Canadian hip-hop icon Drake has finally released his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone on streaming services, in honour of the mixtape’s tenth anniversary.
When was the first time that you heard of Drake? Sure, a lot of folks would point out his appearances on Degrassi: The Next Generation, but others would give a much more musical response.
In fact, while tracks like ‘Take Care’ and ‘Hold On We’re Going Home’ might have seen Drake’s name enter the musical mainstream, the now-icon had been putting in the hard yards for years beforehand.
Releasing his first mixtape, Room For Improvement, in 2006, this was followed up with Comeback Season just one year later. However, most fans of Drake’s early work will contend that his career really kicked into gear with the release of 2009’s So Far Gone.
Featuring singles like ‘Best I Ever Had’ and ‘Successful’, the mixtape made waves in the hip-hop community, with the likes of Pitchfork calling it “one of the most compulsively listenable mixtapes of a great year for mixtapes.”
Most notably though, the So Far Gone mixtape heralded a new sound for Drake, having clearly drawn influences from Kanye West’s 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak.
With a much more atmospheric and emotional sound, this was the release where Drake premiered his new vibe, and gave us an insight into the top of the charts for years to come.
Now, ten years on, Drake has finally released the So Far Gone mixtape on streaming services in honour of the release’s tenth anniversary.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Drake named many of his earliest supporters, thanking them for everything that helped him flourish in the early years.
“A decade ago you were the first person to recognize potential and give me a co-sign,” Drake wrote to Trey Songz, before turning his attention to Kanye West, who had recently been feuding with the rapper on Twitter.
“A decade ago I rapped over your beat cause you just made the best shit,” Drake began, “and even though you stay wildin on twitter these days I will never forget what you contributed to the game and my career.”
If you’re keen on hearing a little bit of hip-hop history, be sure to head over to the likes of Spotify to listen to Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape on streaming services for the first time ever.
Check out Drake’s So Far Gone:
