Drake’s So Far Gone, his breakthrough third mixtape, turned 10 on Feb. 13, 2019. To celebrate the milestone, Drake and OVO Sound have released the tape on streaming services.
So Far Gone is unanimously a classic among Drake fans, as it changed the landscape of hip-hop and influenced many of the genre’s current stars. At 18 tracks, Drake refined his ability to sing and rap on moody soundscapes, and developed the blueprint for how his sound would take shape on future projects. So Far Gone stamped Drake as an artist who wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable, balancing melancholy with happiness; triumphs with losses. Many of the mixtape's lyrics have become metaphors for people's lives, a time capsule of when you were chasing dreams of being successful, hurt by love, or somewhere in between.
The mixtape featured the likes of a prime Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, Omarion, Lloyd, and Bun B. Drake also remixed songs by Lykke Li, Santigold, Kanye West, JAY-Z, and others to showcase both his range and influence outside of hip-hop. There was an emphasis on a Houston aesthetic, found on "Houstatlantavegas" and "November 18th," and he ventured into pop with “Best I Ever Had,” which became a breakout hit. Due to its success, So Far Gone was re-issued as an EP in September of 2009, featuring two new songs—“I’m Goin’ In” with Weezy and Jeezy, and “Fear.”
Prior to the announcement of So Far Gone being added to streaming services, Kanye West’s Twitter rant in December revealed Drake’s attempt to get the “Say What’s Real” sample cleared in the midst of their feud. Drake shouted Kanye out in his reflections on the project 10 years later, but also made sure to note that 'Ye stays "wildin’ on Twitter these days."
Interestingly, Drake's So Far Gone EP was taken down from streaming platforms. Also, Lil Wayne doesn't appear on "Congratulations" on this newest version of So Far Gone.
Stream So Far Gone below via Apple Music.
Related Stories
So Far Gone: Remembering Drake, the Blog Rapper
Drake’s breakthrough mixtape, ‘So Far Gone,’ dropped a decade ago. It marked the height of the blog rap era, and transcended any other project from the time.
Drake's 'So Far Gone' Deserves a 10th Anniversary Concert
Drake seeking sample clearance from Kanye for "Say What's Real" got us thinking—'So Far Gone' performed in its entirety would be fire.
The Complete History of Kanye West and Drake's Relationship
From freestyling over Kanye's beats to collabing (and sometimes beefing) with the man himself, Drake's relationship with Mr. West has had many ups and downs.
