SPIN.com
September 12, 2011
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Drake's records suggest late nights at the club. The Canadian rapper-singer's blog, however, suggests he spent the wee hours of Saturday night in front of his computer, uploading three new tracks: "Club Paradise," the Rick Ross-featuring "Free Spirit," and a remix of Waka Flocka Flame's "Round of Applause."
"Club Paradise" and "Free Spirit" are both produced by 40, aka Noah Shebib, who has also worked on songs by Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and Trey Songz in addition to Drake's Thank Me Later. On "Club Paradise," Drake returns to a familiar topic -- feeling out of place in the fast-money circuit -- as 40 supplies woozy slow-motion backing. "Free Spirit" adds hip-hop muscle to a horn-kissed Sade sample, as Ross and Drake exchange macho boasts (Drizzy: "Tat my fucking name on you so I know it's real").
The remix of Waka Flocka's "Round of Applause" finds Drake rapping over some stuttering menace from producer Lex Luger, whose brand of monolithic blare has been everywhere lately. Drake explained on his blog: "First Lex Luger beat I ever got to rap on...feel like I got seat B60 on Southwest...everybody has gone in before me...but we made it happen!" As Luger stretches his ominous sound into strip-club fodder, Drake joins Waka Flocka with a verse about throwing bills.
The links originally posted on Drake's blog have been taken down, but you can still hear the tracks below. Drake's second album, Take Care, arrives October 24, and you can also check out the video for the brooding "Marvin's Room."
Hear It:: Drake, "Club Paradise
Hear It:: Drake (feat. Rick Ross), "Free Spirit"
Hear It:: Waka Flocka Flame (feat. Drake), "Round of Applause (Remix)"
Hear It:: Drake (feat. Rick Ross), "Free Spirit"
Hear It:: Waka Flocka Flame (feat. Drake), "Round of Applause (Remix)"
