HAPPY BIRTHDAY DRAKE
I am Drake's girl friday. And today is his birthday. Okay be quiet ... I am doing the toast. Real quick! I have some things to say....maybe I don't make this clear enough... but I don't look at Drake and say "wow big daddy." I am not going to waste my time lusting after this boy because, to put it simply, I don't like to see him only sexually. For some reason, everyone thinks I am going for him or like trying to find him at V Live or North Italia. Naw not really, I see him paving the way in culture. I find truth with his words and I am trying to find a way to do that in my own life but do it better. Yes, he's a dog but truly an amazing performer. Are all rappers just actors? He is kind of nasty. He kind of seems like a sex addict? But it's okay! Right? Do you boo? Paper and women are clearly his passions. I mean ... I guess yeah he is externally *pretty* but honestly to me, Drake is a either the champ who doesn't need anyone's help or just a relatable sensitive guy. So many people from all over the world love his music. So international. I do also know he hates when people say they ~ feel him ~ because, let's face it, it's going to be awhile until we actually feel Drake.
Jade Abner. May 2015.
I'm extremely interested in Drake's unmatchable confidence in both live performance and play. I have seen him perform three times and each time it picks right up from the other. My first time was at The Jungle Tour in May 2015. I went with my great friend Jade Abner. Jade dove into my life's course almost magically and showed me new ways of living strong and living well. Personally, I was evolving myself. I just had left my relationship with my ex. I felt on top of the world. Drake has a way of living life and fighting his obstacles, it is if somehow he just rises above it. If You're Reading This It's Too Late came at the right time for me. After that I started preaching "know yourself and your worth" to everybody. I wasn't sorry about it. People need to work on excellence.
The second time I was fourth row at Austin City Limits (ACL) 2015. I stood straight for ten whole hours to see him this close. One of my most realest moments. It felt like we were boarding a ship. I still think that it was worth every minute. I was totally alone and it felt like he was pointing to me and saying "hey girl this goes out to you." We got tight that night and he didn't even know it. The third time was Day Two of HAW of the Summer Sixteen Tour. I went alone again and it felt like I was running a marathon, living out all of my dreams. Medal included. The thing about Views is that it flows almost too well in our heads, our cars, our radios, our gyms, our headphones, our parties and our clubs. The boy is everywhere and it feels kinda meant to be. It feels like it was handed to us. All of the rhythms and tings we needed this year to make it through. A big nerd. A new hype. And he still feels entitled!
As of today, these are my favorites from each album. These are the ones that speak the most to me as I sit here and write this for his 30th birthday. If you want to know others that I love, there is an appendix at the bottom. Here he is, yours truly ...
UPTOWN
I'm from Austin and I live in Houston. Overall (it's kinda lame but who cares) I'm a TX girl at heart. This song features Bun B and Weezy F baby. Every time I hear Bun's voice it's like I'm going home to Htown: I'm at school, I'm at a church fish fry, I'm eating good food, we're at the pool party, the house party or maybe reppin the dirty south at karaoke.
Uh, Hardly Home But Always Reppin'..
You Hardly On And Always Second..
When I'm Awake, You Always Restin'..
And When They Call You..
The Answer You Will Hardly Question..
I... I'm Doin' Classic Sh*t In All My Sessions,
Other N****s Situations They Are All Depressin'..
That's Why I Never Follow Yall Suggestions..
I Just Always Did My Own Thing..
MISS ME
Oh wow, here we go, we are going back to the good ole days. I feel like this is Drizzy and Weezy going in. Haha, this is the one song that I love to shout out loud to myself and smile big to in my car. In this song Drizzy goes from his rapping to his smooth crooning. Ahhhh I won't lie to you, my favorite line and personal mantra is: "I love myself cause I swear their life is just not as fun." Damn...you caught us in the moment. He's right! LOVE YOURSELF! Enjoy now. Have a good attitude. And I hope that you miss me a little when I am gone...
