5 Hip-Hop References on Drake’s ‘Nothing Was The Same’
by Karen
With countless radio hits, a harmonious singing voice and an ear for quality music, Drake is the most complete artist of the new generation taking over hip-hop. Through his infectious, melody-driven tracks, Drizzy has created a sound birthed from the Kanye West 808‘s era but uniquely tweaked to keep further duplicators at bay. Those same elements are what Nothing Was The Same builds upon, this time though, allowing the Toronto kid to rip a few more pages from the hip-hop rap book. He even closes out “Paris Morton Music 2″ with an affirmation of his music knowledge, “Like I don’t study the game to the letter / And understand that I’m not doing it the same, man, I’m doing it better.”
With the recent release of “Wu-Tang Forever,” some members of the hip-hop community doubted any real connection between the rapper-slash-singer and hip-hop’s raw roots, but here’s are 5 key moments of classic hip-hop flair found on Drake’s 15-track offering NWTS after the jump..
1. Word to Cappadonna on “Tuscan Leather”
After a beat shift, Drake lyrically illustrates some bravado about standards he’s set and achievements he’s met, including “I sip the Pora and listen to Cappadonna”. Enjoying a mix of some fine wine and Wu-Tang provides a correlation of where Drake is now but salutes how he got there.
2. “It’s Yourz” Sample on “Wu-Tang Forever”
The influence of hip-hop goes beyond the title and the legendary sample pulled from Wu-Tang Clan’s Wu-Tang Forever LP. With a cosign from the Clan in the form of a remix, this track directly representation a mash-up of old-school hip-hop is unquestionable. And let’s also not skim over the fact that Drake spits a la Raekwon: “Machine gun raps for all my niggas in the back.” Drake knows his history.
3. Salute to Mase’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” Verse
“Worst Behavior” slides in behind “Own It” seamlessly. It’s damn near a surprise. But what assists this notably angry and equally confident cut to the top of our Most Played tracklists is the infusion of Biggie’s “Mo Money Mo Problems.” Drake channels a touch Murder Ma$e in his last verse verbatim (“Now, who’s hot who not…”). After a qucik hip-hop refresher, Drizzy takes over and spazes his way through the rest of the echoing track.
4. “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2” Ft. Jay Z
It’s very believable that Drake went on a Wu-Tang binge before stepping into Marvin’s Room Studios. The beat for “Pound Cake” is no different as he samples anthemic hip-hop record “C.R.E.A.M.” Integrated between bravado bars from the Young Money star and Jigga Man is the echo of “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”, proving another old school and new flavor connection.
5. More homage paid to classic NYC hip-hop.
Aside from imagining himself in a shiny suit on the third verse of this standout track, Drake inserted some other New York homage throughout. With a head nod to Biggie’s “Juicy” with “You ain’t know, now you know now,” Drizzy opens the first verse and returns to some Wu Tang love with “Bitch you better have my money when I come for that shit like O.D.B.,” citing the Clan track “Have My Money.”