tracks like these where listeners were exposed to his singing and in turn were prepared for tracks like ‘Shut It Down’, ‘Doing it Wrong’ and the smash hit you’ll be hearing at every wedding this year, ‘Hold On We’re Going Home’.
On ‘The Calm’ Drake raps, “Leader of the new school, it’s proven and it’s known/ I’m sittin’ in a chair but in the future it’s a throne.” And over the past 5 years he’s realized just that. Drake has risen from up-and-coming Toronto mixtape rapper to a rap Kingpin. Since it’s release, Drake has received 18 Grammy nominations (Winning Best Rap Album for Take Care), Won 4 Juno’s, became the Global Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, and surpassed Jay-Z’s record for most number one singles (10 total) on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Chart.
In light of all his success Drake exhibits no signs of slowing down. As an artist or a business man. Drake is making it clear that he is working hard to become the next Jay-Z and So Far Gone was his Reasonable Doubt. Happy Anniversary to So Far Gone. I’m sure we’ll be bumpin’ it in another 5 years.
