While debut album Thank Me Later may have been one of the more heralded releases in the hip-hop universe this year, it also signaled Drake’s complete upheaval away from rap and towards R&B. From his search for hip-hop credibility on Room for Improvement, to his neo-soul sensibilities on Comeback Season and culminating in the R&B-fused So Far Gone, the chameleonic rapper’s mixtapes have charted his change in style on a yearly basis. Unknown to those who became aware of the artist only after break-out single “Best I Ever Had,” So Far Gone was met with some dismay by a selection of Drake fans. (more…)