From dancehall to New Orleans bounce: how Drake expanded his sound
CBC Music | CBC Music | Posted: November 15, 2019 8:29 PM | Last Updated: November 15, 2019
'He's a chameleon that way.' — Jabbari Weekes
"Since Drake has taken off and become more of a global superstar, he's had to flirt with, and experiment with, Caribbean sounds." — Mark V. Campbell, director, Northside Hip Hop Archive
The phenomenal ascent of Drake, from his breakout mixtape, So Far Gone, to his current status as an international superstar, is the subject of CBC Music's ongoing retrospective, Decade of Drake.
Part of that retrospective is Drake's Plan, an eight-part, weekly documentary series on CBC Gem.
Episode 3, "Taking Toronto," explored Drake's influence on the next wave of artists coming out of his hometown. In episode 4, "Expanding the Sound," the focus shifts to the evolution of Drake's music and its assimilation of dancehall, reggae and soca styles en route to the eclectic, versatile sound that made 2017's More Life such a global, record-crushing success.
It also shows how, later, New Orleans bounce worked its way into hits such as "Nice for What" and "In my Feelings" from Scorpion. "He's always kind of known, like, this is what people want, and how do I adapt myself to this. He's a chameleon that way," says journalist Jabbari Weekes in episode 4 of Drake's Plan.
"It'll be interesting to see what trick bag Drake reaches into for his next big wave," adds New Orleans DJ Wild Wayne.
Watch a clip from the episode, above, and head to CBC Gem to view the full thing. For all of our Decade of Drake coverage, go to cbc.ca/music/decadeofdrake.