if not, then click the above artwork to grab it. i know, i know. i was on Twitter talking reckless about the mixtape when i finished my first listen. truthfully, i’m always like that. so get used to that. just wait til i soak it all in before you take my statements on anything seriously.

it had like 50,000 downloads deep on the first day of its release…i haven’t seen any new artist get that many downloads on a mixtape since wale‘s mixtape about nothing. maybe it’s because wayne is co-signing him. actually, i take it back. that’s exactly why he’s getting all this love. i’ve been a drake fan since the beginning (my man and i produced one of the tracks on his first mixtape, too.), and nobody was on him then. if you go back and listen to his first joint, he’s rapping just as ferociously. the co-sign just gave him mainstream attention, and that’s fine. because success is a mixture of preparation and luck. and he was ready when the spotlight hit him, so he deserves all this love. i think this tape is cool because it’s a mix of rapping and singing. drake‘s versatile, almost like a musical magic johnson. oh boy, that comparison didn’t go over too well.

anyway, i figure you want a taste of what canada’s drake has to offer, right? well, here’s two samples.

the first joint is called “november 18th,” and drake (with a distorted, chopped-and-screwed flow) rhymes over the late and great DJ screw‘s legendary “june 27th”, as a sort-of ode to the south, specifically houston (although drake calls both toronto and memphis his hometowns). i figured the H-Town representers would be mad if i didn’t at least provide the original for everybody to jam as well. so check it out here, and drake’s version below.

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the second joint, “uptown,” is another ode to the south, and although i should probably give you all another track to illustrate his versatility, this one has that instant classic feel to it. plus, he is spittin‘, too. bun b and lil wayne join him on it, too. i find myself bringing back this track. repeatedly.

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like i said, hit that album art above to get the mixtape. it’s solid.