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Bop or Flop: A star was born with ‘So Far Gone’

Drake has never been known for his cultural profundity.

The Canadian-born pop star has been among A-list musical artists for almost a decade. His bells and whistles have far surpassed self-evidence, yet the obvious nature of his tricks seem to remain overlooked by the masses. No matter the quality of the release, millions of people stream and purchase new Drake songs every day.

The rapper’s dichotomy is more apparent today than ever before, as he consistently flexes his technical prowess while superficially telling stories of his life that never fully transcend his scope of narcissism — but they never really needed to.

Drake “writes” hits — there’s no denying that. His latest project, 2018’s “Scorpion,” spawned three No. 1 singles and a plethora of other charting tunes. His craft stands as a flawless, robotoic process of pumping out so much material that some of it is bound to catch on. The latest move in the ever-expanding career of the prolific rapper reflects this exercise.

The “So Far Gone” re-release signals the annoying but incredible business savvy Drake possesses. In more ways than one, he is the Taylor Swift of hip-hop. The artist calculates his every move, keenly aware that dropping one of his most beloved mixtapes again would prevent many of his fatigued fans from jumping ship for Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole. The tape serves as a reminder of who Drake really is, perhaps even surprising his latecomer fans who only started following him after the smash crossover hit “One Dance” in early 2016.

With that said, the set’s re-release simultaneously suggests the rapper hasn’t really changed that much at all. His knack for genre experimentation exists as much on “So Far Gone” as it does on “More Life” or “Scorpion.” His ability to integrate “Summer Games” and “Emotionless” on the same record in “Scorpion” is a direct result of his success with “Little Bit” and “Ignant Shit” on “So Far Gone”.

In terms of genre, “So Far Gone” pulls from every one, including R&B, hip-hop, pop and alternative. He duets with Lykke Li, pops off with Lil Wayne and expresses vulnerability on “Say What’s Real,” a classic beat from Kanye West’s criminally underappreciated “808s and Heartbreak.”

In fact, the tape shows Drizzy rapping over some of the hip-hop’s most classic beats and now fulfilled expectations to be just as, if not more, successful than the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye West. The production evokes emotion that Drake is able to use as a launchpad to dive headfirst into the sensitive persona that has made him a mainstay.

Drake’s recounting of personal experiences is what brought him to stardom, but there is always an element of cheesiness to his music. This is as evident today as it was on “Ignant Shit,” where Drake raps, “Still spittin that shit that they shot Pac over / The shit my other look shocked over,” a lyric that often incites laughter. To compare himself to 2Pac is to suggest Drake is a political figure when, in reality, Drake is the pop star that kids make memes about on Twitter and Instagram and whose music fans blare in cars.

Still, there’s really nothing wrong with that. Drake is beloved for this quality. To say you don’t bop to the opening line of “Uptown” or head-bang to the buttery “Little Bit” is to overlook the strength of Drake’s music. His music is made for the masses, even if it might be rooted in superficiality.

There is a Drake song for everything and everyone and “So Far Gone” acts as a reminder of that. While its re-release does nothing more than celebrate some of the early treasures of his discography, there’s certainly a lot worth bopping to.

Kieran Sweeney is a senior writing about music. His column, “Bop or Flop,” runs every other week on Fridays.

Kidz Bop returns to Raleigh for summer show; tickets on sale now

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Go Ask Mom editor

Raleigh, N.C. — The Kidz Bop World Tour is returning to Raleigh this summer - this time at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.

The family-friendly group features a rotation of young performers who sing sanitized versions of popular songs. The group recently released its 39th album with covers of "Girls Like You," "Better Now" and "Eastside."

Here's their video for "Girls Like You."

The tour will stop in Raleigh for a 7 p.m. show on Aug. 2. Tickets are on sale now and start at $35 a piece.

They'll also perform an Aug. 11 show in Charlotte.

More information is on the Kidz Bop website, including details about VIP packages for the super fans out there.

January sees third straight month of BoP surplus, biggest in seven years

By Melissa Luz T. LopezSenior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES’ external position remained in surplus in January, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Tuesday, marking the biggest surfeit in six years amid sustained dollar inflows.

The Philippines’ balance of payments (BoP) position swung to a $2.704-billion surplus in January, marking the third straight month of net inflows, according to latest central bank data.

The surplus is bigger than the $2.442 billion posted in December and turns around from the $531-million deficit in January 2018.

It is also the biggest surplus seen since July 2012, when net dollar inflows reached $3.182 billion.

The BoP measures the country’s transactions with the rest of the world at a given time. A deficit means more money left the economy than what went in, while a surplus shows that more funds entered the Philippines.

In a statement sent late Tuesday, the central bank attributed the sizeable surplus to increased net foreign currency deposits held by the national government.

Foreign portfolio investments received in January also contributed to the BoP level, the BSP added.

The Bureau of the Treasury raised $1.5 billion from the sale of 10-year dollar bonds to foreign investors last month, which is meant to finance the government’s spending plans for 2019.

Meanwhile, the central bank’s foreign exchange operations and income from offshore investments also padded the BoP tally, as this reflects the sharp increase in the country’s dollar reserves.

Gross international reserves amounted to $82.49 billion in January, which was the highest seen since May 2017.

The January BoP compares the $3.5-billion deficit expected by the central bank for the entire year, as well as the $2.306-billion gap incurred in 2018.

The central bank attributed last year’s BoP gap to a growing trade deficit, as imports increased by 13.4% while exports contracted by 1.8%, leaving a $41.44-billion gap in goods trade.

The BSP attributed the surge in imports to the increased demand for raw materials and capital goods needed for business expansion and the government’s stepped-up infrastructure development.