Attn: Atlanta Drake FansDrake Will be in town April 6th – April 11th. Keep an eye out on y’all local listings to see what’s up.

“Here’s a rundown of local artists, many of them part of NOW’s showcase Friday (March 21), who should be top of mind for all hiphop fans.”

Drake was named as one of the “Next Shit” in NOW Magazine. And I Quote:

“DRAKE www.myspace.com/thisisdrake

The first unsigned Canadian artist to have a video debut on BET’s 106 & Park, Drake had a bona fide hit alongisde Trey Songz in Replacement Girl. He’s also acted on Degrassi High, rhymed from Toronto to Los Angeles and, in-between, ghostwrote for Dr. Dre*. He’s not a hiphop businessman; he’s a business, man.

*information not confirmed. Check out for the next update with an audio interview stating the ghostwriting situation.

To check out more artists that made the list such as Ken Masters, Tona, Isis, Theology, Mayhem Morearty, Rich Kidd, Richie Sosa & more, follow this link. www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=162211

Our boy Treazon from Cleveland, Ohio got at us with a review he did for Room For Improvement. He made some nice ass pointers too. Look out for a Comeback Season review as well =).

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Written by Treazon

“I’m not perfect, but I got a desire to improve”

Artist(s): Drake
Album: Room For Improvement
Year: 2006
Label: ATF(All Things Fresh)

When I first heard of Drake from a close friend, I refused to check his music out. How can a actor from teenage sitcom Degrassi possibly be skilled on the mic? My early presumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. Drake is gifted in many ways on the mic, but what impressed me the most is his versatility. One song can be super lyrical, filled with punchlines, while the next is somber enough to put you in a entire different state of mind. Drake’s debut shows he is a serious contender for the future spot of the top.

The mixtape starts off with a typical Intro for a mixtape. Drake speaks about the DJ, the tape, etc. The mixtape then goes into the odd, and in my opinion, unnecessary Pianist Hands. I’m not sure if its meant to be humorous or have a special meaning, but either way, I was not moved by this. Drake picks it up though, on the first actual song, Special. The track starts off with a beautiful sang chorus by Drake’s friend, Voyce. Drake then starts spitting, basically stating that he is special, a changed man, and he’s looking for the right girl for him. A common theme for this mixtape is female disapointments, and this song is no different as he states them very subliminally. Very smooth way to start off the mixtape.

The tape then takes a turn for something more upbeat and lyrical. The track Do What You Do starts with hard snares, and Drake starts off immedietly talking about his city, Toronto:

“Gettin’ down tonite if they say you cuttin’/
A lot of dudes in my city, they ain’t sayin’ nothin’/
A lot of records from here, they get no play/
And these labels don’t give advances, so you get no Pay!/”

As the track progresses, he states that he won’t sign for under a million, and goes on later to say that features should get him now because his price will rise. Very nice punchlines throughout, perfect instrumental, definetly a stand out track.

The next two tracks both feature underground battle rapper Nickelus F(who now has a spot in the 106 & Park Hall Of Fame). The first track, Money(remix), continues the hard vibe with the previous Do What You Do track. The instrumental is perfect, with a sample simply stating ‘money’, Nickelus F DEFINETLY steals the show this time around:

“I got my mind on money, if my money on yo’ mind/
I’ll blow yo’ mind all over the money thats on yo mind!/
So keep my dough off yo’ head, ‘for I put dough on you head/
Now you really got money on yo’ mind, nigga!/”

The next track Am To Pm is a gem indeed. The instrumental is beautiful and smooth, and Nickelus F and Drake trade verses speaking on their daily life. Topics of clubs, rapping, and normal things for a urban youth are mentioned. One of my favorite tracks. Another switch is taken, as Drake starts to show versatility, obviously making this track for the south, as he states in the first couple of lines:

“This the record that my backpack, underground fans get yo skippin’/
Backpack southern town fans get to tippin’/

..Well at least he warned me, haha. I actually like that track for the most part, nice punchlines(I’m like a waiter, if you something like a hater/ with ‘trays’ in both hands, place an order I can cater!) so I can deal with the irritating beat. Drake then switches to an unnecessary interlude that has multiple famous people leaving messages on his ‘voicemail’. Again, he picks it up with Bad Meaning Good, a track where he states all the problems in his city. This track is definetly the most serious tone so far, where he goes over various issues including killing, school drop outs, drug dealing, etc. Definetly a stand out, as Drake shows he knowledge on whats going on in the streets.

