Following 40's epic reveal of the emotionally-charged backstory surrounding "The Calm," a track he still considers his favorite Drake song, it feels appropriate to highlight the So Far Gone classic on this Throwback Thursday. For those curious, the producer recently spoke to Kevin Durant about his experience making the song, which took place following a heated fight between Drizzy and his uncle. With tension running high, Drake proceeded to queue the beat and "body the record," by 40's own telling.
Upon revisiting "The Calm," the emotion brimming beneath Drake's voice is evident in the opening lines. "Dedicated to my mom and I swear my word is bond," he raps, bringing his first verse to a close. "Everything will be okay and it won't even take that long / you can see it in my face or even read it on my palm." As the song continues, Drake reflects on his then-strained relationship with his father, sharing a few poignant bars about the complicated dynamic. "My dad called and got me feeling guilty and ashamed / like, how I had a Rolls and I went and got a Range," reflects Drizzy. "And he paying for his cigarettes with dollars and some change."
A powerful indication of Drake's lyrical capabilities, and one that arrived rather early into his career -- seeing how everything has since played it, one has to wonder whether or not "The Calm" played a major role in shaping his trajectory. It clearly left one hell of an impression on 40. What about you?
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Hoping Western Union doing currency exchange
Cause my dad called and got me feeling guilty and ashamed
Like, how I had a Rolls and I went and got a Range
And he paying for his cigarettes with dollars and some change
Damn, and I can only feel his pain
Cause in Memphis, Tennessee there's only so much to attain
So I'm filling out the form at the counter once again
He say he love me, I just hope he doesn't say that shit in vain
