“I got all these blessings just to give it to others anyway…
Know what I’m saying?…
Yeah, my hand’s always open, for real.”
“When To Say When” – Drake
Early this month, Toronto-based rapper Drake reminded fans of his up and coming sixth studio album while surprising them with a whole 14-track mixtape, “Dark Lane Demo Tapes.”
The rapper took to Instagram to announce the surprise mixtape, posting photos of the cover art the night of its release. Photos included a masked mystic Drake and the blurry face of Anthony “Fif” Soares, Drake’s late friend.
Along with the posted cover art, “champagnepapi” gave a shoutout to creative director Oliver El-Khatib and the OVO engineer, Noel Cadastre, who helped assemble the album.
Working alongside Khatib and Cadastre on the “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” project was producers 40, AXL Beats, Cardo, Dez Wright, D. Hill, June James, MexikoDro, OZ and Pi’erre Bourne.
The mixtape includes the Billboard Hot 100 and Tik Tok favorite “Tootsie Slide” and the tracks “Desires” featuring Future and “When To Say When,” leaked via Soundcloud. Drake also features artists Chris Brown, Playboi Carti and Young Thug on the mixtape.
Tracks of the Dark Lane Demo Tapes mixtape does good to remind us of Drake’s complicated romances, his many accolades and his esteemed inner circle of family and friends—all of which seem to play a part in the theme of the latest drop.
Including the previously relased the track “When to Say When” on the Dark Lane mixtape, Drake touches on his history with his child’s mother, Sophie Brussax, calling her a “fluke” and commenting that he still loves her for who she is in the song. Drake also speaks on a past love in “Losses,” explaining in the double entendre line, “Lost you to the game and I see why, It was always you and I without the T-Y.”
In addtion to his long list of accolades, the four time Grammy winner reminscences on his pre-Nike-endorsement days. In the track “D4L” featuring Young Thug and Future, Drake recalls “I remember grade six, I was up in Payless tryna get some Asics, Now I’m Nike’d down in a […] snake pit.” The “Six God” also shared his triumph of buying his dream home in the in “Deep Pockets,” saying “back when the house that I own now was my home screen.”
In addition, to all the past love references and come up lines, the ‘giving’ Drake makes sure to mention those closest. The mixtape’s tenth track, “Pain 1933” featuring Playboi Carti, was named after friend and fashion designer Ian Connor—reminding us that family is the real reason why he strives for better in “Losses,” stating “I do it for the Grahams, not the ‘Gram.”
Drake’s sixth studio album is set to be released this summer.
To listen to the “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” project via streaming platforms, click here.
