Drake Releases ‘So Far Gone’ EP

When 'So Far Gone,' Drake's summer-dominating mixtape, was released last Valentine's Day it was clear that we had a potentially huge player on our hands. The artist's persona touched on just about every current hip-hop and R&B trend with surprising ease and success, mixing ambient textures, introspective lyricism and beats referencing everything from Houston to indie rock. Luckily for those with an allergy to free downloads, 'So Far Gone' is now available in stores and digital outlets for a small wad of your hard earned dollars.

The commercial release chops the track list from 17 to seven, bypassing some of the sloppier experimentation and unlicensed cuts for the original songs we already know too well. You get your unavoidable radio jams in 'Best I Ever Had' and 'Successful' along with features from Lil Wayne, Bun B and Young Jeezy. And while this alone could rope in some diehard fans, a new track called 'Fear' will be the selling point for the rest of us.

'Fear' is a meandering, reflective conclusion produced by DJ Khalil and might be Drake's best record to date. The beat mixes the icy feel of a track like 'Houstatlantavegas' into a hazy horn and string-dotted anthem. The lyrics find Drake outlining a series of developing phobias as he catapults into the celebrity musician stratosphere. It's also apparently the bridge between 'So Far Gone' and his highly anticipated major label debut entitled 'Thank Me Later' -- an interesting conceptual move that will increase the public's anticipation that much more.