Saturday, October 24, 2015

CHAPTER 1: 'DON'T YOU HAVE A MAN'

(Originally Posted Monday November 10, 2014)

I remember the first time I heard a Drake song. It was 2008 and I was living in Brampton’s East-end with my mom and little brother (the tinier of the two wasn’t conceived yet) in a basement apartment in the middle of nowhere. I was proof-reading the novel I had started in 2005 and was formulating the idea for my second when my good friend at the time mentioned a new and upcoming Canadian rapper over MSN Messenger. “Who?” I asked, slightly sceptical but interested because my friend had more "timely" tastes than I did (I think I was into Coldplay and Radiohead at the time), and since he taught me everything I knew about football, I often listened to what he had to say. “Drake! The light-skinned dude from Degrassi!” he told me this explicitly; but being that I barely watched TV, even then, and hardly listened to the radio, I had no idea who he was talking about.
            Then he sent me the song that would open my eyes forever: “Don’t U Have a Man” featuring Dwele and Little Brother. I knew who Dwele was at the time, but Little Brother was new to me and I didn’t know exactly who was who on the track. I liked the song as a whole, feeling its smooth, Neo-Soul vibe and melodic lyrics, but for some reason I took to the guy starting off the song the most. His unpretentious realism on the song’s topic, as well as the line “Well/I’ma give it to you honey bunches/You feel it all under ribs like some tummy crunches…” instantly appealed to me and I remember being so entertained! I thought, “Wow… What a way to put it! Who would think of that? So clever!” And it stuck! My friend quickly explained that Drake was the first rapper on the song while I simultaneously added it to my MP3 player, and after that, I listened to the track over and over again as I slowly fell in love …

            That was the beginning, and I had no idea then what would become Drake now. All I knew then was that, if he had them, I had to find more Drake songs!




Where were you when you heard Drake for the first time?




Chapter 1: Don’t You Have a Man? 
Written By: Jae Antoinette

KENDRA:

“Don’t you have a man?” He asks me sideways, head bent and leering. I don’t know why he always has to do this. He knows my situation and last time I checked he was okay with it.
Still, he does this every so often, I think to annoy me, but I could be wrong. We’ve been seeing each other on the sly for how long now? And he always finds a way to ever so subtly put me on blast. “Don’t you already have a man, boo?” or “My bad, I thought you already had a man” have become his favourite lines when he gets like this, but he knows that I know that in a perfect world he’d want to be my man. And why? Because I’ve got everything he likes. I’m the perfect package; I’m just not single. And though it would seem like I’m trying to make him my man, that couldn’t be further from the fact: which is only that I like the things he provides that my actual man doesn’t. And I’m honest about that. It would just seem, to me, that he doesn’t know how to handle it.
Wanting to get busy after a nightcap and possibly spend the night does not a girlfriend make! And I curse the ears that would hear so and tell the mind otherwise! I mean, a girl has the right to have sexual expectations from a guy who could pretty much be described as her Boyfriend #2 if we’re going by Pleasure P’s standards—but, for whatever reason, it reflects poorly upon me and then I have to deal with this guy thinking I want to be his girl, which is, frankly, and given the circumstances, impossible!
In reality, though, he has been getting comfortable with having me around lately—I can tell. Calling me to find out when I’m coming over, cuddling up to me when we’re lying together on the sofa: it just seems a little odd that he would make such statements and then hold my hand when he’s walking me from his apartment to my car. Sure everything starts off copacetic, but even a guy who knows his role tends to get emotionally attached. And I’m not saying that that’s the case, but then why would he ask me a question he already knows the answer to?



TO BE CONTINUED ...