Β
MAKES ME PROUD
Ugh, can someone sing this with me at karaoke? Someone who gets me, sees my hustle, trusts my hustle, respects my hustle and supports my hustle. That opening beat is what always hooks me. "I wonder why the moon looks nice girl," Drake tells Nicki. I just nod and think omg Drake is aligned with moon culture right now! Nicki Minaj is one of my female inspirations because champions do as champions do. She is never afraid to spit her fire. The female dragon in the flesh. In this song ... she is having fun with her homie and it's adorable.
FURTHEST THING
Sometimes I'm lost in the uncertainty of satisfaction: either I'm fine or I'm ruined. I can become reclusive, start to internationalize my pain or I'm a star in everyone's eyes. Over the years, I've realized that I'm still debating my location, my career and my gifts. I strive to be perfect in every stride. This song is a reminder that I am not. We can't be pretenders. It's split into two parts and in the middle there's a chopped + screwed transition. "My momma told me this was right for me," Drake says. Hey me too! This year has been hard and after everything, my mami continues to tell me that I am in a perfect place. She's right.
6PM IN NEW YORK
Wow, I get a bit emotional when I listen to this song. It is cuts deep. I am going to be honest, this is the Aubrey that I live and breathe for. This is the real boy. This is the ultimate comeback flow. This is what sticks with me the most. The whole album wasn't radio ready. He shook the game. Oh you gotta love it. "Last night I went to sleep wanting more, trying to find which direction to go towards. Some nights I wish I could go back in life, not to change sh*t just to feel a couple things twice," he says. In my daily life, I like to get to the bottom of almost every situation if I can. It keeps my brain waves on track. I write when I can't breathe. And you know what, it's funny because he can borrow from himself at this point. He used the phrase "act your age, not your girl's age" in this song and "is that a world tour or your girl's tour?" in Back to Back. Haha, you didn't know now you know.
JUMPMAN
Wow, I now know what "wow" means. I think that became one of my favorite words of the year after this song came out. To be honest, this whole album caught me off guard. I didn't like how Future was dealing with his Ciara drama. It seemed like the whole situation was wack. So I didn't understand his music until I heard all of DS2 and EVOL. My friends made fun of me for not liking "Jumpman." Haha, I was really looking forward to seeing Future this year because at ACL, Drake pulled J. Cole out for Weekend Two. When Future came out at the Summer Sixteen Tour to "Grammys" ... it was all game over. He just came and shook the whole arena into a trance. It was straight fire. I don't know if I ever recovered from that performance. Future "earned" my respect that night, I honestly didn't like him before September.
CONTROLLA
Okay ... I'll admit it, this is one of the few times where Drake goes straight to mi corazon. I actually love this song. My friend describes these as "papi bangers." This was the first track I heard from Views. I remember going through Twitter and listening to it only once before it was immediately removed from the internet. I missed it so much and had to wait for the album to drop. This is the song you wish you were dancing and listening to this with bae at the club. No wait...It is the song you dance to with bae. "And that's why I need all the energy that you bring to me," Drake explains. Energy and absorbing energy is everything these days mi gente, when you are positively vibing with someone hard, you will always want them in your life to check you.
Toyota Center. May 24, 2015. Houston, TX.
People pretty much agree that "Fake Love" is dope.
Toyota Center. September 4, 2016. Houston, TX.
APPENDIX
- THE MOTTO - DRAKE FT. LIL WAYNE β
- HOLD ON, WE'RE GOING HOME - DRAKE β
- BELIEVE ME - LIL WAYNE FT. DRAKE
- SUMMER SIXTEEN - DRAKE π
- ODIO - ROMEO SANTOS FT. DRAKE β³ luv when rappers sing in spanish β½ it's funny β³
- FROM TIME - DRAKE FT. JHENE AIKO βΎ
- NO SHOPPING - FRENCH MONTANA FT. DRAKE βthis β song β makes βme β run β‘ fastβ
- WE MADE IT - DRAKE FT. SOULJA BOY β³ but I've been on that wave β³ that's why this year I tell yah β³ I don't need no favors β³