Background and recordingTake Care is the upcoming second studio album by Canadian recording artist Drake, scheduled for release through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records on November 15, 2011.[1] The album will be released in three versions: the standard edition, the deluxe edition and the OG Ron C edition.[2] Singles "Headlines" and "Make Me Proud" preceded the album's release, each attaining chart success on the Billboard Hot 100.
CompositionOn November 2010, Drake revealed the title of his next studio album would be Take Care.[3] In comparison to his debut album Drake revealed to Y.C Radio 1 that Thank Me Later was a rushed album, stating, "I didn’t get to take the time that I wanted to on that record. I rushed a lot of the songs and sonically I didn’t get to sit with the record and say, 'I should change this verse.' "Once it was done, it was done. That’s why my new album is called Take Care because I get to take my time this go-round." [4] Drake mentioned after OVO Fest 2011 that Take Care could have up to 18 songs on it, and added that Stevie Wonder contributed to the creative direction of the album and will be featured on the album as well. Drake also revealed that the album was recorded mainly in Toronto.[5] Debating whether to submit his final cut or not, Drake's preferred release date motivated him to create a Birthday Edition, much like a deluxe edition to be released on the iTunes Store.[2]
Some producers that were revealed to be working with Drake on Take Care other than Noah "40" Shebib (who is the main producer of the album) include T-Minus,[6] Jamie Smith from The xx,[7] The Neptunes[8] and Boi-1da (who is a long-time Drake collaborator).[9] He had initially recruited 9th Wonder for the album.[10] He even appeared on 9th's documentary The Wonder Year and expressed his desire to make a number one hit with him.[11] However, in an interview about a month prior to the slated release date, 9th said that he was not on the album.[12] 9th states that part of the reason was because he was going through an A&R and playing beats for them as opposed to the artist himself, which he is opposed to.[13] Drake had also planned on having Q-Tip[14] and DJ Premier[15] produce on the album, but those projects fell through as well. Some artists that were confirmed to be collaborators with Drake on Take Care consist of Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Chantal Kreviazuk,[16] André 3000, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.
Release and promotionThe album's languid, grandiose production incorporates hip hop, R&B, and downtempo styles.[18] The music is typified by an atmospheric sound,[19] muted textures, slow tempos,[20] melodic synth tracks, and ominous, low-end grooves.[21][22] Record producer Noah "40" Shebib contributed to most of the album's production with murky beats, dark synth layers, and moody guitar sounds.[20] Other producers' tracks are more up-tempo and shift from the melancholic mood of Shebib's production.[20] Songs on the album are lengthy, sonically expansive,[19] and accompanied by playful interludes.[23] Lauren Carter of the Boston Herald writes of the song structure on Take Care, "Musical themes vanish and re-appear, layers build upon layers and then strip down to bare bones as tightly wound tracks give way to gauzy, lush interludes. Most songs sound intentionally distorted and warped".[19] Drake's vocals on the album feature emotional crooning and less rapping than on his previous album, Thank Me Later.[20]
Drake's songwriting is characterized by wistful introspection and boastful passages,[19][21] with lyrics that convey vulnerability, melancholia, and narcissism.[22][24] His lyrics on the album detail failed relationships, concerns about leading a hollow life, and despondency.[20] Drake's persona on the songs shows traits of sincerity and self-absorption.[22] The album's slow jam-styled tracks explore themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and mistrust.[22] Tim Sendra of Allmusic comments that its "introspective tone [...] is only rarely punctured by aggressive tracks, boasts, and/or come-ons."[20] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole views that the album's "thematic bent is less monological" than that of Thank Me Later, while noting that "Drake seems to have given up on thinking that [his] problems would all just disappear if he gave up his money and fame."[22] Kevin Ritchie of NOW notes "an overwhelming sense of alienation and sadness" on Take Care, calling it "an idiosyncratic, aggressively self-conscious and occasionally sentimental album, one that falls somewhere between languid, finger-snapping R&B and hip-hop braggadocio."[21] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone writes that Drake "collaps[es] many moods – arrogance, sadness, tenderness and self-pity – into one vast, squish-souled emotion."[18] Newsday's Glenn Gamboa interprets Drake's "emotional self-doubt and realizations about [...] success", along with the album's melancholy mood, to be "capturing today's zeitgeist of uncertainty and diminishing expectations."
