So Far Gone

Lore & Background

In an interview with Complex, Drake explains the title: "The whole tape extends from one of my closest friends Oliver. One night we were having a discussion about women and the way we were talking about them, it was so brazen and so disrespectful. He texted me right after we got off the phone and he was like, 'Are we becoming the men that our mothers divorced?' That's really where the cover comes from, too. It's just this kid in pursuit of love and money. We're good guys, I'm friends with some real good people and for him to even text me after we got off the phone it just showed we have a conscience. But sometimes you just get so far gone, you get wrapped up in this shit. The title has a lot of meanings—as the way we carry ourselves, the way we dress, the way people view us, not to sound cocky, it's just that feeling that we're just distanced in a good way. You're just elevating past the bullshit and past all the shit that you used to be a part of and you're not that proud of, you're just so far gone."

In Their Own Story

The mixtape was promoted with a release party in Toronto with Drake and LeBron James. Guest appearances include Omarion, Lloyd, Lykke Li, Lil Wayne and Bun B, while production was handled by 40 and Boi-1da—whose contributions to the musical direction of the mixtape were particularly praised. Its lead singles, "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful" reached numbers two and 17 respectively on the US Billboard Hot 100. On February 15, 2019, the mixtape was released on commercial streaming services for the first time, commemorating its tenth anniversary. The commercial release contains a bonus track, "Congratulations", which also appears on the physical release of the album.

Reader's Guide

So Far Gone debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, with 45,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending February 21, 2019, ten years after its release. The mixtape currently holds a score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". RapReviews.com said "So Far Gone is unquestionably one of the most cohesive, atmospheric hip hop records in recent memory--which is almost the antithesis of what one expects from a mixtape." The Boston Globe noted "His materialism threads throughout So Far Gone (champagne flutes, girls, BlackBerrys, more girls), but he chases that with soft touches of humor and honesty." Pitchfork said "So Far Gone still scans as one of the most compulsively listenable mixtapes of a great year for mixtapes." Slant Magazine gave a mixed review but commended Drake's effort: "For a beginner, even one whose big-time endorsements seem to have cemented a promising start, So Far Gone is a pretty brave effort, and Drake's ability to juggle standard bling-and-bluster narratives with intelligent narratives bodes well for his future."

Did You Know?

• So Far Gone was self-released under Drake's own October's Very Own label on February 13, 2009.
• The mixtape's lead single "Best I Ever Had" spent 24 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 2.
• The mixtape was promoted with a release party in Toronto featuring both Drake and LeBron James.
• On February 15, 2019, the mixtape was released on commercial streaming services for the first time, exactly ten years after its original release.
• The bonus track "Congratulations" on the commercial release contains a sample of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida".