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Dark Lane Demo Tapes Review
Soooooooooo…… spoiler warning: I think I might be ready to join the OVO hive. There’s been a level of hesitance with this decision to fully back Drake for quite a while for a couple reasons. Mostly, it’s because he has some songs that I just can’t even pretend to enjoy and cosign (Ratchet Happy Birthday, Child’s Play, Pop Style, etc.). But for every song that is a dud, there’s a phenomenal song that follows. With Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Drake has finally hit the point where he’s become almost undeniable.
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is Drake’s best record since If You’re Reading This, It’s Too late, another project that also showcases Drake at his most unstoppable. It’s less bloated as his recent crop of albums, making the need to trim the excess fat off the album unnecessary. On this mixtape, he solidifies himself as a rapper who demands respect. In a climate where some are hesitant to put him in the same class as the greats or the best in the world, he singlehandedly slides his way into the conversation through sheer force. Songs like Chicago Freestyle and Losses spotlight the best of what makes Drake such a great rapper, his ability to weave between being emotive and vulnerable to addressing his place at the top of the hip-hop hierarchy to flexing his accomplishments.
Maybe it’s just the fact this it’s a mixtape but he hasn’t sounded this loose and free in years. There doesn’t…
