Drake's So Far Gone Is The Hottest Mixtape Of 2009 (So Far)
By Shaheem Reid
Courtesy of: MTV.com
Midseason Salute: Drake's So Far Gone
What can we say about
So Far Gone that hasn't already been written in this very section? The mixtape was artistically dope and had out-of-control buzz, and we are stamping it as the mixtape of 2009 so far based on the impact and quality. Let the debates begin, but you'll have a difficult time saying what other tape reached the 'hood, the 'burbs and the industry. A universal thumbs-up. Let's hope the album lives up to the hype.
"I am honored by the accolade given to me by Mixtape Daily and just by all the stuff that's going on,"
Drake said about getting the nod. "I feel like I just spent a lot of years so in tune with music that I really love. Whether it be R&B, whether it be jazz, whether it be rap, whatever. I think So Far Gone was me finding myself as a person and then finding a way to balance all these things that I love and figuring out truly what it is that I'm good at. I think once you find a rhythm or a formula as an artist, it starts to connect with people. You know, people are like, 'OK, he's doing his thing.' That's important to do your thing. You can't be doing what so-and-so is doing or do something that doesn't fit you. ... The best part about finding that rhythm was just being honest. Honesty, you know, rapping about my life and things that occur on a daily basis. So when I draw inspiration, I really can draw from my life, not go make something up or hear someone else's story.
"I can just live and then write," he continued. "And so that really makes my musical process very easy and gratifying. It's been dope. So for people to respond to that mixtape was a great thing."
With all the accolades he's raked in from the mixtape, has Drizzy ever had second thoughts about giving the tape out for free instead of selling it?
"I think that's what we're working on right now," he said. " 'Best I Ever Had' is doing amazing on iTunes. But [the mixtape] was an important moment for me. So no, I don't ever look at it and say, 'I wish that was an album.' It was important that it was a mixtape, 'cause if it was an album, I don't know if it would've had the same impact. I think the fact that I gave that for free, it was kind of brazen, like, 'What? What do you have in your collection, in your catalog, to be able to throw this out there?' And just while we were creating it, it was all of us, you know? Me, 40, Oliver and everyone else involved. It was us, just having fun in a stress-free environment, because we knew we were going to give it away. So I am hoping to bring that same energy to the album. It's harder, because you know that it's your album. You know people have to go buy it and they have to support it or else you're not going to live up to the expectations, but hopefully we can channel that same energy into this project."
