Drake So Far Gone Mixtape

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Today marks a decade of Drake domination. On this date 10 years ago, Aubrey Graham released So Far Gone, the mixtape that transformed him from an obscure teen soap opera actor into a cataclysmic force in popular music. Within a couple years he rode the momentum from this release to a position of centrality within rap, R&B, and eventually even pop that he has yet to vacate. Whatever your feelings about Drake, the length of his run at the top of hip-hop is virtually unprecedented — and given that last year he spun off three #1 hits from 2018’s most popular album, it shows no signs of slowing down.

By this point, Drake’s personal ethos has become so ingrained in popular music that it’s easy to forget how unconventional So Far Gone sounded upon arrival. It was a new style even for Drake, who on two previous mixtapes sounded like any other struggle-rapper hoping to be posted on Nah Right and The Smoking Section. Suddenly he was fluidly sliding between singing and rapping in a moody soundworld equally fit for flirting, flexing, and diaristic emotional expression. Soon enough, he would remake hip-hop in his own image, but at the time all anyone could talk about what an unlikely rap star he was — this sensitive, Canadian, half-Jewish Degrassi cast member who carried himself more like an R&B singer.

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• Feb 13, 2009 When Drake released his 18-track So Far Gone mixtape in February 2009—the third in his catalog and the one that would effectively launch him to music stardom—few could have foreseen how the project would set a tone for rap, R&B, and the increasingly blurred line between them. Refusing to commit to a singular focus as an MC or singer (though fully capable in both arenas), and with musical tastes exemplary of the iPod generation, he spanned influences as diverse as obscure DJ Screw.
• So Far Gone (Mixtape) Drake. Songs Rap Music Online. Drake Discography. Scary Hours 2 2021 Dark Lane Demo Tapes 2020 Care Package 2019 Wildboy 2019 Scorpion 2018 More.

Before, he had been one more MC tossing out clunkers in Kanye West’s shadow. Now he seemed to have inherited Kanye’s ability to make seemingly disparate worlds fit together. To quote Drake himself, “Me doing them shows gettin’ everyone nervous/ ‘Cause them hipsters gon’ have to get along with them hood niggas” — or maybe more relevantly, “When my album drop, bitches’ll buy it for the picture/ And niggas’ll buy it too and claim they got it for they sister.” On So Far Gone, he duetted with Trey Songz and sampled Peter Bjorn And John on back-to-back tracks. With the Jay-Z flip “Ignant Shit” and the R&B ballad “Sooner Than Later,” he demonstrated the same artist can confidently rap and sing hooks. Breakthrough hit “Best I Ever Had” proved he could do both on the same song. Few others at the time had the vision to harmonize with Lykke Li samples and trade bars with Bun B on the same record. Even fewer could pull it off. Drake made it work.

More than making it work, he made it pop. If one skill has defined Drake’s career, it’s his talent for identifying the sound of rap’s vanguard and rendering it smoother, more accessible, easier to consume. On So Far Gone, he pulled that trick with 808s & Heartbreak, the chilly and abrasive 2008 album that redefined Kanye’s career and, largely by virtue of its influence on Drake, altered the trajectory of rap itself. Reviewing So Far Gone for Pitchfork, my colleague Tom Breihan called Drake “a post-808s & Heartbreak artist, possibly the first.” Noah “40” Shebib, the fellow child actor who’s been Drake’s sonic consigliere since the beginning, later confirmed the project’s influence on So Far Gone — as if Drake rapping over the beat from “Say You Will” wasn’t confirmation enough.

Much like the way an artist Drake says he owes much of his success to, Kanye West. Drake was right, So Far Gone could’ve been an album. Providing a new feel and recharged sound to Hip Hop and R&B, So Far Gone was one of the most cohesive projects of the past decade when it was released. Drake would shoot you straight from the bore of a cannon.

808s had hits; “Heartless” and “Love Lockdown” both peaked in the top five. But the project’s bitter intensity and the detached, alien quality Kanye achieved by slathering his voice in Auto-Tune rendered it an anti-pop move after his initial trio of blockbusters. So Far Gone dialed back that wintry desolation to a light drizzle but kept the laments about the steep price of fame — never mind that Drake wasn’t actually that famous upon the tape’s release. (“I exaggerated things, now I got it like that,” he rapped two years later, when he was settling into his longstanding role as rap’s center of gravity.)

