Drake - Take Care

A Jamie xx collaboration with the late Gil Scott-Heron, taken from the ‘We’re New Here’ record, forms the backdrop, no, the entirety of ‘Take Care’, with the exception of two of the U.S’s most high profile stars voices being sprinkled on top. So, ignoring the fact that there’s no real reinvention occurring here, should we be at all concerned that 98% of Drake’s audience aren’t going to give two hoots about the original source of this track, or the fact that this is essentially a cover, without calling itself one?

It’s similar to the notion that Bon Iver, despite his dominance over a couple of Kanye West’s most recent tracks, is barely a bigger star because of it. Mainstream appeal has never been something sought after by Jamie xx, that much we can presume. If it’s crossover appeal that Drake is seeking (and he’s already pretty much gained this), he’s hitting the nail on the head with this latest track.

The song itself: Drake’s appeal has never stemmed from obnoxious hip-hop or a traditionally abrasive style. He’s far more comfortable in dimly lit rooms, spitting confessional rhymes on top of inventive backdrops, as debut album ‘Thank Me Later’ testified. Scott-Heron’s grizzly vocals are duplicated by Rihanna’s, adding a soft touch to ‘Take Care’’s already haunting feel. The two have already combined on last year’s ‘What’s My Name’, but this latest effort is an entirely different being, portraying Drake in the most vulnerable light possible, atop Jamie Smith’s climbing frame of downtempo house samples and the xx’s signature, echoing guitar lines.

It’s the most promising indication of the Canadian rapper’s second album to date. Put aside the background knowledge for a second and you’re struck by a truly brilliant track, put together with aplomb, capable of topping the charts and deserving of doing so. It’s a song capable of irritating only the most high maintenance of music snobs.