CHAPTER 2: 'SPECIAL'

(Originally Published Thursday November 13, 2014)

Before I found out about and downloaded Comeback Season, my search for more Drake songs led me to a song I still hold dear to my heart to this day (not unlike many other Drake songs I adore). I first heard the song on the old Flow 93.5 back in the day and was excited beyond belief when I realized that it was the same dude whose song I had just been introduced to the week before—and on the radio no less! Now that Drake is all over the radio it seems silly to recall my excitement back then, but at that time, the recognition of his voice, his style – albeit a bit younger – was an accomplishment to me. I had been stuck on Don’t U have a Man since adding it to my playlist and had not yet invested the time to find more Drake songs. That, of course, changed that moment, and when I got home later that evening, I was on a search to find the song I had heard on the radio.
            Not only was I amped to find the song to see if I was right about it being Drake, I also felt the song added a ray of genuine sunshine to a day that was already bright. It felt like a continuous smile on a dimpled face and I hoped for the opportunity to hear it a second time to see if it really held this luminosity.
            Lo and behold, it did. And I’ve been smitten by the song ever since. I feel like it comes from a place of sincere quality and the embellishment of the hook only adds to that sentiment. It describes a truth I think we all share and absolutely solidified my reasons for finding more of what this new artist had to offer.
            The song was “Special” featuring Voyce (who, by the way, has a really nice voice), and there couldn’t have been a better song title to foreshadow what Drake would later become to me, as well as the rest of the world.




DRAKE - SPECIAL (FT. VOYCE)



What Drake song is most “special” to you?



Chapter 2: Special. Written By: Jae Antoinette


AFFION:

Okay, it’s time I admitted it: This girl is really starting to grow on me. I was doing a pretty good job of denying it to myself before, but I know it won’t be much longer until I fall head-first into something so deep it has the potential drown me …
I want to say I don’t know what it is about her that’s got me trippin’ lately, but I do: She’s different. And as corny as that sounds, it’s true. I don’t know anyone as down-to-earth as she as; as confident; as sexy. She’ll wink at me from across the room and my dick is instantly vertical. She’ll rub my head after we orgasm and I swear I could just melt there in that moment, staying inside of her forever.
It isn’t all about the sex, though; she really just makes me feel better. She laughs at my jokes, she’ll shit talk when we play video games, and she always encourages me to go for the things I want: She’s special, man, and I don’t know why she chooses to mess around, but it’s her prerogative. And I’m sure that even if dude did find out, he wouldn’t let her go because girls are not made like this one anymore.
I can’t even imagine what he must get being her man! I’m only a side-dude, and if she gives me this kind of loving, her dude at home might even be oblivious! But I don’t want to think about that; I don’t need to. When she’s here with me, that’s all that matters, and I don’t want to have to call her again to find out when that will be, but at this rate I might have to ‘cause I haven’t heard from her in a couple days and I think I’m starting to miss her …


TO BE CONTINUED …      




A "SPECIAL" Bonus:

Extra Special by: Jae Antoinette

You have to be special—distinctive, to boot.
Spontaneous. Precocious. Eclectic. And Cute.
Intrinsic. Alluring. But Loyal as well,
And if in that order, the word it will spell.
You have to be caring, and ready to please:
A blanket, a pillow, a cloth when I sneeze.
A cup when I’m thirsty, a drink for my glass,
A lifetime of magic is all that I ask.
You’ll need to be daring, and call out my name,
So that, when I hear you, I'll know you'll be game.
You’ll need to be all that I’ve wanted and more,
I think all besides that would be quite a bore.
I want you to tame me and all in one glance,
And twirl me, not spin me, if ever we dance.
And when I get lonely, I’ll want you quite close,
So that we can talk ‘til we’re both comatose.
I’ll want you to be there at times when it’s rough,
To show me, then tell me, I’m more than enough.
It’s then you will see me for all that I am;
I could be that girl, if you’d be that man.



DRAKE - EXTRA SPECIAL (SPECIAL REMIX)


CHAPTER 3: 'A.M. 2 P.M.'

(Originally Published Monday November 17, 2014)

