Dark Lane Demo Tapes
Mixtape by Drake
Released 1 May 2020
Hip Hop / R&B
Label – OVO / Republic
Rating – 5/10
‘Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ embraces themes and interlocking moods a lot sharper than Drake’s recent official releases, but suffers elsewhere…
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He wears his heart on his sleeve, he’ll gladly present his outtakes as such – Canadian rapper Drake’s latest offering is a collection of bits and bobs, some old, some not-so-old.
‘Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ is a surlier Drake, one lost in the bleak haze of lo-fi beats and failed romances. He’s not angry, he’s deflated, and too few of these mixes capture the eager side of his he’s produced when under pressure – look elsewhere if you’re after a ‘Hotline Bling’.
He’s hardly up for vibing with pop music, but when he does, the results are hesitant and mixed. Some pop songs hop on trends, others set them, ‘Toosie Side’ does both – a ‘made for TikTok’ dance tutorial that neither whips nor nae naes – it’s Drake’s Hokey Cokey, laid-back, but smitten with pop providence.
But Drake’s trendiness isn’t the only example of his opportunism. He’s an opportune collaborator, from Young Thug to Playboi Carti, but Dark Lane’s mightier joint efforts see him reunite with Future. The chemistry isn’t quite Phife & Tip, but it’s hot enough – a partnership already perfected, playing out lovingly on tracks like ‘Desires’ and ‘D4L’, the latter of which sees Future impressively interplay with both Drake and Thug.
An opportune bragger, ‘Dark Lane’ opens with ‘Deep Pockets’, less ‘starting from the bottom now we here’, more ‘we here’, emphasising the deepness of pockets and such. The seemingly unfinished ‘From Florida With Love’ notes American and Canadian high lives.
An opportune heartache merchant, the album is made up of yearn-fests like ‘Time Flies’, heartbroken without the ability to take blame. ‘Landed’ harps on potential gold diggers and estrangement, a little better, at least Drake’s amped, but we soon find ourselves back in the realms of melancholy with ‘Losses’.
An opportune nostalgia act – whether it be for Jay-Z’s sake, or the sake of lovingly interpolating a soul sample, ‘When to Say When’ hits more than most. ‘Chicago Freestyle’ is a tad tackier, Eminem ‘Superman’ reference and all, and dropping Pimp C’s name on ‘Not You Too’ doesn’t overcome an unfulfilling Chris Brown feature.
That’s where Drake’s opportunism ends, unless adopting a poorly-planned UK urban accent on ‘Demons’ counts, or squashing beef with The Weeknd on ‘War’. These outro tracks make some noise, their luckiest aspect is not manifesting the sinister lover boy weep of the mixtape’s core.
The strangest takeaway is how ‘Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ embraces themes and interlocking moods a lot sharper than Drake’s recent official releases. Coincidentally, the last time he did anything of the sort was on 2015’s mixtape ‘If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late’ and follow-up Future collab ‘What a Time to Be Alive’.
His recent albums have suffered from bloat, ‘Dark Lane’ doesn’t, but it definitely suffers elsewhere. As neatly as some of these songs fit together, when taken aside and tackled individually, the majority are either unfinished, unassuming, or emotionally unpleasant.
Best tracks – ‘When to Say When’ – ‘Desires’ – ‘D4L’.
Weakest tracks – ‘Not You Too’ – ‘From Florida With Love’.
Rating – 5 out of 10
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