Thrill Is Gone then comes on, and again, the mood switches. The mood switches for a good note, though, as Thrill Is Gone is one of my favorite tracks. This track basically goes back to the topic of female disappointments, talking about how the thrill for being with a girl is gone completely. The chorus is beautiful, and Drake drops gems like:

“Nowadays, some girls are the type of person that/
Will tell they friends that they use him, which is confusin’, ‘since I ain’t made them a purchase yet/
But theres logic behind it/
Emotions double, and they try to cover up like a mansion with the projects behind it/
…Collectively, I look for a proper chick that’ll rep for me/
Instead of seeing she wants and calling and texin’ me/
For thinkin’ that exists, I got a feeling I’m wrong/
Nowadays most of the thrill of just chillin’ is gone../

Drake continues with Make Things Right, and Video Girl. Video Girl is a story of how he falls in love with a girl who frequently appears in videos, and basically states the downs of being a ‘video girl’. The tracks fall dead in comparison the genius piece, Come Winter. Come Winter is a story that revolves around the saying that women change as the seasons do. Drake tells the story of a female who he tried to talk to during the summer, but no response on her part. The winter arrives, and she suddenly changes, and he falls in love with her. Spring then arrives, and she changes. The instrumental to Come Winter is one of the most eerie beats I’ve ever heard, and one of my favorites. It has a switch in the beat, though, where the beat has a sample saying “Stolling In The Park, And Watching Winter Turn To Spring”. It takes me away everytime I hear it. Drake then talks about things every man should be able to relate to:

“Its fact, if she comes to the crib and I get some ass inside/
We’ll never talk again, its scary and true/

That song Special(see above) I recorded with Voyce, well its like a classified/
Its what I’m looking for to carry me through/
Yet I can’t seem to find a heavy girl that possesses it/
Only wants a friendship, causing me to forget the shit/
And when they talk about their past and lovers/
And you get mad at the thought of her givin ass to others/
Yet you find peace with yourself, now at least theres room to ride/
There’s also Room For Improvement as soon as June arrive!/

..Amazing song, best on the mixtape by a mile.

Extra Special then arrives, with a familiar Stevie Wonder sample. Nice track, but the next two tracks, About The Game(remix) and All This Love are clearly filler tracks. I skip those just about everytime. Drake rejuvinates with the third Nickelus F featured track, Scorpio’s Mind. Words can’t describe how ill this song is, with Nickelus F dropping gems first:

“Mad ’cause the freestyle iller than whole catalog/

I got the gift like Santa Clause, flow got spring like a catapult/
Matter fact, flow supreme like Diana Ross/
I’m after dough like a deer with the anters off!/”

Drake doesn’t let Nickelus steal the show, though, as he comes off just as hard:

“Let me assist you like a specialist/
So you can pull it back, and try to catch the metaphors in the rest of this/
Its not a problem with X, I guess I’m a pessimist/
Which means if shit goes bad, I say I expected this/

..Why don’t you walk up in the spot usin less strut/
You ain’t Morris Chestnut, you lighter and less cut!/
..You got rappers being repetitive actors/
You stay ahead of the game, I’m ahead of the practice!/”

The mixtape starts closing with the hard hitting track S.T.R.E.S.S., the last track to feature Nickelus F(only on the hook). Drake speaks on a lot of things in his life and goes deep. First verse features him talking about how his parents split after his father started selling drugs. Second verse has him speaking on the times he faced being the closest to black(since his is multi racial) and the trials he faced with that, including being called a “nigga”. Another stand out track. Try Harder again switches the tone with a sample driven beat thats smooth as can be. Drake talks about the struggles people go through with various things, but no matter what you should Try Harder. Another one of my favorites.

In a switch of motion, Drake does a unofficial remix with Lupe Fiasco on the infamous Kick Push. Drake kicks a ill verse, telling a story of him skateboarding the entire time he was on vacation at his aunt’s. Drake does his thing, but of course he doesn’t beat Lupe Fiasco’s now classic. The album ends with the same guy from unnecessary Pianist Hands track, in my opinion, he could of ended with Kick Push.

Overall, this mixtape is amazing, it shows so many levels lyricism, while the topic range is wide as possible. The mixtape has a very different feel. I have no major complaints, other than some tracks are better than others and stand out much more, but what project CAN’T you say that for? Drake can easily be the future if he plays his cards correctly, he displays that he can fit into mainstream, but has that lyricism that listeners like myself fiend for.

Overall – 9.5/10

Here’s some brand new Drake !!

OVERDOSE
DRAKE
» Listen: CLICK HERE

Leave your 2 cents fans!

P.S. Join our facebook group if you haven’t done so yet.

If we get 10 different comments from 10 different IP addresses as to WHY you loooooooove Heart Break/One Take Drake, we will post one of his new songs. Is he singing? Maybe, maybe not. We love to keep y’all in the loop =).

And it starts, right about, NOW!

This is for the Facebook Heads. As you might of notice, Drake doesn’t have his Facebook Profile anymore. Why did he take it off ? We don’t know. Anyhow, he DOES have a Drake Fan page so make sure you join it today ! =)

So we AAALLLLLL love Brand New so Drake went on and re-recorded it with a new mix. The beat was enhanced and he switched up the tune. Which version do you like better ? 1/2 of us here at AT-F.net are diggin this one more =).

BRAND NEW(NEW MIX)
DRAKE
» Listen: CLICK HERE