Rei Brown’s latest tune “Take Care” is a refreshing flip of Drake’s track

With Drake finally releasing his album/mixtape/playlist/cassette-tape-you-made-for-your-girlfriend-in-1997, “More Life”, I wasn’t expecting that the best new Drake music I’d hear this week would be coming from R&B vibe wizard Rei Brown. At the same time, though, it’s not the most surprising thing that’s ever happened.

The new tune, “Take Care”, is an eponymous flip of the 6 God’s classic title-track. Rei Brown snatches Drake and Rihanna’s vocals, and places them atop an ultra-jazzy slow jam that sounds so incredibly natural, it makes the original begin to pale in comparison. None of the bouncy pop rap we first heard in 2011 here; rather, we get a stunning total-reinvention of “Take Care” that transcends the idea of a mere remix and ventures instead into the territory of a mini musical revolution contained within the boundaries of a Drake song.

Rei Brown’s “Take Care” is recycling at its finest.

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If the argument that there are no original ideas left in the world, only the rehashing of old ones, is indeed true – it would seem that Rei Brown is using this song to show that that might not be a bad thing. Not only has Rei repurposed and rejuvenated vocal performances from two of today’s most iconic artists; he’s crafted a perfect instrumental pairing, that creates for a totally new emotional context.

And so, this track should be every bit as enjoyable to an individual who’s never had to hear Drake in their life, and doesn’t rely on any of its impact coming from the novelty of its connection to the original “Take Care”. So, go ahead, enter my fantasy of living in a Drake-free world, and enjoy Rei Brown’s latest with fresh ears for some refreshing, smooth creativity.

Jonathan Vilardi

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