More importantly, So Far Gone built upon 808s & Heartbreak’s suggestion that there need be no distinction between rappers and singers. Drake wasn’t excellent at either discipline, but he had a gift for gliding between the two at just the right moment. Weaknesses like highly imperfect pitch and an abundance of eye-rolling punchlines were glossed over by an intuitive mastery of cadence and melody. As Tom put it at the time, “When he swings from rapping to buttery teen-idol singing, it feels organic and effortless, like he’s just doing whatever makes the most sense at any given moment.” Even after several years of T-Pain saturation, this felt novel. He had molded the raw materials from 808s into a sleek new archetype.

Two months ago, in the heat of conflict, Kanye declared, “There would never be a drake without a Kanye west.” He isn’t wrong, but even on So Far Gone, at the height of their similarity, there was more to Drake than mere Kanye mimicry. His savvy trendspotting has always involved absorbing a hot new sound into his skill set and re-creating it in his own image. On this tape that meant positioning core elements from 808s alongside other Drake fascinations such as screwed Houston rap, ’90s loverman R&B, and the wispy Swedish indie-pop that was blowing up on blogs like this one at the time.

Due to natural evolution and Olympic-level wave-riding, Drake’s sound has morphed quite a bit since So Far Gone, but the ethos established here has largely remained. There are references to homes away from home Houston and Miami. There are passive-aggressive references to relational drama: “Every time I call you just tell me I don’t call.” There are solipsistic reflections on how fame has or hasn’t changed Drake: “And life is so insane/ Look what I became trying to make a name.” There are condescending tributes to strippers, including this bit on “Houstonlantavegas” that would raise a lot of eyebrows today: “Ass low, ass low, I always request you/ You go get fucked up and we just show up at your rescue/ Carry you inside, get you some water and undress you/ I give you my all and the next morning you’ll forget who.” There are twinkling dreamscapes (“Lust For Life”) and Southern-fried bangers (“Uptown”) and crossover-ready pop tracks (“Best I Ever Had”) and foggy state-of-Drake confessionals (“The Calm”).

Yet this was clearly a different time. So Far Gone was released as a free download at Datpiff, where you can still nab it today. Lil Wayne, who’d soon sign Drake to his Young Money label, is all over the tape, blacking out over beats from other people’s hits, the way he did on his own legend-making aughts releases (and the way hardly anyone does anymore because even “mixtapes” are released through official streaming platforms). No one blinked at the presence of Lloyd and Omarion on the tracklist. “Best I Ever Had” peaked at #2 between two Black Eyed Peas songs.

When you stop to think about how much music has changed since this project dropped, Drake’s longevity becomes astounding. He’s never been the Best Rapper Alive, but he’s been the biggest for longer than anyone else in hip-hop history — Jay, Wayne, and Kanye included. Since probably 2011, when he correctly concluded, “I’m just feeling like the throne is for the taking,” he’s been the integration point: the most popular and influential figure in his genre, and one of the few who truly transcends it. Every time it looks like he’s about to decline, he gets bigger. Meek Mill’s 2015 charges of ghostwriting didn’t undo him. Neither did Pusha T’s multi-tiered evisceration last summer. None of his many children have yet unseated him: not Future, not Travis Scott, not even Post Malone. As we look back on the moment Drake’s rise properly kicked off, wondering how much longer he can possibly hold onto hip-hop hegemony — maybe even rooting for him to finally fall off — we must admit he has more than exceeded the expectations he set for himself back then: “I just wanna be successful.”

more from The Anniversary

So Far Gone is the third mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake; it was released on February 13, 2009 under his October's Very Own label. The mixtape proved to be a major catalyst in the launching of Drake's career on an international scale, and was universally well received by professional critics and hip-hop fans alike.^[1]

The tracks 'Best I Ever Had' and 'Successful' were released as singles from the mixtape, and attained unexpected success on the US Billboard Hot 100. The mixtape was promoted with a release party in Toronto with Drake and LeBron James.^[2] Artists including Omarion, Lloyd, Lykke Li, Lil Wayne and Bun B provided guest vocals on the release. The mixtape helped launch the careers of producers 40 and Boi-1da, whose contributions to the musical direction of the mixtape were applauded by critics.

