Editor’s note: I’m away from the lab today for the Roots picnic in Philadelphia so I am using a few guest drops to keep things poppin’ on the page. This first post comes from my dude Yooj‽ over at Recording Live From No Where. He does a mini-review of the Drake album ‘Thank Me Later’ that has the internets all a TWitter, literally.

Yeah you prolly got it already…. anyways…

It took me 5 listens to realize that I was investing a lot of thought into this 24 year old. It’s not because his music necessarily resonates with me personally, but moreso because I honestly am moved by the way he resonates with kids. Its wild that no one under the age of 18 really questions the duality. He’s allowed to be both a womanizer and a sucker for love, and just attributes all of his actions to embracing life. It’s actually pretty refreshing to hear from a young black man this day and age.

A wise person once told me that one key reason that Black men have sentenced themselves to such limited range of expression, in anything from emotions to fashion sensibilities, is because we have never witnessed a “masculine movement”. If that is even a term. Women have spent eternity fighting for the right to express themselves the way they see fit, and thus have much more refined and evolved means. I know I am butchering her theory, but trust me it was some genius shit.

Could this be the start of a sort of Emo-Renaissance for young black men? Who knows… Drake is introduced right on the heels of the mixtape thug era, but coupled with Kanye and Wayne, is ushering in this wild era where overt emasculation and conscious moments of sensitivity and honesty are actually praised. It gives a new meaning to “The realest shit I ever wrote”. Though I really don’t believe a damn thing he says, funny enough. And trust, its not that he goes with no criticism at all… Shit… I will be the first to provide a “this mahfuckah Drake’s sensitive as fuck, son” joke when the opportunity presents itself. Its just that more kids defend his position than I ever thought would. They empathize with the vulnerabilities and, oddly enough, are empowered by the example of a young rap star that seemingly hates fame.

I say that to say this… I fux with the kid and we could learn a lot from his sucka-for-love self.

About the Music: It’s extra-listenable and he manages to make an album that goes hard in the softest way possible… Pause. (see, I still got a ways to go)

And as a consolation for the delay, I included the joint he’s using for the iTunes Bonus as well… And of course all production credits and artwork.

*Drake – Thank Me Later*