You're wondering, is this gonna be a negative review? No not really. If anything, the album is kinda fun. There are so many corny and cheesy bars that it would make "Views" blush and giggle with laughter. It makes me wonder if he's getting self-aware now of how he's become a giant meme and he's doing this shit on purpose. I do say, however, that you always don't want to embrace the meme, it's a bit sad he leaning towards it. Like once again I'm reflecting again, am I laughing with him or at him? I don't know. Now with this shit out of the way, I think I can talk about this fucking album now.
Yeah, it's fine. It took me a lot of listens for this album to click with me. The album is long as fuck once again, but it didn't feel like a chore to sit through. The guests on here were people I was intrigued to hear, from Sexyy Red to Yeat, SZA, J Cole, his best friends 21 and Boat, Bad Bunny, PND, and Teezo Touchdown. Teezo sounded like Bryson Tiller on "Amen", I wish he did more R&B music and not Tony Hawk underground-type music, His vocals sounded like heaven. My major gripe with this was it was too short, It seems like Drake tapped into a "Jesus is King" wave and it worked here. I got ahead myself, let’s talk about the intro track "Virginia Beach", with a nice Frank Ocean sample using the chipmunk vocals. The string sample is nice, the Melody is good despite the weird choppy vocal mixing, and god, he had one this funny line where he said "He gon' find out that it's on-site like W W W on-site dot com" Dad jokes rap yes! "Calling For You" I didn't like this shit. It sounded like a leftover from "Her Loss" and it should've stayed in the vault. Drake is doing the whole "Sexy Drill" sound, which if you don't know, is Drill music meets R&B. There are a few artists that do this sound and it's not bad but not good either way. The whole rant with the girl bitching about eating oxtails ruined the vibe too, Like what the fuck was the point to add this? I thought the beat switch when 21 came in was gonna bring the track back up but it fell flat. Something about 21’s guest verses as of late I’ve been such a dud. The production was cool though. The album also has tons of beat switches when we keep going, wondering why we need this many beat switches.
It’s honestly the biggest issue I have with this record. Makes the songs drag longer than they should be. “Fear of Heights” starts as a slow “I miss you my love” ballad then switches to a BNYX beat. The first part has him self-aware of dropping too many auntie bars, It did get a laugh out of me. People think the first verse is a diss to Rihanna…sure. I don’t know why he would do this, she has two kids now but…ok! Anyway, this song is all-around goofy, “Don’t tell me you’re scared of Lil Drake” or “Can your pussy do the dog” had me laughing. What is wrong with this dude? I can’t lie though, I enjoyed the track. “Daylight” is the typical “mafioso” slop that people go crazy for, I don’t honestly. His kid did have a verse, once again, I don’t know why. The beat and his flow had that feel of some early 90’s boom-bap rap. “First Person Shooter” features J Cole, wild this is the third song the two have done together, the first one in a decade too. Wild. Cole’s verse was solid as always, someone out there should trick him into accomplishing a bunch of guest verses and then reveal it as an actual full-length album. You can tell this song was recorded last second, you have Cole talking about if he dissed NBA Youngboy on his track with Yacthy, he said people were looking into it way too deeply and were stirring shit up. We get another beat switch on another song, the beat sounds like they have the same drums as “Jimmy Cooks” and “Meltdown”, Hell, even the same flow too. I didn’t care for this song at all but it is grown on me. My only major gripe with “IDGAF” with Yeat is how long the intro is before the song starts, also it’s such a tease too. The sample is very beautiful, some shit I would hear floating through time and space. Also yes, Yeat washed the Canadian on his song. Drake was struggling to keep up.
“7969 Santa” is just filler, just some background music, I thought the production would’ve fit someone else. “Slime You Out” was the lead single for this project, and SZA was the star of this song, Even though Drake will get credit for sticking to the topic despite it being a cliche boring topic. I wasn’t huge when the song came out, I enjoy it for what it is. “Bahamas Promises” is just the boy getting mad at a girl breaking promises and dreams, also she ruined their trips to the Bahamas. Funny song all around, I do praise Drake for putting effort into his performance, I felt I was in Drake's mind and dreams. I’m glad “Tried Our Best” made the final cut, This could be a future deep-cut cult classic track. I love the whole theme of the dynamics of complex relationships, I think these types of Drake songs are always a favorite of mine. The Shakespeare line was good, and the “we in the club with your gay friends” made me think of the famous wrestling meme of AJ Styles saying “THE GAY COMMUNITY?!” for some fucking reason. The DJ screw interlude after this track was a nice change of pace, Who doesn’t like DJ Screw music? Just funny that this is up there with one of the best songs on the album.
