By Palak Jayswal
Canadian rapper Drake has been coining social media trends and cultural movements through his music long before the invention of Tik Tok — despite the recent success of trends like the “One Dance” challenge, the “Flip the Switch” trend, and the “Tootie Slide.”
In truth, these recent trends are only the most recent pieces of evidence that Drake, and by extension, his music has a timeless quality to it — which is best captured through his second studio album, “Take Care.”
The 20-track album was released almost 10 years ago in November 2011, yet it remains my all-time favorite rap album. The album is a step further from Drake’s debut in a number of ways — but especially sonically, production-wise, and content wise. It isn’t shy in exploring a number of themes like romance, wealth, the price of fame, family, and friendship in depth. The album even won Drake his first Grammy for Best Rap Album.
But what is it that makes this album so timeless?
Is it Drake’s vocal range throughout the songs? From the slow tempo of songs like “Shot For Me,” “Take Care,” and “The Real Her” to the raw emotion in songs like “Marvins Room,” “Look What You’ve Done” and “Hate Sleeping Alone.” It could very well be the timeless quality to some of the more popular singles, like “HYFR” and “The Motto” which launched the coining of the ever popular YOLO (“You Only Live Once”) throughout the decade. Is it the heart-wrenching, but carefully constructed lyrics?
It’s all of that and more.
What makes “Take Care” timeless reflects back on a large examination of what makes rap, as a genre, timeless as well. It’s the ability to transport its listeners back to how they felt listening to that album, or track, for the very first time.
I can still remember being 13 and lying on the floor of my room, listening to these tracks on my blue iPod nano over and over and over again.
Drake’s introspective and melancholy reflections from “Take Care” had barely touched the surface of emotional range for 13 year old me, but even then, I knew there was something about this collection of tracks. It’s the same to this day, whenever I’m shuffling the music in my library, and come across a track from that album I’m compelled to stop and listen and reminisce.
“Take Care” was monumental in its release for a number of reasons, but for me, what makes this my favorite rap album is Drake’s ability to be frank with the conflicting emotions he dealt with at the time and capturing those emotions in his songs in a way that make them universal for listeners.
It is this album out of his entire discography that I feel Drake is most honest, most unfiltered, and most relatable. This album is a testament to the changing face of rap and hip hop as a genre, and even a decade later it still has the same impact it did the first time I listened to it.