Drake

It’s a shock to hear how softly ”“ sluggishly, even ”“ Drake announces himself on his official debut. The tempos are slow, the beats are awash in gauzy atmospherics, and Drake raps (and, surprisingly often, sings) in the voice of a guy who’s half-awake. “This is really one of my dumbest flows ever/I haven’t slept in days,” he says in ”˜Unforgettable.’

Drake is in total command of a style that would have been hard to imagine dominating hip-hop a few years ago: He’s subtle and rueful rather than loud and lively; emotionally transparent rather than thuggy. He isn’t the most naturally charismatic MC, but he is one of the wittiest, packing his songs with clever images (“I’m 23/With a money tree”) and punch lines that land with a snap (“I live for the nights that I can’t remember/With the people I won’t forget”), even next to guests like Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, TI and Lil Wayne.

Thank Me Later’s downtempo beats, many by Canadian producer 40, call to mind Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak and Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon. It’s easy to read it as a sign of the times: Is this boom in bummer rap a reaction to the recession, or the sound of hip-hop shuffling into middle age? But more than anything, the sultry production gives Later a coherent vibe ”“ it’s an album meant to be listened to from start to finish. And judging by the anticipation around its release, it will be, many times over.

Key Tracks: ”˜Over,’ ”˜Light Up,’ ”˜Fireworks’