Presented by DJ Smallz as a Southern Smoke Special Edition, this mixtape was originally released in 2006 and remastered in 2009. It marks the beginning of Drake’s musical journey, showcasing his talent as a 19-year-old rapper. Inspired by the soulful and lyrical hip-hop of the underground scene, Drake crafted this mixtape in the classic format of rapping over industry beats. From the first listen, it’s clear that Drake drew early inspirations from artists like Phonte and Jay-Z, evident in his wordplay and backpacker rap flow. He staked his claim as the future king of Toronto with the track “City Is Mine,” tapped into his emotional side on “A Scorpio’s Mind,” and made a mark on creating songs for women on “Special” featuring Voyce. While this mixtape didn’t yet develop Drake’s signature drawl, it showcased a faster and more frantic flow. Early on, Drake addressed the concerns of being a biracial kid from Canada trying to break into a US-dominated industry, providing insights into his journey and the questions people had about him at the time. With our new series, Class Mixtape Run, we are here to bring that feel back like it was 06/09 all over again! On behalf of LiveMixtapes, listen to it below!
