Explanation of ‘Both Sides of the Coin’ Reviews
It’s kind of difficult for me to be impartial regarding this song. I’m an unabashed fan of almost everything Drake has done. That said, I’ve listened to enough Drake haters to be able to at least understand where they’re coming from. Sort of.
HEADS
Drake’s best music evokes a very visceral reaction. I’m thinking specifically of lyrics like “I know that having emotions don’t ever mean I’m a pussy,” from “Lord Knows.” This is an obvious-ass statement, but it’s not one often expressed in rap, even in the post-Kanye, post-Atmosphere era.
Emotional pronouncements in hip-hop are often framed in a you-can’t-hurt-me perspective (like Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire) or as relative one-offs, however genuine, amid thug bravado (like Ghostface Killah’s “All That I Got is You”), or as bizarro space-age emo loverman schtick (Future’s “Turn Out the Lights”). They aren’t usually as plain-spoken as that line.
“Started From the Bottom” is not that sort of song, although it has that same impact. It’s more along the lines of “Headlines” or “Under Ground Kings” or “The Ride” (my favorite Drake track), outlining his rise to the top and continuing ambivalence about what being at the top means.
Although the beat isn’t from Drake’s friend and frequent beatmaker 40, it’s instantly recognizable as the sort of sound that this former-bad-Canadian-television star excels on. Spare minor-key piano, a Southern trap beat and some ambient atmospheric sounds – Drake’s rhymes and vocal stylings fit this sound like a glove. He’s proven that he’s just fine over beats that are entirely different (see the immortal “Pop That”) – this is just what he does best, the same way Guru of Gang Starr sounded perfect over DJ Premier’s tracks and was lost most everywhere else.
Like most Drake tracks, “Started” is goddamn catchier than a motherfucker. While much has been griped about regarding the way Drake’s MCing/singing hybrid, his inherently melodic nature and phrasing style makes for a perfect blend in a way that the justifiably maligned “rap’n’B” practitioners could never manage. Lyrically, although the track mines well-known subject matter, its presentation is no less compelling than it’s ever been, capturing the thrill of following one’s ambition to a successful – if uncertain – point.
TAILS
Well, you’d think Drake would’ve come up with something else to talk about by now. Relationships, his upbringing and path to success, his place at the top, the seesaw between his ladykilling skills and lack thereof, uncertainty about the implications of fame despite reveling in its perks, et. al. In one way or another, these topics have informed his mixtapes, two major-label albums and pretty much every single guest appearance he’s recorded.
We get it, aight? But that shit is all over “Started From the Bottom.”
I think it’d be interesting to see Drake do some true story-raps that are completely removed from his own narrative. Maybe something in the vein of his associate The Weeknd – self-contained stories (albeit often framed by a first-person perspective) of the fucked up, zoned out and overly fucked millennial generation. The problem is, does anyone necessarily think that’s gonna happen? I don’t know if his fans are exactly hankering for that, so I’m guessing the answer to the question I just posed is fuck no.
Because of all that, it can be hard to take Aubrey Drake Graham seriously, and this song doesn’t really do much to bolster his credibility.
VERDICT:
Heads.
Totally heads. It caused me physical pain to play devil’s advocate for the several paragraphs above. “Started From the Bottom” is fucking great. His newly released single “5 A.M. in Toronto” is even better.
Liam Green can be reached at lgreen@thoughtpollution.com.