Drake  Marvin’s Room (Shlomo’s thru tha floor remix) 

The first song I heard by Drake was Best I Ever Had, which I did not enjoy. So last year when his second full-length release Take Care hit the streets I was ready to yawn, but reluctantly gave it a listen after the urges of a friend. I was pleasantly surprised to be tapping toes through the entire first half of the album, which includes its two best songs: the title track and Marvin’s Room.

The strongest track, Take Care, features guest vocals by Rihanna and copious sampling of Jamie XX’s rework of Gil Scott Heron’s I’ll Take Care of You. As a definite Gil Scott Heron fan I was tickled to learn through this introduction that earlier that year Jamie XX remixed Heron’s entire I’m New Here album. (And re-titled it We’re New Here). The reworked interlude, prominently featured in Take Care, is priceless. 

Marvin’s Room plays much more straight ahead, but has it’s own depth. Drake exposes his post-stardom life as a shameful excess of meaningless groupie sex and drunken calls to ex-girlfriends. So what better a move for L.A.’s Shlohmo than to add even more discouraged anticipation through sparse percussion and reverb. Hats off!

-Fucci