Dark Lane Demo Tapes
| Drake
Dark Lane Demo Tapes
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is a commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake. The mixtape is a compilation of songs that were released on SoundCloud or leaked on the internet, as well as new songs, and is considered a "warm-up" to Drake's upcoming sixth studio album release in the summer of 2020. It was released on May 1, 2020, by OVO Sound and Republic Records. Production was handled by Drake's longtime collaborator 40, among other record producers. Featured guest appearances include Future, Young Thug, Chris Brown, Playboi Carti, Giveon, Fivio Foreign, and Sosa Geek. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Complex
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is perfect fodder for a population locked inside with nowhere to go. It’s mixtape Drake to an exaggerated degree, and it gives him a chance to play around and experiment with sounds that might not all top the charts.
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The New York Times
“Dark Lane Demo Tapes” — a largely effective album-length odds-and-ends collection but not, you know, an album — may be more valuable as data than as songs.
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The Guardian
There are flashes of skill and rawness in this odds-and-ends mixtape but it feels like a clumsy lunge at commercial success. 2/5
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Pitchfork
Drake’s new project is a mixtape of glossy “demos” from the recent past. It showcases his precise delivery, sticky flows, and arena-sized hooks, but comes with a fair amount of well-tread material. 6.8/10
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Rolling Stone
his vocal shenanigans constitute a refreshing palette cleanser, the indulgent digression the mixtape needed. 3/5
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Euphoria
Drake has better throwaway tracks for a mixtape than a solid group of artists do for their albums. That is utterly apparent on his new surprise project, Dark Lane Demo Tapes. 3.9/5
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Ratings Game Music
On Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Drake continues to show the world that he has a knack for perfecting every single sound you hear in hip-hop today; that includes Brooklyn drill (“Demons”), UK Drill (“War”), R&B (“Not You Too”), Dance Hop (“Toosie Slide”), Trap music (“D4L”), Soul-hop (“Chicago Freestyle”), and whatever the hell you want to call “Pain 1993.” B-
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The Root
The solidly listenable and immediately forgettable Dark Lane Demo Tapes is quintessential Drake—vacillating, as he’s wont to do, from haughty trap elevator angst to nostalgia for shit that just happened 17 minutes ago.
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Stereogum
After all, Drake told us to expect nothing with this album. It was one of his campaign promises. Can we even be mad at him for delivering the nothing that he promised?
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Medium
Even in just 14 tracks, Drake provides multiple versions of himself that have appeared over the course of his career. It was a highlight film.
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Hip Hop DX
Dark Lane Demo Tapes has already built anticipation for his next album scheduled for this summer. Intentional or not, he’s captured the shared sadness of the moment; a fitting soundtrack to the grim reality we all currently live in. 3.6/5
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Cult MTL
No matter the stakes of the game, the Toronto titan brings top athleticism to every track
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The Fresh Committee
Honestly, with a few of the lackluster records removed, the project almost sounds like Drake’s out of his comfort zone and shifting gears a bit. 5.5/10
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The Post
the moody nature throughout the album actually becomes kind of impressive. He is bitter, he is vulnerable, he is lavish and he is always aggressive. It’s what makes Drake not just relevant, but beloved and popular after singing and rapping through the ’00s, the ’10s and now moving into the ’20s.
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Amsterdam News
“Dark Lane Demo Tapes” is a quintessential quarantine album that will be a historical marker for this unprecedented time.
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Steemkr
In other words (summing up what I found on this album in a very brief way), listening to Dark Lane Demo Tapes I had the distinct feeling of how lazy, profiteer and meaningless this new Drake was.
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The Atlantic
Dark Lanes Demo Tapes is one of his patchier efforts, but it accomplishes the same goals as his previous stopgap works.
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Tigers Roar
Overall I do recommend people listen to the mixtape. I can tell you that each song has a different message that everyone can relate to. You can tell Drake put a lot of time and heart into this project.
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The Edge
This new mixtape is meant to be the warm-up for his upcoming album, but instead we find Drake selling his soul for streaming numbers in a depressing, soul-sucking experience. 1/5
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1515ave
Drake drops another project filled with songs that aren’t good enough to make a studio album.
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DJBooth
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is a playlist project filled mostly with surface-level rap tales by a rich and famous superstar who can craft a hit—any type of hit; you name the type—in his sleep.
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NME
Drizzy fails to learn the lessons from his previous album, 'Scorpion', on this bloated and unnecessary mixtape, which veers from recycled ideas to outright duds. 2/5
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hnhh
Dark Lane Demo Tapes were lackluster, especially for Drake’s standards. Sure, there are notable moments, but just how memorable are they when a large portion of the project was comprised of leaks?
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All Music
This collection is a nice gift for fans who wanted all these stray tracks gathered up in one easily accessible place and shows that Drake's cast-offs aren't far from his keepers and his minor moves are still worth following just in case he comes up with something genius. Nothing here quite rises to that level, but overall, it's a solid entry in his ever-growing catalog. 3/5
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Beats Per Minute
Even his buzz tracks – usually a sure thing from Drake – were tired. 32/100
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Sputnik Music
In conclusion, Drake is really showing a complete loss of inspiration and is taking influence by the ones he originally influenced. 1.5/5
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The Viking Press
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is a venture into Drake’s innermost thoughts, making it excellent music for quarantine and for any occasion. 9/10
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We Plug Good Music
is Drake a culture vulture or well-intentioned rapper keeping himself relevant? Whatever you may think, it is working for him immensely. His risks with trying drill mostly works, and recognising his artistry compliments both his emotional and eccentric styles.
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Thirstkey
"Dark Lane Demo Tapes" is Drake at his best and his worst. He gives us enough great material to be excited for the album and enough terrible material to bring us back down to just cautiously optimistic. 3/5
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Legends Will Never Die
Pretty boring overall & that really shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point. Granted it’s a lot shorter than More Life & Scorpion as it only runs at 50 minutes but the instrumentals are mediocre, the songwriting is & the guest are either hit or miss. The album can’t be worse though. 2/5
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Hit Up Ange
Undoubtedly a mood-setter, Dark Lane Demo Tapes, serves as a tasty amuse-bouche to his next big project.
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Hot Pop Today
Later on the year, Drake has promised fans that he will be dropping a “more concise” record. Hopefully, this means that a shorter, more polished record will be heading our way in summer. This would enable us to overlook the complacent mashup that is Dark Lane Demo Tapes. 2/5
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Young and Hungry Entertainment
Dark Lane Demo Tapes seemingly plots on a reverse effect; delivering mediocrity to hold fans over while safely locking away the gems for his next album.
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Aura
IN A COLLECTION OF DEMOS THAT ARE TOO POLISHED, DRAKE REVISITS THE SOUNDS THAT SPARKED HIS CAREER. COMPARED TO A DESCENT IN QUALITY IN HIS RECENT RELEASES, ‘DARK LANE DEMO TAPES’ IS A SMALL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
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Grand Valley Lanthorn
This mixtape crushes the retirement rumors and proves that Drake is the most powerful musical artist in the world for a reason: Whether you love him or hate him, it’s clear that Drake has been listening to his doubters and has adjusted accordingly.
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The Memo Podcast Network
Though his boasts are a bit juvenile for a man due to release his sixth album this summer, the result is a poignant, if awkward thesis statement that having more life to live is a reason for celebration. 7/10
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