Ask me to name today's most influential actor in entertainment. Go ahead. Do it. My answer might surprise you.
OK, I'll just tell you who'd I'd pick. I'd pick Drake.
No, really! Following his lead, a few other actors -- like Jeff Bridges and Gwenyth Paltrow -- have recently tied in singing with their acting.
Plus, Drake really is a good actor. He's got everyone convinced he's a musician. And there's really no sign of that perception changing any time soon.
Me? When Drake rapped that "it's far from over" in his single "Over" from last year, I took it as a dark omen. Thing is, things really do appear far from over: Drake's hype is abounding once again these days as he prepares his new album, and releases singles like "Marvins Room."
Apparently, though, Drake and his crew were so hasty in preparing the track, they forgot to put the proper apostrophe in the song's title. Respect the apostrophe, dudes. It's an important thing.
But so too is music. Unfortunately, "Marvins Room" just sounds as lazy as its song title, with its minimalist beat featuring a fading screech and low bassline throughout the song. It sounds as if the producer just laid the tracks down, threw his hands up and let Drake do his thing.
Which is probably what happened. But Drake really didn't do all that much once given the chance to mess with the song. He just switches awkwardly from rapping to singing under his breath, with no real regard to verse structure or a flow that keeps with the beat.
Which is probably what happened. But Drake really didn't do all that much once given the chance to mess with the song. He just switches awkwardly from rapping to singing under his breath, with no real regard to verse structure or a flow that keeps with the beat.
It results in a track that sounds more like a sloppy freestyle than a single.
Anyway, the track tries to tell a Great Gatsby-like story of a rich dude longing for his ex. But -- real shocker, you guys -- it's not as well written as Fitzgerald's book. In one part, we just get Drake repeating the the phrase "we threw a party" three times over the course of two lines.
By the way, Drake and his pals threw a party.
We get it.
Drake doesn't seem to get it, though. Sure, he's a decent actor. But he's gotta get some better material, or else the work might stop coming.
My recommendation to Drake? Make the work come to you. Put in the necessary time. Maybe start by taking the "Do Not Disturb" card off the door and giving "Marvins Room" a clean-up. Or at least just act like you care. Y'know?