"Draw a Picasso" was a bit of a snooze, but it did pick up in the second half. I will say the part about how he tells the oxtail girl from earlier "Yeah I go to strip clubs but I still think about you" is such a Drake meme joke from 2013 but the "YOU STILL LISTEN TO R KELLY THOUGH!" had me laughing. You know damn well you still listen to him too dude. The PND track was their weakest song together. I don't have much to say. "Gangy".....please. The bi-line is somehow even worse than the lesbian line, I don’t know how it does it man honestly. "What Would Pluto Do" is a dirty macking track, Drake wondering how his friend Future would holla at this woman who's dating someone else. This is funny to think about because...He's Drake, shouldn't be that hard? Good song nonetheless, Boat's little adlibs are funny (YEA YEA). It shocks me that Chief Keef and Drake finally have a song together, It's a crazy record man. 2013 me is very happy that it happened, I wished Keef had more than two lines. The theme is about keeping his distance from others but he is glad he still has his close friends to be around whenever he needs them cause you do need those folks in your life. "8 am in Charlotte" I knew I was gonna love this song, I LOVE these types of Drake songs. I'm very happy Conductor (WE HAVE A PROBLEM) produced this, We are close to getting that Grieslda and Drake track right? Also, I know damn well 40 cut out of all those producer tags from Conductor. I am still trying to figure out who he took shots at. I know one of them is NBA Youngboy, I am going to assume Ye, weird if he did cause Ye mindstate still respects him. Kendrick is a reach but the whole conspiracy line made it seem it's about him. People for years have said there are some issues but I think it's a more friendly competition rivalry than hatred. All I know is that it gets the people going. I thought “BBL Love” was going to be Basura, it is don’t get me wrong but I got a laugh from it. Goofy fun song.
Jesus Christ, this Bad Bunny song is so fucking bad. I don’t hear Drake talk in broken Spanish ever, I thought it was going to be a house track since both of them have been on the wave as of late but god they did not. SKIP! “Rich Baby Daddy” is so much fun, what a crazy track all around. from the soulful sample blending with a bounce record, you hear in the strip clubs. I have a goofy smile and get up and dance my ass off when this shit comes on. SZA being on here is funny, I can’t hear her on tracks like this back in the day, she did however, fit perfectly. I would cut the beat switch and change of pace on this, it ruins the vibe a bit. I legit rolled my eyes at the Millie Bobby Brown line on “Another Late Night”, Did you admit something here my guy? Are those rumors true? Overall I think this song is cool, Meatwad’s vocal sounded like dogshit though. It’ll grow on me later on. The last two songs on this album I wasn’t feeling. I would’ve cut these songs off the album. I would’ve picked a better closer to the album.
At the end of the day, My final thought is that I enjoyed this even with my issues with this album. Where was the old Drake? this new Drake is mean. I can see why a lot of women have issues and they have the right to be. The whole label of him making “chick music” is long gone. At the end of the day, it’s just music. Will he ever go back to making music for women? maybe. The tough guy talking down to his rivals and woman is drowned out with his corny dad joke raps. The funniest album he’s done since views, He was self-aware of how bad these bars were going to be. I’ve said I did some reflecting on the man's whole career. Odd that he has changed so much in the past decade but in a way hasn’t. Very immature human being, maybe Budden was right in a way. Also to sidetrack, god lord that Drake response was so funny. The "you're retired but no one remembers your jersey number" is such a bar. I think this break for him is honestly the best thing he’s doing, You can tell writing-wise he’s having a mental block, ideas on his albums always fall flat or feel bland, just felt he just stagnant at this point in his career. 40 did get the memo here and picked good production all around. I'm not going to expect Drake to rap old man shit if he returns in three years, it would be cool if he did but I digress. It’s honestly a tired discussion about rappers when they reach a certain age. Not everything is going to be “4:44” I will look forward to seeing what he does next down the decade. Stomach issues huh? Did he get bubble guts?
Favorite Tracks: 8 Am in Charlotte, Amen, Fear of Heights, IDGAF, Slime You Out, Tried Our Best, Screw The World Interlude, What Would Pluto Do, All The Parties, Rich Baby Daddy, Virginia Beach, First Person Shooter
Least Favorite Tracks: Gently
(I'm flip-flopping between 6 and 7, to be honest lol)
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