I have no problem admitting my love for mass-appeal pop music, but I also think I’m smart enough to look past hype and like something based on musical merit (because yes, even mass-appeal commercial music can have merit). For the past year or so, the frenzy around Canuck TV star-turned-rap phenom Drake has felt all too much like unwarranted hype. How does a moderately talented, moderately decent looking kid with no street cred become hip-hop’s next big thing otherwise?
The first hint that I might be underestimating this kid came with Alicia Keys’ “Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready)”, which Drake co-wrote and contributed ghostly (and understated) background vocals on. The second hint just came with the release of his new single and video “Find Your Love”. As a child of the Eighties, I’m big on visuals that offer more than ass-shakin’ or random crowd shots or money-flashing. The fact that the “Find Your Love” video has a storyline is a plus. Add in the fact that it was shot in Jamaica (with all the Jamaican dudes with screwfaces in this video, I thought I was back in Flatbush), throw in a surprise twist ending, and my respect level for the dude just shot up a couple levels. The song isn’t bad either. Kanye did his thing on the musical tip, and I’ve gotta say I like Drake MUCH more as a singer than a rapper.
Check out the video here.