Comeback Season, Drake’s second mixtape and his final earlier than his breakout hit, “Best I Ever Had,” is an intimate have a look at a man who’s develop into recognized for intimate appears to be like. It’s been over a decade since Comeback Season first dropped, however although it’s been overshadowed by Drake’s breakout mixtape, So Far Gone, it was Comeback Season that put the gears in movement for Aubrey Graham, the actor, to transition into Drake, the MC.
Launched on September 1, 2007, Comeback Season options youthful flows and developmental moments from Drake for superfans to comb over, whereas even informal listeners can be intrigued to listen to the largest artist in hip-hop throughout his infancy. There are a selection of references on Comeback Season that make it appear older than it truly is, till you understand simply how a lot Drake has carried out within the years since its launch.
The primary observe correct, “The Presentation,” feels like a extra laidback, prototypical “Tuscan Leather.” Listening to Drake rap that Jay- Z and Dame Sprint ought to get again collectively for all their sakes in 2007 was commonplace braggadocio, nevertheless it sounds rather a lot completely different now that Drake’s the largest rapper on this planet.
Seems like an auteur challenge
Till just lately, Comeback Season would have appeared like a cult favourite, even for his most diehard followers. For a lot of, So Far Gone was their first publicity to Drake’s music. However even his second mixtape looks like an auteur challenge – additional proof that whereas Drake was discovering his voice, he nonetheless had a imaginative and prescient.
After the latest reissue of So Far Gone ended up again within the High 10 of the Billboard 200, a full 10 years after it was first launched, Comeback Season is now simply as important as If You’re Studying This It’s Too Late and Extra Life.
A testomony to his longevity
On “Closer,” Drake brags that he’s as anticipated because the iPhone (the primary mannequin had solely been out for 2 months when Comeback Season dropped); as of late he’s obtained common partnerships with Apple. Later he raps one other prescient line: “Sometimes I gotta get my R&B on,” on the breezy “B__ch Is Crazy.” It’s sort of uncanny, as moments like this happen all through. If something, then, Comeback Season shouldn’t be solely a testomony to Drake’s longevity, however to how lengthy he’s been on high.
That he managed to get his fingers on an instrumental of Kanye West’s “Barry Bonds,” coupled along with his Trey Songz friendship, are clues as to how large Drake would finally get. Drake and Trey had beforehand labored on his first mixtape, Room For Enchancment, only a 12 months prior and teamed up as soon as once more on the only “Replacement Girl.” It could nearly be quaint to listen to Drake do his personal intro on the “Barry Bonds” freestyle – if, one: he didn’t completely kill it; and, two: it wasn’t so symbolic.
Drake would quickly signal to Lil Wayne’s Younger Cash Label and, after a turbulent decade with Kanye, would develop into larger than each of them. That’s particularly important as a result of, in September of 2007, Kanye and Wayne’s collaborative observe, “Barry Bonds,” was one of many closing nails within the coffin for gangsta rap. By the point Drake covers the hook on the finish of the music, it’s clear he ought to have featured on the unique.
‘Ain’t s__t for me to return again from’
From his sophomore mixtape to Scorpion, Drake would proceed to work throughout generations and locales. All of Comeback Season’s options, from Kardinal Offishall, Wealthy Boy, and Little Brother, are very a lot of their period. Wealthy Boy was producing a few of the greatest beats of the age and had just lately taken over the summer time with “Throw Some Ds,” whereas KO and Little Brother may need impressed “Underground Kingz” just a few years later.
It’s particularly unusual, on reflection, to listen to Malice (brother of Pusha T) present up for a characteristic on “Do What U Do (Remix),” when just some years later, his brother would go after Drake all through the Daytona album.
Given the visitors who present up on Comeback Season, it’s clear that Drake has been operating in large circles for the reason that very starting. On “The Presentation,” simply minutes into the mixtape, he sneers, “I fooled y’all, ain’t sh__t for me to come back from.” Up to now, he’s been proper.
Store for Drake’s music on vinyl or CD now.
