by Chris Russ
Like A$AP Rocky, who’s sound combines the music of Bone Thugs, Fab, and DJ Screw, Drake is the consummate internet-era rapper who can download music made all over the country, internalize it, and use those various sounds to inform his own style. On Nothing Was The Same you’ll hear Drake reference Ma$e, Bun B, and the Wu-Tang Clan (among others), but Drake’s sound is distinctive enough for him to come across as a connoisseur instead of a copycat. That unique sound encompasses a lot of styles, whether it’s the soul-rap of “Tuscan Leather”, the trademark “Drake featuring Drake” sound of “Furthest Thing”, the confessional relationship flow that constantly tumbles forward without tripping on “From Time”, or the radio-smash craftsmanship of “Hold On, We’re Going Home”. There are a lot of great tracks on this album, but Drake and Noah “40” Shebib have minimized their sound so much that the album’s production sometimes feels hollow. When you compare Nothing Was The Same to the rich and hazy sounds of Take Care, it feels empty. To steal a line from the great rap-blogger Big Ghost, Take Care had that “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-esque damn near depress the shit outta you but at the same time make you feel good” vibe going for it. On low-points like “Own It” or “Connect” this album only feels depressing.
