Sosa Geek
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is the fourth mixtape by Canadian rapper and singer 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 sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy (2021). It was released on May 1, 2020, by OVO Sound and Republic Records. Production was handled by Drake's longtime collaborator 40, among others. Featured guest appearances include Future, Young Thug, Chris Brown, Playboi Carti, Giveon, Fivio Foreign, and Sosa Geek.
Dark Lane Demo Tapes sees Drake moving away from his "hitmaking formula" to more experimentation, with common producers on his previous records being absent on the mixtape. With its production taking influence from lo-fi, UK drill, trap, Soundcloud rap, R&B and soul, the mixtape is noted for not being as cohesive as Drake's previous records. Rooted in dark, ambient sounds through prominent use of unpolished synths, themes on the mixtape include failed relationships, complicated relationships with friends, and braggadocio surrounding Drake's prominence in the music industry.
The mixtape was supported by the single "Toosie Slide", which debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Drake the first male artist to accomplish three number-one debuts on the chart. All 13 of the mixtape's other songs entered the chart, including the highly anticipated "Pain 1993", which debuted at number seven on the chart, making Drake the tied record holder (with American singer Madonna) for the most top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with 38.
Dark Lane Demo Tapes was met with mixed reviews, with critics praising it for having a more diverse, experimental array of genres and hazy production compared to Drake's most recent records, but criticizing some of its lyrical content as being weak. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with 223,000 album-equivalent units, and became Drake's third record to top the UK Albums Chart. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Estonia, the Netherlands, Ireland, Lithuania and New Zealand.
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