It was after finding the song Special I was introduced to Drake’s first mixtape, Room for Improvement, released in 2006. What I liked about the mixtape before even hearing it, I have to admit, was the title. The words “Room for Improvement” struck a cord with me because I was very much into personal growth and self-development at the time. Spirituality was a very big deal to me back then, as well as how much I grew as a person, and I liked that Drake came off the bat clarifying that there was always more to improve on; that nobody was perfect.   
            I took my time to listen to the mixtape so as to give it a fair analysis with no preconceived notions as to what it should sound like, and I found myself connecting with not only the truth and practicality of Drake’s writing, but his verbal delivery as well. He was—and still is—very honest and straight to the point, so you know exactly where he’s coming from on a whole and within each song.
Although there were/are many a great and significant song on Room for Improvement such as “Do What You Do,” “City is Mine,” “Bad Meaning Good,” “Thrill is Gone,” “Video Girl,” “Try Harder,” and “Come Winter,” I can’t help but favour the record “A.M. 2 P.M.” featuring Nickelus F., which starts with a FIRE verse from Mr. Nickelus F. himself. Now, I had never heard of this rapper out of Virginia pre-Room for Improvement, but I couldn’t have liked him more than I did in this song right here! His legit lyrical ability compounded by the mellow beat and Drake’s multilayered verse, make it something reminiscent of Nas and AZ back in the 1990’s—and who didn’t love them? The song is real, meaningful, and just feels good, and although Nickelus F. had two other features on Room for Improvement (“Money (Remix)” and “Scorpio’s Mind”) I remember kicking back to A.M. 2 P.M. the most and just vibing as the music took me over.



DRAKE - AM 2 PM (FT. NICKELUS F.)            


What was your favourite song on 'Room for Improvement?'



Chapter 3: A.M. to P.M. 
Written By: Jae Antoinette


KENDRA:


Today I woke up with a smile on my mind—and it wasn’t my boyfriend’s …
I get out of bed, shower, brush my teeth and dress, and all to the memories of last night’s affair: Affion tickling me as I trash-talk during 2K; feeding him from my fork as we eat dinner; the love-making that lasted about four hours … It would all seem as if I were living someone else’s life; a life where I was free to do as I pleased … And now my actions are catching up with me—emotionally.
I almost forget that I have plans with my boyfriend until I receive a text from him at lunch, and I’ve never been one for guilt, but by the end of the day, I can’t deny that Boyfriend #2 is starting to worm his way into places I’d rather him not be. I always did say that if things got too personal and I started to get lost in any sort of fantasy I would ‘abort-mission’ so that reality could remind me of where I’m supposed to be. And I don’t know how I let these feelings in, but now that it’s happening, I might have to jump-ship to avoid it getting any worse …



                                         TO BE CONTINUED …


CHAPTER 4: 'REPLACEMENT GIRL'

(Originally Published Thursday November 20, 2014)

After downloading and listening to the Room for Improvement mixtape, the next natural step was to download and listen to the Comeback Season mixtape, released in 2007. I quickly learned that Comeback Season hosted the record “Don’t U Have A Man” that I loved so much and that had originally introduced me to Drake; but, more than that, I could already see the growth in his music, his writing style and his lyrical delivery, which is more similar to the Drake we know today. The hard metaphors, the close analogies, the humorous punch lines: The entire mixtape was a compilation of the new and improved Drake, and I was blown away! It was clear he had learned a lot from his previous release and, with a higher confidence in what he could do, decided to come a lot harder with the talent in order to showcase why he knew he was destined to be more than ‘just another Canadian rapper.’
And then, on a day not unlike so many other days I’d experienced at the time, I just so happened to tune into MuchMusic – Canada’s #1 channel for music videos – to see what was going on and possibly inspire a little background noise when what would pop-up next on the playlist but Drizzy Drake Rogers’ first independent video: “Replacement Girl” featuring Trey “Trigga” Songz!  
            It’s funny because, when I first heard Drake, I would have never thought he looked the way he did (being devoid of Degrassi and all …), talk about high-yellow! You didn’t get to see a lot of him what with all the dancing girls, quick or distant camera shots and extremely large and dark sunglasses covering most of his face; but it was a milestone, and it’s amazing to see how much a person can not only grow, but grow-up after coming from such humble beginnings.  J



DRAKE - REPLACEMENT GIRL 
(FT. TREY SONGZ)



What did you think of Drake’s first video?



