Spring Break
Rapper Heartbreak Drake's mixtape earns a mixed review
Nat Tingley
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: Entertainment
02/20/09 - The East Coast claims Biggie, Jay-Z, Grandmaster Flash and Wu-Tang as the representatives of rap from its region, while the southern United States has no shortage of rappers proclaiming themselves as the "Kings of the South."
Many Left Coasters consider rappers such as a Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Tupac to be the godfathers of rap from their area and the Midwest aggressively claims Eminem (Detroit), Kanye West (Chicago) and Bone Thugs (Cleveland) as the artists who put the center of the country on the Hip-Hop map. Even little Puerto Rico has Daddy Yankee and Pitbull to be proud of.
Now I know I'm going to be making those "Freedom is not Free" Americans mad when I say this, but what about Canada? The vast majority of Canadians speak the same language, and American rap is the most popular form of music in all major Canadian cities.
Sure, there have been Canadians like Dubmatique and the Dope Poets Society to scratch the surface, but let's be honest: record-breaking, smash-hit-producing, hip-hop legends they were not. Nope, in my eyes, there hasn't been any memorable or promising hip-hip talent to ever come out of Canada … until now.
Enter Aubrey Drake Graham a.k.a. Drake a.k.a. Heartbreak Drake. This Toronto born rapper, actor, poet and general entertainer has burst onto the scene with an agenda: to bring Canadian rap to the mainstream.
If you recognize the name Aubrey Graham from anywhere, it is probably because you watch "Degrassi: The Next Generation," where he played the physically disabled student Jimmy Brooks.
Unusual beginnings aside, Drake, along with DJs Rockstar, Rampage and Ill Will have, as of Dec. 11, released a best of Drake mixtape entitled "Heartbreak Drake."
I found the first song on the album, "Say What's Real," to be interesting for a couple reasons. First off, I really liked the lyrics, mainly because -as the name of the song would suggest-they were very real. It was almost as if Drake was trying to have a conversation with his listeners about how hard life can be, and how, even when you are rich and semi-famous, he still goes through the same universal struggles.
Many Left Coasters consider rappers such as a Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Tupac to be the godfathers of rap from their area and the Midwest aggressively claims Eminem (Detroit), Kanye West (Chicago) and Bone Thugs (Cleveland) as the artists who put the center of the country on the Hip-Hop map. Even little Puerto Rico has Daddy Yankee and Pitbull to be proud of.
Now I know I'm going to be making those "Freedom is not Free" Americans mad when I say this, but what about Canada? The vast majority of Canadians speak the same language, and American rap is the most popular form of music in all major Canadian cities.
Sure, there have been Canadians like Dubmatique and the Dope Poets Society to scratch the surface, but let's be honest: record-breaking, smash-hit-producing, hip-hop legends they were not. Nope, in my eyes, there hasn't been any memorable or promising hip-hip talent to ever come out of Canada … until now.
Enter Aubrey Drake Graham a.k.a. Drake a.k.a. Heartbreak Drake. This Toronto born rapper, actor, poet and general entertainer has burst onto the scene with an agenda: to bring Canadian rap to the mainstream.
If you recognize the name Aubrey Graham from anywhere, it is probably because you watch "Degrassi: The Next Generation," where he played the physically disabled student Jimmy Brooks.
Unusual beginnings aside, Drake, along with DJs Rockstar, Rampage and Ill Will have, as of Dec. 11, released a best of Drake mixtape entitled "Heartbreak Drake."
I found the first song on the album, "Say What's Real," to be interesting for a couple reasons. First off, I really liked the lyrics, mainly because -as the name of the song would suggest-they were very real. It was almost as if Drake was trying to have a conversation with his listeners about how hard life can be, and how, even when you are rich and semi-famous, he still goes through the same universal struggles.
