Nothing Was The Same - Debut Album Review

Rather unbelievably this month saw the release of only Drake's third (yes that's right, third) album. Nothing Was The Same was initially shrouded behind rumours  of delay due to remarks from Kendrick Lamar on Big Sean's Control and with many expecting a come-back, the finished product was certainly a surprise, and rendered anything Kendrick had previously said as irrelevant. Drake certainly does declare himself at the pinnacle of his profession, at times citing how he's 'not doing it the same he's doing it better' in the final song on the album (Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2), but it is the general tone and message conveyed throughout which is striking.

The half Jewish, half African American rapper displays a perception of himself for his listeners that's entirely new to many ears. His confidence leaks out of every other verse he's ever produced, but here we see a very human side to him, he's not invulnerable even if he is a superstar. If the album Take Care was Drake surrounded in a room of riches and starting to show emotion, then Nothing Was The Same is Drake's apparent response to the realization that he can be above all of that materialism and still let the emotion pour. The album cover of his head is in the clouds shows that it's his actual content and not his appearance that seems to matter most now. In addition to this the intimacy of the album is exceptional, Drake grabs our attention by being... real. The album becomes diary-like and we feel as if he's confessing and repenting to us, stating he's still the 'furthest thing from perfect'. The whole album is carried with this empathy, we are locked experiencing his memories with a man who wants to 'make love' and not 'f*ck' whilst instead of just talking, wanting to 'trust'. It is the way we become someone for Drake to confide in that makes the album so different, yet so brilliant. 

Any cases of 'arrogance' seem warranted though as they are closed in with an air of insecurity put across by Drake presenting himself as having weaknesses and being human. We are introduced on the first track to an almost Messiah like figure 'on a mission trying to shift the culture' but this quickly changes through songs to him wanting to be back as 'that kid in the basement' and it's this contrast that further emphasizes his insecurities and leads us along a story of him trying to battle them, to little avail. Even on the first listen, the centerpiece to the whole album, Hold On We're Going Home is a starting point from which the rest of the album can flow from. With a harder beat and no rapping at all, it differs from the rest of the album but his voice delivers exceptionally and the song becomes a metaphor for him wanting to take the listener 'Home' by giving them his album. 

From this we are taken on a tour of Drake's emotions and memories, with him addressing his sternest critics in intelligent, subtle ways. In response to criticism of his upbringing he states how he 'feels peace knowing it's harder in the streets' and how 'luckily' he didn't have to grow up there. It's these memories that unlock Drake further as an artist injecting the album with real personality. Yes, there certainly are times where his lyrics almost preach but they maintain their relevance to the theme of the album and it produces a character who still doesn't know quite who he is yet. Ironically it's this indecisiveness that makes the album so unique too, as Drake shows he is not afraid to put himself on the line by sharing 'some thoughts' and exposing his vulnerabilities for all to listen to. 

The tracks themselves are seamless in their ability to intertwine throughout, in particular where Wu-Tang Forever runs into Own It, delivering a hard message of love, ownership and their effects that spans two songs, suggesting that Drake believes his love will continue even if everything is now different. This ability of the album to simply flow isn't an accident and credit must be due to the producer Noah "40" Shebib. If the tracks on the album are Drake's emotions running wild through verses, then the way they also drip across from song to song resembles a web that Drake has constructed to trap us in. By the time we are faced with the revelation-like Too Much (a personal favourite) his lyrics are poured at us and we're now facing a man who's totally done with being compared to everyone else. The album ends on a crescendo with Jay-Z, the only A-List collaboration (rather surprisingly) that is present. Drake no longer needs help though, he perfectly relays his story throughout to us and it's fitting that on the last track he completely overwhelms Jay-Z, who ends up rhyming 'cake' with 'cake' a number of times. Nothing Was The Same appears to be a revelation in Drake's music where he's truly been able to express his identity to his listeners, without fear of any repercussions.