Back in 2009, Drake may have been new to you, but he was no stranger to success. A rapper turned singer turned actor who’s been a force in his native Canada for years, Drake in 2009 finally bought his introspective swagger to the U.S. He started his campaign for stateside success with So Far Gone, a mixtape that could easily pass for an album for most musicians (what I like to call a mixalbum). So Far Gone is a meditative blend of hip-hop and soulful R&B that’s reminiscent of 808s & Heartbreak’s electronic brooding over love lost and sought after. If you’re looking for an unadulterated party you may want to give T-Pain a call (believe me, he’s down to party), but if you want to listen to an artist who was in the process of channeling his considerable talent into a concentrated vision, So Far Gone is a good place to start.
For most of the vinyl family it was Say What’s Real that con