On February 15, 2019, the mixtape was released on commercial streaming services for the first time, commemorating its tenth anniversary.

Background

In an interview with Complex, Drake explains: 'The whole tape extends from one of my closest friends Oliver. One night we were having a discussion about women and the way we were talking about them, it was so brazen and so disrespectful. He texted me right after we got off the phone and he was like, 'Are we becoming the men that our mothers divorced?' That's really where the cover comes from, too. It's just this kid in pursuit of love and money. We're good guys, I'm friends with some real good people and for him to even text me after we got off the phone it just showed we have a conscience. But sometimes you just get so far gone, you get wrapped up in this shit. The title has a lot of meanings—as the way we carry ourselves, the way we dress, the way people view us, not to sound cocky, it's just that feeling that we're just distanced in a good way. You’re just elevating past the bullshit and past all the shit that you used to be a part of and you're not that proud of, you're just so far gone.'^[3]

Composition

Music

The mixtape's music was characterized by atmospheric keyboards, minor keys, snare drum, synth lead, smooth piano, live instruments, down tempo and mid tempo tracks, sparse and minimalist beats, and atmospheric chords. In a Complex interview, Drake's primary producer, Noah '40' Shebib, said that 808s & Heartbreak was an influence on the mixtape's atmospheric sounds.

Lyrics

Typically, lyrics in So Far Gone address his relationships with women, gaining fame, past struggles, and creates metaphors for the struggles of others ('Houstatlantavegas', a stripper, 'November 18th', the city of Houston etc.) Many of the more upbeat songs also include themes of braggadociosness, ego, wealth, the music industry, confidence around women and sexual experiences.

Singles

'Best I Ever Had' was released as the first single, in 7 months prior to the release of the EP as a digital download from the So Far Gone mixtape. The song was eventually released as an official single on June 16, 2009. The single charted for 24 weeks while eventually peaking at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single also managed to peak at number one on both the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart and the Billboard Rap Songs Chart, thus becoming Drake's first number one hit on both of these charts. The song was certified 2x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) indicating sales of over 2,000,000 copies in the United States.

'Successful' was released as the second single from So Far Gone. The single managed to peak at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. The song also reached the Top 5 on both the R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts peaking at number 3 and number 2 respectively. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) indicating sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States.

Reception

The mixtape was well received. It currently holds a score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating 'universal acclaim.'^[6] RapReviews.com gave a positive review of the mixtape and commented on it by saying 'So Far Gone is unquestionably one of the most cohesive, atmospheric hip hop records in recent memory--which is almost the antithesis of what one expects from a mixtape.' The Boston Globe gave the mixtape a positive score and commented by saying 'His materialism threads throughout So Far Gone (champagne flutes, girls, BlackBerrys, more girls), but he chases that with soft touches of humor and honesty.' Pitchfork reviewed the mixtape positively and said 'So Far Gone still scans as one of the most compulsively listenable mixtapes of a great year for mixtapes.' Slant Magazine gave the mixtape a mixed review, but commended Drake's effort, 'For a beginner, even one whose big-time endorsements seem to have cemented a promising start, So Far Gone is a pretty brave effort, and Drake's ability to juggle standard bling-and-bluster narratives with intelligent narratives bodes well for his future'.^[10]

Accolades

• MTV's Hottest Mixtape of The Year
• Complex's No. 3 Best Albums of 2009
• Complex's No. 5 Best Mixtape Album of The Decade

Commercial performance

So Far Gone debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, with 45,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending February 21, 2019, ten years after its release.^[11]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Tidal^[12] and EP liner notes.^[13]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an uncredited writer, due to sampling royalties
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

