On an album generally short of guest spots, one of Drake’s heroes, Jay-Z, contributes a memorable verse to the chilling, ethereal “Pound Cake.” Lyrically, the song was a morose affair, with angry broadsides at former girlfriends, family members, and school friends, alongside some disillusioned soul-searching and the usual boastful turns. Elsewhere, “Worst Behavior” featured one of Drake’s most menacing vocal turns over tense and scattershot beats, while the murky slowed-down samples, submarine sonics, and submerged trap beats of “305 To My City” sound like the song was recorded in the depths of the ocean. “Wu-Tang Forever” continued the eerie tone with a sonic tribute to the Staten Island natives. Lead single “Started From The Bottom,” a brooding rags-to-riches affair replete with spectral piano lines and deep rumbling bass, presaged the new direction. Over a set of songs that largely eschewed any pop affectations for a dense mix of eerie synths and street-tough trap beats, Drake, armed with an improved singing voice and peak-performance rapping skills, unleashed some of the most compelling and consistent vocal performances of his career. With 40 once more handling production duties, alongside OVO Sound affiliates Boi-1da, Mike Zombie, and Majid Jordan, Nothing Was The Same became a darker affair than its predecessors. Riding the crest of a wave, Drake had spent much of 2012 touring in support of Take Care, while also finding time to start the record label OVO Sound with his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib, and embarking on sessions for his next album.
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