Nothing Was the Same
Nothing Was the Same
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Nothing Was the Same

Nothing Was the Same is the third studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on September 24, 2013, through OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records. Work on the record began in 2012 and continued through 2013. As an executive producer, Drake enlisted collaborators such as 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Majid Jordan, Jay-Z, Jhené Aiko and Sampha for guest appearances on the album. The album's production was primarily handled by 40 and other OVO Sound producers; including Boi-1da, Mike Zombie, Nineteen85 and Detail.

The album was supported by the seven successful singles; "Started from the Bottom", "Hold On, We're Going Home", "All Me", "Pound Cake", "The Language", "Too Much" and "Worst Behavior". "Wu-Tang Forever" was released prior to the album as a promotional single. "Started from the Bottom" and "Hold On, We're Going Home" were both top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100. Drake also toured with Future, Miguel and PartyNextDoor from October through December 2013, on the Would You Like a Tour? concert tour.

Nothing Was the Same received generally positive reviews, and was named as one of the best albums of 2013 by multiple publications. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 658,000 copies sold in its first week of release. Within three months of its release, the album became the seventh best-selling album of 2013 in the United States. It also debuted at number one in Canada and Denmark, and number two in Australia and the United Kingdom. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

While touring the United Kingdom in support of Take Care during March 2012, Drake announced in an interview that he had begun work on his third studio album. In April 2012, Drake had stated that the album will have a different style and tempo than that of Take Care. This is due to his different mindset and his recent move to the Los Angeles area in Hidden Hills, where he is Kanye West's neighbor. He told GQ, "This is my fucking moment to say if I wanted to rap all the time, really rap, I would, but I also love to make music. I'll do this for you right now. But it's for me, too. It's my story…I'm trying to get back to that kid in the basement. To say what he has to say. And I'm trying to make it last."

On February 10, 2013, the same night Drake won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 55th Grammy Awards, he announced the title of his third album would be Nothing Was the Same. During an interview with Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet, Drake told E!, "I think music, it's a process we all go through," he said. "It's an evolution. You're constantly figuring out what works for you." He explained the difference between Nothing Was the Same and Take Care to XXL saying,

Take Care was about connecting with my city and connecting with my past and sort of still feeling guilty that I'm not in love with one of these girls that cared about me from back in the day. Now, I'm 26, I'm with my friends, I'm making jobs for people, I'm making memories for people that will last a lifetime. I don't need to be in love right now. I don't need these things that I maybe once thought that I needed to feel normal and feel righteous about myself. I think for the first time in an album I'm content—not satisfied—but proud of where I'm at as a person.

Drake also stated that Marvin Gaye's 1978 double album Here, My Dear had been a big influence on his current musical direction to ballads rather than "straight rap" and he had been doing recording in Gaye's old studio Marvin's Room. He later told MTV, "This album is not some straight rap album, I'll never do a straight rap album. That's not how I came into this and that's never what I'll do. I make songs for the people." He also spoke of Marvin Gaye again saying, "I have aspirations to be Marvin Gaye in the back of my head. So I just want to sing the world's triumphs and problems on one record." In the same interview he explained more about the differences between Nothing Was the Same and Take Care saying; "The music I'm making is more concise, more clear, I've been able to get my thoughts across a lot better on this album. Take Care is a great album but I listened to it and realized where I could do better and I think I've done better on this album." Drake stated in a Vibe magazine interview in 2014 that he had intended for the album's deluxe edition to be in reverse order, but didn't due to "some iTunes [issue] or something like that"

In March 2012, Drake was reportedly in the studio with rapper 2 Chainz and record producer 40. He has been stating that he was hoping that he could work with Jamie xx, while in the United Kingdom, saying that he wants him to "have a bigger presence on my third record". Jake One produced a song for Drake, originally expected to be released ahead of the third annual OVO Fest. The video, which features Drake previewing the untitled song, while smoking a hookah, was released on June 26, 2012, through Vimeo. In December 2012, Young Chop confirmed that he was working on a song with Drake. He also then released two free songs, which is a collaboration with singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy.

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