• 'Lust for Life' contains a sample of 'Ideas As Opiates', written by Roland Orzabal, and performed by Tears for Fears.^[14]
• 'Let's Call It Off' contains a sample 'Let's Call It Off', written by Peter Morén, John Eriksson and Björn Yttling, and performed by Peter Bjorn and John.
• 'November 18th' contains a sample of DJ Screw's chopped-and-screwed version of 'Da Streets Ain't Right', written by Robert Davis, Christopher Wallace, Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Osten Harvey, and performed by Kris Kross.^[15]
• 'Ignant Shit' and 'A Night Off' contains samples of 'Ignorant Shit', written by Shawn Carter, Justin Smith, Dwight Grant, Marvin Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Ernie Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley and Chris Jasper, and performed by Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel.^[15]
• 'Say What's Real' contains a sample of 'Say You Will', written by Kanye West and Jeff Bhasker, and performed by Kanye West.^[15]
• 'Little Bit' contains a sample of 'Little Bit', written by Li Zachrisson and Björn Yttling, and performed by Lykke Li.^[15]
• 'Best I Ever Had' contains a sample of 'Fallin' In Love (Again)', written by Dan Hamilton, and performed by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds; and portions of 'Do It for the Boy', written in part by Nakia Coleman.^[13]
• 'Unstoppable' contains a sample of 'Unstoppable', written by John Hill, Thomas Pentz and Santi White, and performed by Santigold.^[15]
• 'Uptown' contains a sample of 'Uptown Girl', written by Billy Joel.^[13]
• 'Bria's Interlude' contains a sample of 'Friendly Skies', written by Timothy Mosley, Missy Elliott, Maurice White and Verdine White, and performed by Missy Elliott.^[15]
• 'Outro' contains a sample of 'The Tourist', written and performed by Jason 'Chilly Gonzales' Beck.
• 'Congratulations' contains a sample of 'Viva La Vida', written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin, and performed by Coldplay.^[15]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal^[12] and EP liner notes.^[13]

• Noah '40' Shebib – mixing (except on 'Outro'), recording engineering (except on 'Outro'), remixing (on 'Let's Call It Off', 'Little Bit' and 'Unstoppable'), vocal engineering (on 'Sooner Than Later' and 'Brand New')
• The Peresian Gangster – remixing (on 'Unstoppable')
• Finis 'KY' White – additional vocal engineering (on 'Successful', 'Ignant Shit' and 'Uptown')
• Cory Mo – additional vocal engineering (on 'Uptown')

Charts

Release history

Drake So Far Gone Mixtape Soundcloud

References

Order Drake So Far Gone Mixtape

1. ^Jayson Rodriguez (June 5, 2009). 'Drake's Big Break: Lil Wayne's Protg Graduates From Degrassi to Hip-Hop | Music News'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
2. ^'Pictures: So Far Gone Mixtape Release Party With Drake & LeBron James at 6 Degrees'. 1vibe.net. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
3. ^'Drake Talks Young Money, Kanye Comparisons & Ghostwriting | Complex Blog'. Complex. February 19, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
4. ^ ^abc'Album Reviews: Drake: So Far Gone'. Pitchfork. June 29, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
5. ^ ^ab'Drake, So Far Gone'. Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
6. ^ ^ab'So Far Gone [Mixtape] Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
7. ^'Drake, 'So Far Gone' - The Boston Globe'. Boston.com. March 2, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
8. ^'Exclaim! Canada's Music Authority'. Exclaim.ca. February 22, 2009. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
9. ^'Drake - So Far Gone Review'. sputnikmusic. August 10, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
10. ^'So Far Gone Mixtape'. Metacritic. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
11. ^'Drake Scores 10th Top 10 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'So Far Gone' Mixtape'. Billboard.
12. ^ ^ab'So Far Gone / Drake – TIDAL'. Tidal. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
13. ^ ^abcdSo Far Gone (EP booklet). Drake. Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, Universal Motown. 2009. 0602527194288.CS1 maint: others (link)
14. ^Fu, Eddie (February 13, 2019). 'Knowledge Drop: Drake's Love For Kanye West Led To The Tears For Fears Sample On 'Lust For Life''. Genius. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
15. ^ ^abcdefgGlaysher, Scott (February 13, 2019). 'Every Track From Drake's 'So Far Gone,' Ranked: Critic's Picks'. Complex. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
16. ^'ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums'. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
17. ^'Ultratop.be – Drake – So Far Gone (An October's Very Own Presentation)' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
18. ^'Drake Chart History (Canadian Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
19. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – Drake – So Far Gone (An October's Very Own Presentation)' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
20. ^'Irish Albums Chart: 22 February 2019'. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
21. ^'Swisscharts.com – Drake – So Far Gone (An October's Very Own Presentation)'. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
22. ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
23. ^Caulfield, Keith (February 24, 2018). 'Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart'. Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
24. ^'Drake Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
25. ^'Drake Launches 'So Far Gone' on Streaming Services for First Time'. Highsnobiety. February 13, 2019.