Nothing Was the Same

by Drake

Overview

After an EP and two albums that firmly established his moody, introspective style and made him a huge star, Drake's third album, Nothing Was the Same, isn't a huge departure but it does take some steps in new directions. Built around sped-up samples and Wu-Tang-inspired, spooky loops, the production retains the same basic style, but is a little deeper and more foreboding. Provided mostly by longtime collaborator Noah "40" Shebib, the backing is suitably melancholic and claustrophobic enough to match Drake's main lyrical themes of angry boasting, dealing with a broken heart, and being disillusioned by the lifestyle his fame has brought him. This time out, Drake adds to his list of family issues, as a couple tracks deal with re-establishing a relationship with his father and worrying about his mom. It's good to hear him reaching out a little and expanding his concerns because his usual topics are wearing thin, especially the boasting. "Started from the Bottom" is the main offender, since the idea of Drake starting from the bottom is a little ridiculous. If growing up well-off, starring in a TV series, and hooking up early with Weezy is the bottom, we should all want to start off there. It's hard to entirely write off this song, and the others that focus on his greatness, since the music is so evocative and because Drake's basic persona is still appealing. "Too Much," in particular, is a brilliant combination of brag rap and quiet storm balladry that features a simply heartbreaking vocal from Sampha. The tracks that work the best on Nothing are the slow-to-the-point-of-being-static ballads like "Own It," "Connect," and "305 to My City," which feel like the late-night emotional outpourings of a truly sad soul; the songs that bubble with raw emotion and are balanced against very dark loops, like "Wu-Tang Forever"; and the one song that has some uptempo punch, the very poppy R&B groover "Hold on, We're Going Home." That last one shows that Drake could make great left-field R&B if he wanted to, and is a nice contrast to all the angry talk and bitter introspection that fill the rest of the record. As impressive as it is that Drake has become a star while making records that are mostly joyless and twisted up by emotions, it might be nice to hear him loosening up and having some fun now and then. As far as this album goes, though, it's not much fun but it is worth exploring if you've been following Drake's progression up till now. Nothing Was the Same doesn't show large amounts of growth, but the small changes to the sound and the slightly wider net his lyrics cast make it worthwhile. Plus, there aren't many other rappers who do gloom as well as Drake and that's something worth supporting, if only because it's something different than the hip-hop norm in 2013. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	09/24/2013
Label:	Cash Money
UPC:	0602537521869

