The Samples On Drake’s ‘So Far Gone’
Drake is the walking definition of dropping a mixtape that sounded like an album. So Far Gone hit the Internet on Feb. 13 five years ago, and it showed the Toronto native on the cusp of rap royalty. Yeah, for some, Drizzy is that guy who was wheelchair Jimmy from Degrassi: The Next Generation, but at this point we are pass that. The OVO general kept his eyes on the prize—which was becoming a huge rapper—by making completely honest music that speaks to what many of us are going through right now. He also had the sleekest lines when it comes to stunting, having no intentions of lying about his past to talk up his future.
Part of the success of So Far Gone comes from 40. Although he is considered the producer behind Drizzy’s atmospheric, brooding sound now, he was once his mixing engineer and upgraded to give more creative input. "I was there to track and mix. But when he was working on So Far Gone, I saw how frustrated he became looking for music,” he told Sound On Sound in March 2012. “He had worked with producers from everywhere in the world, and there was nothing that they came up with that he was happy with. At that point, it became clear to me what he was looking for and I simply started to produce it.”
Drake’s biggest tape has been dissected a lot over the years—from his lyrics to the featured guests to the samples. In honor of So Far Gone’s anniversary today, we gathered all the tracks from various artists used on the tape. Drake and 40 managed to pull off a tape that showcased he was the illest rapper doing it. Revisit some of the tracks, and stream/download So Far Gone here.
Tracklist:
1. Tears For Fears "Ideas As Opiates"
2. Peter Bjorn & John "Let's Call It Off"
3. DJ Screw "June 27th"
4. Jay Z "Ignorant Shit"
5. The Isley Brothers "Between The Sheets"
6. Kanye West "Say You Will"
7. Lykke Li "Little Bit"
8. Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds "Fallin' In Love"
9. Santigold "Unstoppable"
10. Billy Joel "Uptown Girl"
11. Missy Eliott "Friendly Skies" Featuring Ginuwine
12. Gonzales "The Tourist"
13. Coldplay "Viva La Vida"
More From XXL