Chapter 4: Replacement Girl. 
Written By: Jae Antoinette


AFFION:

I can’t believe she’s doing this! I should’ve known better. The woman is unstable and I started to get too close. Obviously she is unstable, or why would she be cheating on a perfectly good guy? From what I’ve heard he hasn’t done anything wrong, but somehow she ended up with me … probably because she is unstable!
            I thought everything was going fine. I know she ‘said’ she didn’t want sentiment, but we were fucking for Christ’s sake! You can’t keep fucking without sentiment. Now she wants to stop seeing me, and I would honestly be pissed-off if I wasn’t so hurt. Yeah, that’s right: Hurt; me, the Boyfriend #2.
            Now I’m out with the homies try’na see if I can conjure up and court a replacement girl for the night. Maybe for longer if she’s anything like Kendra …
            Dammit, Affion, stop this shit! Kendra is unstable, man; you’re better off without her! Now take a look at that girl over there … Yeah, the one with the big, ol’ booty and the long-ass hair … Imagine tapping that booty from the back while you pull on all that hair … Equal amounts of hair and booty just longing to be felt up by you …!
            But I’m not going over there. I’m not so desperate that I can’t wait for a girl to come over to me—and one will. Kendra may not know it, but this fellah right here has a whole lot of mack in him. Just because she couldn’t handle it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t …
                                                        

                                   TO BE CONTINUED …

CHAPTER 5: 'THE PRESENTATION'

(Originally Published Monday November 24, 2014)

Comeback Season was the point at which my regard for Drake started to evolve. As I had mentioned before, I had already taken to him almost immediately in his song “Don’t U Have A Man” featuring Big Brother; but now I was beginning to feel something that hit me on a more profound level than just the hype of the next, up-and-coming rapper. Somehow—and for reasons that seemed deeper than logic—this musician became the physical embodiment of my two greatest passions—writing and music—and in a way that has yet to be matched by any other artist to this day. Of course I’ve liked other artists and felt connections to their music, but the connection I felt to Drake’s music, and ultimately, to Drake, the persona, was, and still is, like nothing else I have ever experienced. I saw so many aspects of sincerity, ingenious, and diligence in his work that I couldn’t help but respect how he portrayed himself as a person; and qualities like humility (even when boasting) and honesty (even if offensive) were ones that I naturally appreciated.
            The track “The Presentation” was/is the first song to open up Comeback Season, and boy, did it do just that! With an introductory beat (produced by the amazing Noah “40-40” Shebib!) that starts off cool, calm and collected, and then switches up part way through, it was the first song to give you a little taste of what Drake would “present” throughout the entire mixtape. One of my favourite lines: “I perfected my craft using mo’ sess/try’na make some cheese off a single is a process/get it? Craft, single, cheese, process …” was an example of Drake’s newly refined wit and was exactly the kind of ingenuity that appealed to me on a literary level. In writing, it is common to connect specific words or phrases to a theme previously mentioned in hopes that the reader will tie them all together, but the way that Drake did it here was clever because it’s not something you notice right away; especially in song format. And in case you happened to miss it, he proceeds to let you know what he’s done—which may seem haughty but is just as well in my books because it’s typically the little things that get overlooked. 



DRAKE - THE PRESENTATION


 What is a Drake line you’ll never forget? 



Chapter 5: The Presentation.
Written By: Jae Antoinette


KENDRA:

I cannot hold out anymore … I feel so weak. So beguiled, and wild. And horny.
I miss the feel of my lover’s smooth hands all over my body … the temptation, the tenderness— the rush. It’s an addiction I’ve tried to quit, but my body is still there and so my mind follows … from my head, into his bed, and suddenly he’s there, whispering my name.
“Come back,” he beckons, “Come back to me …” And I want to, I truly do: I just don’t want the mess.
“The only mess we’ll make is of these sheets,” I hear him croon, and my insides bubble with delight: If only it were that simple.
          But I want it to be that simple; want to make him yearn for me the way I’ve been yearning for him. I know I did him dirty by trying to end things the way I did, but I figure he’s a big boy. We both knew what a relationship like ours stipulated, and now that I’ve made it more than clear that I’m serious, I’m hoping we can get back to business so I can get myself some real, good lovin’.
          How I’m going to make that happen, though, is the real question. Affion is still upset with me, so I can’t just dial him up for a booty-call. It’s going to have to be more thought-out than that, and possibly a little more tricky, if it’s going to work. I’ll have to entice him, enthral him, and engage him enough that he forgets what was said and submits to me. The presentation is all that matters, and if I can master that, I’m sure we’ll have his mattress squeaking in a matter of minutes!
          Mmmmm … So worth it!

                                            

                                     TO BE CONTINUED …