Expectations are the new anticipation and unfortunately Drake is bound to flop now & on June 15. Too much singing, not enough verbal gymnastics à la Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap & other greats. Not political enough. He didn’t do anything to warrant all the attention & acclaim…except most likely strike gold when the first week’s numbers come out.

There’s a level of shortsighted by purists & fogeys thinking that TML should be the album they grew up with. Dope boys want their anthems, otherwise he’s not a certified a hard rock. It’s valid, but flawed to a degree. There’s plenty of reasons to dislike who he’s been made out to be by the media and the bludgeoning we receive from radio. I’m a part of the contingent by age and the fact that I prefer my music not to be too syrupy. Still, there’s a spot for Drake’s music on my playlist, one that doesn’t revolve around “adult concerns” and remembers what a large part of what our music and culture are about.

“You can thank me now, for all the info I give to you aggins
I’m on the brink of influential, I’m here for you aggins…
I can relate to kids going straight to the league
When the recognize that you got what it takes to succeed.
And that’s around the time that your idols become your rivals
And you make friends with Mike but gotta A.I.’em for your survival.”

Hip-Hop is a youthful expression. Drake asserts it best in the Soundcheck clip above, saying “there’s songs for before you go out, there’s songs for when you wake up, there’s songs for when you go home.” It’s the soundtrack that plays to a young boy getting high for the first time, driving his bucket like it’s a Benz (yeah, he’ll be pumping “Up All Night”). The music that plays when the college girl is getting dressed in the mirror before the big Greek pajama jammy jam (she’ll be listening to “Fancy”). It’s for the troubled kid who needs a ray of inspiration to put a battery in his back so he can face the day.

Drake doesn’t seem the least bit worried, judging by this Twitter message sent earlier. He’s aware that a lot the above groups mentioned are ones who are unaware of the album’s leak, still planning to buy it. At a bricks & mortar. A few singles off iTunes. However they do it, they’ll be doing it with dollars on June 15th when the album hits stores. And when it goes street vendor platinum and diamond status on Rapidshare, he’ll have won.

Watch for the full version of Drake’s Walmart Soundcheck when it releases @ Soundcheck.Walmart.com on June 15th and will include performance clips.

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