NWTS

After listening to Drake’s junior album Nothing was the Same, it automatically changed me into a different person.  Though some people may ask, “how can one stupid album possibly affect you in any way, shape, or form”?  I don’t know, but it did.  The due date was set for September 17, 2013, but was eventually pushed back to October 24, 2013, only to leak 9 days before on October 15, 2013. 

As I listened to the album, I was shell shocked.  I told myself that I would not just listen and take the words and the sounds for what they are, but to interpret and listen to them in a deeper and more contextual way, starting with the title Nothing was the Same.  Nothing was the Same, to me, is a story about how Aubrey Graham (Drake) started as a young, immature teenager growing up with his father who lived in the poor parts of Memphis, Tennessee and also with this his mother in the rich parts of Toronto.  The album explains how Drake managed to live two lifestyles while his parents went through a tough situation, and even at times had to live with his Uncle. One side of the physical album shows Drake as a young boy, maybe about two years old.  The other, shows a picture of him now and the Drake the world is used to seeing. 

The first song on the album was Tuscan Leather featuring a sample from his father.  Some people may see Tuscan Leather and think it’s just some ridiculously expensive cologne by Tom Ford.  But, the song was much, much more than that.  Drake uses three different beat changes to tell a story about how fame has changed his relationships with women, friends, family, and himself. He recognizes how big his is in the music industry and asks people to respect what he has become over the past four years; and tells the listener that negativity doesn’t faze him like it used to.  He says:

“Strep throat flows can stop all of the talking, got one reply for all of your negative comments, forget what you think, my life is a completed checklist”.

From beginning to end, the album paints an even bigger picture of Drake’s fame, relationships with people and how what he went through since he began rapping on the once popular teen show Degrassi changed him into the international icon that he was become. 

When I was finished listening to the album, it made me think about life, and how things changed from when I can remember to now. Even though I’m only fifteen, I can still relate to how Drake has conflicts with his family over things that aren’t always in his control. When a conflict arose between a friend and I that used to go to the same school arose, I thought of this album.  My friend, who claims that I have drastically changed for the worst after coming to KO, says that I wasn’t the same when we were cool.   Instead of neglecting his allegations and accusations, I understood his side of the story and put myself in his position; by doing this, I could sort of see where he was coming from.  To make a long story short, using Drake’s experiences that he wrote about Nothing Was The Same as a reference when dealing with certain relationships, it makes things much easier to comprehend.