Tracks

1. Tuscan Leather
2. Furthest Thing
3. Started from the Bottom
4. Wu-Tang Forever
5. Own It
6. Worst Behavior
7. From Time
8. Hold On, We're Going Home
9. Connect
10. The Language
11. 305 to My City
12. Too Much
13. Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Drake   Primary Artist,Lead Vocals
Trae tha Truth   Vocals (Background)
Hudson Mohawke   Multi Instruments
Jimmy Smith   Featured Artist
Detail   Lead Vocals,Featured Artist
Patricia Shirley   Vocals (Background)
Grace Gayle   Vocals (Background)
Sampha   Featured Artist
Chilly Gonzales   Piano
Jay-Z   Lead Vocals,Featured Artist
Jeremy Rose   Featured Artist
Cappadonna   Vocals (Background)
PartyNextDoor   Vocals (Background)
Majid Jordan   Lead Vocals,Featured Artist
Jeremy "Zodiac" Rose   Featured Artist
Brian Hamilton   Vocals (Background)
Deborah Vernal   Vocals (Background)
Big Sean   Lead Vocals,Featured Artist
Noah Shebib   Piano,Keyboards
Utters   Vocals
Dionne Wilson   Vocals (Background)
Adrian Eccleston   Guitar
Ellie Goulding   Featured Artist
Jennifer Tullooh   Vocals (Background)
Omar Richards   Vocals (Background)
Owen Lee   Vocals (Background)
Rachel Craig   Vocals (Background)
Shawn Lawrence   Vocals (Background)
Travis Savoury   Vocals (Background)
Baka Not Nice   Vocals (Background)
Christian Rich   Vocals
Jhene Aiko   Lead Vocals,Featured Artist
2 Chainz   Lead Vocals,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Bryan Williams   Executive Producer,Composer
Drake   Composer
Jason Beck   Composer
Miguel Scott   Assistant Engineer
Aubrey Graham   Composer,Executive Producer
David "Gordo" Strickland   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Jason Hunter   Composer
Hudson Mohawke   Producer,Instrumentation
Linda Thompson   Composer
Linda Thompson-Jenner   Composer
Jeremy Rose   Composer,Composer,Sample Source
Mats Bjoerklund   Composer
Chris Godbey   Engineer
Jacques Charles   Composer
Jimmy Smith   Sample Source
Jake One   Producer,Drum Programming
JRose   Composer
Emile Haynie   Composer,Engineer
Clifford Smith   Composer
Ronald "Slim Tha Don" Williams   Executive Producer
Jeff Crake   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Sampha   Producer,Instrumentation
Anthony Palman   Composer
Noel Cadastre   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Chris Athens   Mastering
Isaac Hayes   Composer
J. Evans   Composer
L. Hawkins   Composer
Corey Woods   Composer
Lamont Hawkins   Composer
Lawrence Parker   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Sample Source
Jim Weir   Composer
G. Grice   Composer
Dennis Coles   Composer
Jon Nettlesbey   Assistant Engineer
Robert Diggs   Composer
Juergen S. Korduletsch   Composer
R. Jones   Composer
R. Diggs   Composer
Noel Fisher   Composer
Boi-1da   Producer
Abbey Lincoln   Sample Source
N. Fisher   Composer
Noel "Detail" Fisher   Composer
Rob Kinelski   Engineer
Thor Baldursson   Composer
Dwayne Carter   Executive Producer
Ross Birchard   Composer
Kenza Samir   Composer
Luke Leveille   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
David Porter   Composer
Whitney Houston   Sample Source
Jim Beck   Composer
David Foster   Composer
Maurice Yvain   Composer
Brian Warfield   Engineer
Bruno Sanfilippo   Composer,Sample Source
Albert Willemetz   Composer
G Koop   Musician
Christian Plata   Engineer
Finis "KY" White   Engineer
Nineteen85   Instrumentation,Drum Programming,Producer
Andre Proctor   Composer
Majid Jordan   Producer
Majid Al Maskati   Composer
Maximilian Jaeger   Assistant Engineer
Jeremy "Zodiac" Rose   Composer,Sample Source
Donald Hearn   Design,Art Direction
Greg Moffett   Assistant
Noah Shebib   A&R,Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Instrumentation,Executive Producer,Additional Production
William Coleman   Composer,Composer
Marvin Thomas   Composer,Drum Programming
Shawn Carter   Composer
Warren McGlone   Composer
Adrian Eccleston   Composer
Noel "Gadget" Campbell   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Hayes   Composer
Ellie Goulding   Composer,Sample Source
Jim Eliot   Composer
Les Bateman   System Engineer
Isa Saalabi   Design,Art Direction
Les Schaeffer   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Lindsey Warner   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Deborah Mannis-Gardner   Sample Clearance
Gary Grice   Composer
Paul Jeffries   Composer
Russell Jones   Composer
Detail   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Marvin "Hagler" Thomas   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Michael Kalin   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Mike Zombie   Producer,Instrumentation
Paul Jefferies   Composer,Instrumentation
Mats Bjoerklyn   Composer
Juergen Koduletsch   Composer
Ross Brichard   Composer
Jhene Chilombo   Composer
Dalton Tennant   Musician
Gregg Moffet   Assistant Engineer
Darren Leslie   Composer
Adrian Bent   Musician
Oliver El-Khatib   A&R,Executive Producer
Matthew Burnett   Composer
Jas Prince   Executive Producer
Matthew Samuels   Composer,Drum Programming
Jordan Evans   Composer,Producer
Raw Diggs   Composer
Chron Smith   Composer
DJ Dahi   Producer
Jordan Ullman   Composer,Instrumentation
Kadir Nelson   Cover Art
Noel Campbell   Composer
Sean Anderson   Composer
Key Wane   Producer
Travis Sewchan   Engineer,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Tauheed Epps   Composer
Ty Epps   Composer
Sampha Sisay   Composer
Dwane Weir II   Composer,Instrumentation
M. Burnett   Composer
A. Eccleston   Composer
Dacoury Natche   Composer,Instrumentation
Allen Ritter   Composer,Additional Production
Anderson Hernandez   Composer
Vinylz   Additional Production