2010's Music Nostalgia Ft. Drake

What a time to be alive

Somewhere in Lagos at the crack of dawn, my alarm goes off, I’m tempted to snooze it and get a couple more minutes of sleep, but instead, I reach for my white Blackberry Bold, navigate the device with the touch cursor, go to my music folder and hit play on Successful by Trey Songz & Drake. The familiar chords and choir synth start the song, and I’m filled with a sudden sense of resolve and focus. I roll out of bed onto the cold concrete floor in the dormitory and do some push-ups as I mentally sing along “I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful…”. Afterwards, I head to the classroom to go study, as I prep for my A-level exams. An exam I would eventually pass and as a result, the song I had on my daily rotation would quickly change from Successful by Drake to 10 over 10 by Naeto C.

Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of songs from the 2010s plus or minus 5 years, and feeling quite nostalgic. To me, it feels like that was the era hip-hop was at its peak and I quite enjoyed some of the songs from that time as well. Music and hip-hop especially had more substance. My G.O.A.T when it came to rap was Eminem, often problematic but I loved him anyway, he had and still has a way of getting you engrossed with the words he stitches together in his songs, and his cadence and delivery are just on a different level. I remember listening to songs like When I’m Gone, Toy Soldiers, Mockingbird, and Stan and just thinking wow…just..just wow. The best way I can describe this, is like putting on a VR headset, except it’s for your ears and you’re completely immersed in whatever world Slim Shady creates with his words. He’s simply that good.

As my musical awareness and taste were being shaped and reshaped, a new kid came onto the scene - Drake. I remember the first time I saw him on MTV, I believe it was the first time I heard Best I ever had. With my eyes glued to the screen, I was awed, who is this person merging the best of both worlds, He raps and can sing??? Say less, I’m sold. He quickly rose to the top of my rotation, I loved his sound. It was smooth with a little touch of the signature 2010s auto-tune. And I’ve been a fan ever since.

Beyond his sound which reminded me a little of T-pain and Kanye West at the time. Much like Eminem, I loved his cadence and delivery and his ability to tell a good story. Except his approach wasn’t like Eminem’s which pulled you into an immersive story. His was more reflective, his songs felt like an honest conversation with a friend, with lines or bars that put you in a reflective state for weeks at a time. In Unthinkable by Alicia Keys ft Drake, he opens the song with this:

…Tez keeps tellin' me he just turned 30
Havin' dreams of bein' single forever, he's gettin' worried
And I'm scared too, 'cause I'm in the same boat
Good women are rare too, none of them have came close…

Of course, at the time 30 felt like a very abstract and distant future that old uncles and aunties resided in. But it still got me to think about the things I wanted to have accomplished before I became an old uncle myself. Given that I was at the stage in my life where I was still figuring out career paths, pair a song like that with Successful where he says “..I want it all and that’s why I strive for it…“ and you end up feeling like you got a good pep talk and a reminder of what you’re trying to achieve as well as avoid.

His songs felt relatable and over time his discography paints a picture of growth and change. Going from singing about wanting to be successful to saying “…we evolved, used to think vacation meant Niagara Falls” on Can’t Have Everything, living in Canada made that both relatable and funny. And then on Churchill Downs, he says things like “…I got my realtor out here playin' Monopoly…“ and “...I'm gettin' so rich, my music's not even relatable…“, which is quite evident because he’s sometimes rapping about experiences that even my imagination can’t afford. But let’s not get into all of that, let’s continue to revel in the nostalgia of the 2010s.

So why so nostalgic? I recently went for the Drake It’s All A Blur Tour in Florida. It was quite fun and memorable, it kicked off with a marching band getting into the stadium and playing only the instrumentals of the song Trophies. There’s just something about a live band that’s exhilarating, full of life and gets me going. When they're done, Drizzy gets on stage to begin what would become an electric performance. He performed a lot of the classics like Over, Marvin’s Room, and HYFR. I loved it, loved it because a lot of my favourites are from the classics. I could tell the girls to my right did not know most of these songs, they were just vibing to it, they were good vibes though. And before I had the chance to dwell on how old this all made me seem, the guy to my left tapped my shoulder and went on about how he was hyped about the classics as well. He knew most of the lyrics and sang along quite passionately, and alas I felt young again.

Drake at the American Bank Arena

J. Cole was supposed to be on this tour as well but dropped out for personal reasons. In his place, we got Lil Wayne. And he performed some of the classics as well like She Will, and everyone’s favourite A Milli. And before he got off the stage, Drake got back on to join him, they performed a few songs from their many collaborations together. And for what felt very on-brand for Lil Wayne, after he and Drake shared a hug and he was supposed to exit the stage, he grabs the mic and says something to the effect of “How the fuck do I get off this b*tch“. This seemed to crack up the guy to my left, who thought Lil Wayne was probably too high to figure out which way he was supposed to be going. Needless to say, it was a really good show.

Lil Wayne & Drake

The 2010s were really something, the music felt more thoughtful and cohesive. There was a lot more effort put into storytelling and passing a message. Albums felt like movie seasonals where each track enriched the next and by the end, you would walk away with a full understanding of whatever the author was going through or wanted to let you know. Now I feel like an old man screaming in the cloud “Music was better in my day…blah blah blah”. I want to say I’m being objective but alas maybe it’s all nostalgia. Same way some people yearn for the days of Tupac, Biggie, and Rakim. I do not share the same sentiment. And in a few decades, I imagine a different generation of people will yearn for songs from Lil Yachty, Lil Durk, and any other new-age rapper.

It makes me wonder, what makes us feel that way? Every generation thinking they had the best songs. Perhaps it’s because those songs were part of our formative years and there was nothing to look back to beyond that, so there was nothing to be nostalgic about. Sure you could open up a cassette player and listen to Biggie, Fela, or whoever, but it feels more like you’re a stranger passing through a timeline that’s not yours. I can’t say I remember a time with my friends when someone suggested putting on any of Biggie’s songs while we hung out. But I can tell you that there was a point in time when no birthday party was complete without playing In Da Club by 50 Cent.

Whatever the reason is, I find myself going back to the 2010s ever so often, especially when it comes to hip-hop. And that happens to be my favourite Drake era as well. To that end, I created a Spotify 2010s mix with Drake as the main act and a few songs I enjoyed from that time as well. Perhaps it’ll evoke memories of the songs or artists that left a mark on your youth, and if you feel inclined, you can share them in the comments.

I’m also very aware of what looks like hip-hop assembling the Avengers to go against Drake in a rap battle. Which has the unfortunate/fortunate side effect of making him look exactly like who he thinks he is. So here’s another playlist to remind people that the light-skinned Canadian rapper from Toronto is no rookie when it comes to the rap game.

I hope you have as much fun listening to these, as much as I did putting them together, until next time.