“So Far Gone” was released in 2009 and came as the first official release from the Toronto Hip Hop MC Drake. It is an EP of works that the former child star (acting on ‘DeGrassi’) has recorded through 2008 and 2009 to act as hype along the way to releasing “Thank Me Later” as his debut album. It features all of his breakthrough tunes, some of which came from the mixtape that used the same name as this EP has, in addition to some others that have only had play in the underground.
1. “Houstonatlantavegas”
The EP really gets underway with this one (just as it did on the “So Far Gone” mixtape) as here you find that Drizzy gets down to one where he shows off his skills when it comes to delivering some powerful, soulful R&B vocals as he gets into one where he likens a girl in the club to three
of USA’s big hotspots. It is a seductive song, and although it could be regarded as unengaging, the calm start warms you up and progresses as towards the later end he raps a little too.
**Four Stars*
2. “Successful”
With this, he drops into one of the artist’s big singles as he is seen to work with two names who are known to associate heavy with him as he gets ATL’s bad boy R&B singer Trey Songz joining him, as they do things on some cold synth and deep snares to pull out the energy within it as he talks of his game plan. It is a killer tune and one that seems to stand out hugely for the atmosphere that it creates as it changes everything up.
**Five Stars**
3. “Best I’ve Had”
This one was quite simply the biggest song off the thing and one which just had to be included on his first official release as he comes up with a killer joint which merges his skills at singing and raps for a fly joint which has him speaking on the one girl who did it that extra bit better than all the others he’s been with. If you are familiar with this one, then you are likely to be taken aback when you here the explicit version you get here.
**Five Stars**
4. “Uptown”
You have yet more from Lil’ Wayne on this one, but in addition to this you get a welcomed name in UGK’s Bun B as he joins the two of them to show how OGs get down to this progressive Rap material as they jump on top of beats which take on heavy influence from the Houston scene, as well as the general Dirty South to show how he can’t really identify a specific Canadian sound with the music which he bring on this mixtape.
**Five Stars**
5. “I’m Goin’ In”
This was a very popular one from the album and one that needs deserves the attention it received as you see that in it Lil’ Wayne and Young Jeezy come to assist him on a pure Dirty South club banger of a tune that competes with some of the best that have come out of the area from the last few years. Needlz is behind the beats and he brings something perfectly in-line with the trends to make for one of the best on the EP.
**Five Stars**
6. “The Calm”
In the final proper musical tune on the album, you get a song which has Drake getting down to one where he is able to express all he wants to with this concept record as he expresses it in the most clear manner (through raps) about what the album was designed to do and how he hopes it can across to the listeners. It is a fly tune and one which reflects the great journey he has gone through over the years.
**Five Stars**
7. “Fear”
He gets on DJ Khalil’s beats for the last track on the EP (and the only one that wasn’t originally found on the “So Far Gone” mixtape). It is a fly one and a tune that is seen to effectively bring the release to a close as you see that in it you have him bringing through some of his innovative rhymes whilst going off from some strong beats that do all they need to support what he does and leave it on a high.
**Four Stars**
This is a decent mixtape from Drake and one that rounds up all the essentials from the original mixtape in order to bring out a release that sounds much more contemporary (as he is often too far ahead of the times). There’s lots to like on it and it means that those who enjoyed the singles will be into this too.
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