Drake’s an emotional guy, and he’s not your garden variety hip hop star either. ‘Nothing Was The Same’, his third full-length, finds him indulging this side of his persona again, while pushing his music in a few new directions.
‘Nothing Was The Same’ has its fair share of hooks and smooth verses, but it’s also a lot less direct and catchy than its predecessor, ‘Take Care’. This time around, Drake’s concentrating on hip hop and samples rather than chart-friendly melodies and while it doesn’t stand out much upon first listen, further examination reveals a lot to be discovered.
One of the album’s strongest moments is the well constructed but all-too-brief Started From The Bottom, which details Drake’s evolution from nothing to, well, being Drake. It’s all about the riches: “Just as a reminder to myself/I wear every single chain even when I’m in the house.”
Drake's softer side also gets the better of him at times, something that we don’t get treated to by many rappers. On Own It he croons: “Next time we fuck/I don’t wannafuck/I wanna make love/Next time we talk/I don’t wanna just talk/I wanna trust”.
The highlight of the album is the almost cheesy dance-pop of Hold On, We’re Going Home, which boasts an infectious chorus and Drake’s smooth flow, while elsewhere the the sweet female accompaniment on From Time and the hooks of Wu-Tang Forever bring the standard up further. Drake doesn’t only do chart-friendly hits and he doesn’t stick to atmospheric rap - he dabbles in both and that’s why he remains interesting even when certain elements don’t quite hit the mark.
‘Nothing Was The Same’ definitely has its moments but takes a few steps away from the pop world and into territory that may leave some fans shaking their heads. Luckily, Drake is able to drag everything back into focus with a shot of melody whenever ‘Nothing Is The Same’ threatens to flicker out.
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