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Drake · S2 E4
So Far Gone
February 2009. A free mixtape that changes everything overnight
February 13, 2009. Drake uploads a free mixtape called So Far Gone to his blog. By morning, the internet sounds different.
Drake and Lil Wayne on "Miss Me," with nothing to prove and everything to protect. The defiance in Drake's voice is the energy So Far Gone built: the kid who uploaded a free mixtape and watched the entire industry come to him.
Miss Me (feat. Lil Wayne) (2010)
Produced by Boi-1da, the beat knocks hard: punchy drums, a menacing piano loop, and enough space for Drake to fill every corner with attitude. This is Drake at his most combative, talking directly to everyone who doubted him during the mixtape years. Wayne shows up and matches the intensity. Listen for how confident Drake sounds compared to his earlier mixtape delivery. So Far Gone gave him that.
TAP TO REVEAL: How did Drake and 40 actually make So Far Gone?
“I recorded most of So Far Gone in hotel rooms and random studios while on tour with Wayne. No budget, no label. Just a laptop, 40 sending beats from Toronto, and something to prove.”
— Drake, interview with Complex, 2009
So Far Gone: The Numbers
Houstatlantavegas
From the So Far Gone EP. The title merges three cities into one word: Houston, Atlanta, Las Vegas. Drake floats over 40's murky, bass-heavy production, rapping about the blurred reality of touring and nightlife. While "Best I Ever Had" became the hit, this is the deep cut that showed Drake could build a mood nobody else in rap could touch.
Houstatlantavegas, Drake (2009)
Read the lyrics while you listen. Three cities merged into one word. Drake floats over 40's murky, bass-heavy production, rapping about the blurred reality of touring and nightlife. The deep cut that showed Drake could build a mood nobody else could touch.
Who produced the majority of So Far Gone?
So Far Gone puts Drake on the map, but one track in particular crosses from blogs to radio to the Billboard Hot 100. Next: "Best I Ever Had" turns the Degrassi kid into a genuine pop star.
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