Take Care is the Grammy Award-winning second studio album by Canadian recording artist Drake, released through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Republic Records on November 15, 2011. Singles "Headlines" and "Make Me Proud" preceded the album's release, each attaining chart success on the Billboard Hot 100. The album features guest appearances from The Weeknd, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Birdman, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and André 3000. Alongside prominent production from the album's executive producers Drake and 40, further contributors include T-Minus, Chantal Kreviazuk, Boi-1da, Illangelo, Jamie xx, Supa Dups, Just Blaze, Chase N. Cashe, and Doc Read more on Last.fm.
It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that I’m bored. I tire of Drake’s banter before the first song is even over.
Conversely, listening to ‘Take Care’ in a life-soundtrack, ambient way makes the record surprisingly tolerable. But, you can chalk my disappointment up to the fact that this passive styling, lying underneath such verbal pretentiousness, makes for incredibly awkward music. I’m simply not sure why this record is compelling with all the great things going on in hip-hop right now.
I just love that Drake, knowing full well that this would be among the most commercially successful records of the year no matter what, worked as hard as he could (or perhaps didn’t even care/consider at all) to make as much of this record as possible totally radio-unfriendly. Perhaps he’s Advanced enough to know that that era is officially dead, or will soon be. Regardless of the external considerations that may or may not have surrounded this record, it’s weird and wonderful. When talking about the record recently, I unwittingly described it as “free-jazz hip-hop/R&B.” Most of the record is stark, spacey, sprawling stream-of-consciousness that should be totally unsexy, but much like Marvin Gaye’s rawest, strangest work … isn’t. The A-side is fairly poppy, truth be told, but things really get great starting with “Underground Kingz” and “We’ll Be Fine,” the latter of which is already among my favorite tracks of 2011. On that second side, we find a perfect vibe record, where Drake lives in that gray area of feelings we can never convey in words, but for which we have a million songs. Success, pride, loneliness, nostalgia, revisionist history, conceit, confusion – that weird near-nirvana that comes with the clarity of a long drive in the middle of the night – that’s where Take Care lives. That’s what makes Take Care a masterpiece in mood, whether you like the songs or not. That’s what makes Take Care essential listening for 2011.