On Feb. 13, rapper Drake announced via Instagram that he would be re-releasing his mixtape “So Far Gone,” to streaming services and released it on Feb. 15.
This was to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the original release from 2009.
Fans of the rapper recalled popular songs that they liked when it first released.
“‘Best I Ever Had’ was the first Drake song that I fell in love with,” said freshman Nick D’Amato. “The mixtape ‘So Far Gone,’ was a defining one for me, it really made me a fan of Drake’s work.
Due to it being available on streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, fans had instant access to the mixtape upon the release, in addition to those that couldn’t listen to it originally.
“Re-releasing the mixtape was the right move in my opinion,” said freshman Phil Ferranola. “It was a smart move because now more people can listen to it and enjoy it. It had great music on it, which needs to re-discover by a younger audience.”
The mixtape features songs with Trey Songs in “Successful,” Lil Wayne in “Uptown,” and Santigold in “Unstoppable.” These songs were enjoyed by fans who had the opportunity to listen to the mixtape again after ten years.
“It was cool to see just how far Drake has come as an artist,” said junior Ryan Wilkens. “I remember when this mixtape came out ten years ago. I can still hear some of the similarities that is in his music.”
Some feel that it was a risk to re-release old music but due to the loyalty of fans, it would only be positive reactions.
“I think there is always a risk when it comes to re-releasing old music, what if your fans don’t care about you and your music anymore?” said junior Kevin Kopf. “With Drake though, it’s different. He has been on top of the rap game for more than 7 years now. Whatever he puts out, I’m confident that his fans will receive it with open arms.
“So Far Gone,” is in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 charts and marks the tenth top 10 album for him.