SinglesThe first track Drake released was "Dreams Money Can Buy" on May 20, 2011 through his October's Very Own blog. Drake mentioned this song was "A Story of Dreams, mixed with reality," and that this was not his first single off the album but that it would be included on Take Care.[26] On June 9, 2011, a second track titled "Marvins Room" was released via his blog. Drake initially stated that the song would not be featured on Take Care, but because of the song's unexpected success, prompting it was released as a digital and radio single on July 22, 2011 and will be on Take Care. "Trust Issues" was then released shortly after on his blog, but is confirmed not to be on the album via Drake's Twitter. He explained that the song was an idea he had from I'm On One and made it "just for fun."[27][28] However, in an interview, Drake stated that Trust Issues, along with Dreams Money Can Buy, will be included in the Birthday Edition of the album.[29]
On September 10, 2011, Drake released a new song titled "Club Paradise" on his October's Very Own blog.[30] "Dropping this for our boy Avery...this was his favorite sh*t during the recording process. 2 more songs coming tonight as well. ovoxo," he wrote on his blog. On September 11, 2011, Drake released another track entitled "Free Spirit" featuring Rick Ross and blogged that another was to be released that night, as well. [31] Later that night he released a remix of Waka Flocka Flame's "Round of Applause". On September 23, 2011, Drake released the official album cover to Take Care.[32] On October 20, 2011, an unfinished version of "The Real Her" featuring only Lil Wayne was leaked online.[33] The Club Paradise Tour was revealed to start in November on Twitter. However, It was revealed that the tour is delayed until after Christmas/New Year break so Drake could perform at more schools.[34][1]
On October 8, 2011, Drake announced on his OVO blog that Take Care will be pushed back until November 15th because of three sample clearances (Take Care, Cameras, & Practice). It was originally to be released on his 25th birthday, October 24, 2011.
"Headlines" was released via his blog on July 31, 2011 as the official lead single from Take Care. The song is produced by Boi-1da and 40 and was released to radio and iTunes on August 9, 2011.[35] The song debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 98 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[36] "Make Me Proud" features rapper Nicki Minaj and was released via Drake's blog on October 13, 2011, as the official second single. The song was produced by T-Minus and Kromatik and was released to iTunes on October 16, 2011.[37] The song has peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[38]
The promotional single "Marvins Room" peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Reception
Take Care received general acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on four reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[41] Rolling Stone writer Jon Dolan complimented its "luxe, expansive production" and stated, "Drake stretches out over languid, austerely plush tracks that blur hip-hop, R&B and downtempo dance music."[18] Jesal Padania of RapReviews called it "accomplished" and commended Drake's musical direction, stating "he's attempt to captain a unified sound, culminating in a consistent album."[23] Kevin Ritchie of NOW complimented the album's "beautifully realized mix of rumbling, low-end grooves and wistful introspective songwriting", and stated, "Drake succeeds at giving the disc a sound all its own".[21] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole called the album "remarkably consistent" and noted an "immeasurably improved flow" by Drake.[22] Brandon Soderberg of Spin called the album "an insular, indulgent, sad-sack hip-hop epic" and commended Drake for "mixing nice-guy vulnerability with wounded narcissism", commenting that "Throughout Take Care, Drake finds ways turn the douche chills he elicits into a large part of his appeal."[24]
However, The Globe and Mail's Robert Everett-Green criticized Drake's lyrics as "drawling patter" and found the songs to "noodle around [...] aimlessly".[40] Despite viewing Drake as "a middle-of-the-pack rapper at best", Allmusic editor Tim Sendra found Noah "40" Shebib's production work to "fit Drake’s voice perfectly" and denoted Drake's strength to be "his willingness to delve deeply into his emotions and the ability to transmit them in [...] a simple and real fashion".
