Drake is a smart, successful man. It’s a shame that his success is a reflection of his intelligence more than his talent. It is in this light that we can justify the praise often lavished upon him – his pursuit and acquisition of the American dream. What is often forgotten though, is that his music, while representative of and befitting the American dream, isn’t particularly good. Kanye West can write introspective lyrics, contrast them with ridiculous boasts and lavish millions of dollars on a sample and despite this still have something interesting to say. Drake does not. We often falsely compare Drake and Kanye, but Take Care is evidence that these comparisons are only demeaning to Yeezy and completely unfounded.
Mercury Prize Nominees – A Reaction
The Mercury prize is always something for pop fans to become excited about, it has become something akin to the Turner prize or the Man Booker for music in its celebration of artistically valid British work that manages to break into the mainstream. The one winner from each year’s shortlist of ten or so albums is always entreated to a huge sales boost and generally manages to find a wider audience through the exposure. In recent years Elbow finally managed to take the spotlight after winning for The Seldom Seen Kid in 2008; their sales shot up by 700% and this year they opened for U2 at Glastonbury. On the other side of the spectrum though is Speech Dabelle. After walking away with the prize for her (admittedly lacklustre) debut Speech Therapy, Dabelle struggled to find a niche for her fusion of Jazz and Hip-Hop with her sales barely improving. It was reported last year that she performed a gig in front of just 40 people and the win has actually been credited for her subsequent retreat from the music industry. Read more…
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July 20, 2011
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