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Over My Dead Body" Aubrey Graham, Noah Shebib, Chantal Kreviazuk Noah "40" Shebib, Chantal Kreviazuk (co.) 4:33
2. "Shot for Me" Graham, Shebib Noah "40" Shebib 3:45
3. "Headlines" Graham, Matthew Samuels, Shebib, Adrian Eccleston Boi-1da, Noah "40" Shebib (co.) 3:27
4. "Crew Love" (featuring The Weeknd) Graham, Abel Tesfaye, Daniel McKinney Illangelo, Noah "40" Shebib, The Weeknd 3:29
5. "Take Care" (featuring Rihanna) Graham, Robyn Fenty, Jamie Smith, Quincy Jones, Walter Gold, John Gluck Jr., Herb Weiner, Gilbert Scott-Heron Jamie xx, Noah "40" Shebib 4:38
6. "Marvins Room" Graham, Shebib, Eccleston, Jason Beck, Noah "40" Shebib; 5:44
7. "Buried Alive (Interlude)" (featuring Kendrick Lamar) Graham, Shebib, Kendrick Lamar, Dwayne Chin-Quee Noah "40" Shebib, Supa Dups 2:31
8. "Under Ground Kings" Graham, Tyler Williams T-Minus, Noah "40" Shebib 3:33
9. "We’ll Be Fine" (featuring Birdman) Graham, Bryan Williams, Tyler Williams T-Minus 4:09
10. "Make Me Proud" (featuring Nicki Minaj) Graham, Onika Maraj, Williams, Nikhil Seetharam, Shebib T-Minus 3:40
11. "Lord Knows" (featuring Rick Ross) Graham, William Roberts II, Justin Smith Just Blaze 5:08
12. "Cameras / Good Ones Go (Interlude)" Graham, Lexus Lewis, Noah Shebib Lex Luger, Drake (co.), Noah "40" Shebib 7:14
13. "Doing It Wrong" Don McLean.[42] , Graham, Shebib, Stevland Morris Noah "40" Shebib 4:26
14. "The Real Her" (featuring Lil Wayne and André 3000) Graham, Dwayne Carter Jr., André Benjamin, Shebib Noah "40" Shebib, Drake (co.) 5:22
15. "Look What You’ve Done" Graham Chase N. Cashe, Noah "40" Shebib (co.) 5:03
16. "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" (featuring Lil Wayne) Graham, Carter, Williams T-Minus 3:27
17. "Practice" Graham, Shebib Noah "40" Shebib, Drake (co.) 3:57
18. "The Ride" Graham, Tesfaye Doc McKinney, The Weeknd 5:51
iTunes Store/Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
19. "The Motto" (featuring Lil Wayne) Graham, Carter, Williams T-Minus 3:01
20. "Hate Sleeping Alone" Noah "40" Shebib
• (co.) Co-producer
• (add.) Additional production
"Cameras" on track 12 was co-produced by Drake, and "Good Ones Go (Interlude)" was produced by Noah "40" Shebib.
"The Motto" has been listed as track 20, and "Hate Sleeping Alone" as 19
via: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_CarePersonnel
Credits for Take Care adapted from Allmusic.[44]
Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – engineer
Hyghly Alleyne – photography
Bonnie Artis – choir, chorus
Alyse Barnhill – choir, chorus
Les Bateman – system engineer
Divine Brown – background vocals
Wado Brown – organ
Cortez Bryant – executive producer
Sean Buchanan – assistant engineer
Adrian C – guitar
Michael "Banger" Cadahia – engineer
Noel Cadastre – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant
Becky Campbell – mixing assistant
Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing
Lyttleton "Cartwheel" Carter – assistant engineer
Chase N-Cashe – musician, producer
Ariel Chobaz – engineer
Romy Madley Croft – guitar
Adrian Eccleston – guitar
Oliver El-Khatib – A&R, executive producer
Alvin Fields – choir director
Elizabeth Gallardo – assistant engineer
Chris Gehringer – mastering
Chilly Gonzales – Fender Rhodes, piano, synthesizer
Aubrey "Drake" Graham – executive producer, producer
Ricardo Gutierrez – mastering
Rose Hart – choir, chorus
Taylor Hill – choir, chorus
Sam Holland – assistant engineer
John Holmes – engineer
Tammy Infusino – choir, chorus
Ebony Jackson – choir, chorus
John Nettlesbey – assistant engineer
Erika Johnson – choir, chorus
Just Blaze – mixing, producer
Brent Kolatalo – engineer, instrumentation
Chantal Kreviazuk – piano, producer, vocals
Ken Lewis – choir director, engineer, instrumentation
Lil Wayne – executive producer
Roman Marshall – choir, chorus
Doc McKinney – engineer, producer
Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese – engineer, producer
John Morgan – choir, chorus
Greg Morrison – mixing assistant
Syren Lyric Muse – vocals
Jon Nettlesbey – assistant engineer
Nikhil – synthesizer
Jawan Peacock – background vocals, piano
Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin Quee – producer
Isaiah Raheem – choir, chorus
Ruben Rivera – engineer
Gee Roberson – executive producer
Carmen Roman – choir, chorus
Matthew "Boi Ida" Samuels – musician, producer
Gil Scott-Heron – background vocals
Travis Sewchan – assistant engineer
Noah Shebib – A&R, additional production, bass, drum programming, engineer, executive producer, keyboards, mixing, mixing assistant, musician, producer
Evelyn "Bubu" Sher – background vocals
Jamie Smith – musician, producer
Static Major – background vocals
David "Gordo" Strickland – mixing assistant
T-Minus – musician, producer
Lamar Taylor – photography
The Weekend – background vocals, musician, producer
Bryan "Baby Birdman" Williams – executive producer
Ronald "Slim Tha Don" Williams – executive producer
Dylan Wissing – drums
Stevie Wonder – harmonica
Martin "Drop" Wong – artwork, design
William World – choir, chorus
Andrew Wright – mixing
http://www.mediafire.com/?9xc4kkaubj6ow99
