Drake - Scorpion

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Aubrey "Drake" Graham".  From the teen star of "Degrassi" to literally one of the biggest draws in music, Drake's done it all.  I first started listening to Drake around the time of 2010's "Thank Me Later", and honestly this album has lessened on me over the years.  But still, this is a pretty solid debut with Drake really crafting his sound.  We have very confident tunes like "Unforgettable" and "Up All Night", as well as big hits like "Over" and "Fireworks".  But for me, it was some of the slower tracks like "Shut It Down", where Drake started to craft his blend of R&B and Rap.  Which, yes, you can argue is way too sappy most of the time, trust me I've seen the memes.  But Drake was just this interesting, very human new figure in R&B and Rap, one that was totally beyond the "bling" era.  By 2011's "Take Care" however, I honestly feel like Drake was so much more confident.  No longer was he dabbling in fusing R&B and Rap, he was spitting it masterfully and absolutely killing it.  Whether it be Pop crossovers like his iconic duet with Rihanna for "Take Care" or the fan favorite "Marvin's Room", or legitimately aggressive Rap tunes like "Under Ground Kings" or "Lord Knows", this was a feast of all things R&B/Hip-Hop.  Now yes, it's an hour and 20 minutes.  And no, it really doesn't need to be.  But, man does Drake ever make it work.  2013's "Nothing Was The Same" showed Drake reaching new highs, but I wasn't nearly as into it all to be honest.   Sure, tracks like "Wu-Tang Forever" and the polarizing "Worst Behavior" are some of Drake's most rugged tracks yet.  But other moments like the disgustingly long "Tuscan Leather" and the painfully cheesy "From Time" actually had me pining to listen to overplayed hits like "Hold On, We're Going Home".  For the first time, I didn't have all the excuses for Drake.  But when Drake returned with 2015's "If You're Reading This it's Too Late", this was an entirely different artist.  There were debates on whether or not this was a Mixtape or an album, I really didn't care about that.  Simply put, this project is fucking awesome.  Gone is the pristine production, the whiny lyrics, the R&B influences, all of that.  And in its place is a bitter and much more aggressive Drake.  The beats were so much more minimal, cold, and often chilling.  Drake had gone through phases of pushing out more Rap material, that was nothing new.  But the sheer level of confidence on tracks like "6 God" and "Know Yourself" is absolutely flooring.  Even at some of this album's sappier moments like "Madonna" and "You & The 6", Drake was a new man. But ever since, sadly, I really have quickly lost almost all of my excuses for Drake.  2016's "Views" is easily one of his most inconsistent projects.  Sure, there are moments like the title track or "Keep The Family Close" where things come off pretty cinematic and epic.  But tracks like the unbearable "Child's Play" and the hilariously bad "Grammys" made this album become seriously hard to see through.  So much so, that re-listening to this album a few days ago I literally got excited to hear tracks like "One Dance" and "Hotline Bling" (which are genuinely fantastic Pop Rap tunes, something we forget most of the time).  And then there's 2018's "More Life".  This album was easily one of the year's biggest disappointments.  Between Drake faking his way through a British accent and so much of a focus on Grime, this album was criminally awkward.  There were some great moments like "Portland" and "Passionfruit".  But outside of that, I feel like I completely ran out of excuses sadly.   So Drake is back with another brand new album, one that I'll be honest I haven't been able to place from these teaser tracks.  There have been some absolute stinkers, as well as some of the most genuinely great tracks Drake has come out with in ages.  So I'm curious friends, let's chat about this new Drake album.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts out with “Survival”.  And right off the bat, I have to be honest, I really don’t mind this track that much.  I love the very minimal, cold beat.  Drake here does nothing but really cement himself as one of the heaviest hitters in the business.  Now, you can honestly make the argument that some of these bars are off, and Pusha T is to blame for that.  But overall, Drake sounds like an actual killer here, an actually aggressive star that I absolutely loved hearing on “If You’re Reading This…”.  It’s very cold, and Drake is practically breaking the fourth wall occasionally.  But, this isn’t bad, not at all.  The very stripped back sounds of this album continue with “Nonstop”.  Like, really take a second to compare this to the very lavish sounds of “Views” and “More Life”, this is wildly different friends.  So much so, that it actually gives me hope for Drake’s future.  Now, let’s get down to business.  Once again Drake sounds wildly confident here, and this almost sounds like a track that would have fit comfortably on that collaboration album with Future.  But, it’s honestly one that works really well, as well as hip and confident.  For a straight banger, this track is awesome.  And yes, after all these years Drake is still desperately trying to prove himself.  Which is yes, absolutely frustrating.  And yea, that line about his “bills so big he calls them William” was pretty bad.  But for a straightforward, almost cocky track, this works wonderfully.  I continue to actually not mind the direction of these more Rap oriented tracks with “Elevate”.  The elephant in the room here may be his more sung hook, something we haven’t seen nearly as much of on his more aggressive stuff.  But I actually feel like it comes off just fine here, and he actually sounds like he’s gotten better with singing over the years.  And the genuine coldness to this album continues to be really stunning, and honestly something I’m totally into and excites the hell out of me.  There continues to be this very spiritual undertone to this, which may or may not do something for you.  But it actually doesn’t come off nearly as invigorating as he wants.  As a matter of fact, it makes him come off a little delusional.  But still, this is a much more interesting direction than anything on his last two albums. Then we have “Emotionless”, and I’m certainly into the very soulful sample at the beginning of the track.  As a matter of fact, just about everything about the production and the beat here is really great.  And as far as Drake’s flow here goes, he DOES come off emotionless, he comes off like a damn killer really.  Vocally though, I think you know that’s not Drake’s game.  Here, he goes into themes of loyalty, and people being “fake” among other things.  And of course, his son, which is the big one.  And it’s not terrible to be honest, with Drake actually dropping some really great lines like “A wise man once said nothing at all”.  Is this the best response to the new of his son or anything?  Well, that’s debatable, but this track isn’t terrible.  And it wouldn’t be a Drake album without a genuinely decent Pop Rap tune.  Which is, yes, where “God’s Plan” comes in  You may have heard this track way more than you want this year, but Drake has a long history of making tracks like this that absolutely work.  And once again, if you dive into some of the lyrics here, it seems like Drake is pretty set on this idea that he was sent by God to do what he’s doing.  Ok, buddy.  But for a genuinely catchy Pop Rap tune, damn you Drake.  Damn you for knowing what you’re doing.  Obviously, it’s nothing to write home about per say, but it sticks with you.  So far, “Scorpion” has somehow stayed on my good side.  But all solid projects come to a halt.  And let me tell you, “I’m Upset” is a fucking halt.  Not only that, but this may just be the worst track Drake has dropped in years.  This beat is so wishy washy, and doesn’t even sound like something Drake would touch.  It’s not catchy, it’s just obnoxious, goofy and incredibly repetitive.  Like, what happened to all of that confidence?  This actually has me pining for him to going back to faking Dancehall.  “I’m Upset”, is absolute garbage. 

This album drags on with “8 Out of 10”.  And honestly, I feel like this is the glitzy Rap tune that Drake was born to make.  In a way, this actually reminds me of one of the flashier tunes on “Take Care”.  Drake may not sound as intense and focuses, but this is just the sort of tune that Drake has perfected.  He brings up his son once again, as well as the way he’s currently viewed in Rap.  And honestly, it’s all gravy, and just seems so up his alley.  It’s cocky, absolutely pristine, and just great all around.  Not to mention, as this one goes on Drake just gets more aggressive.  But man, that one skit at the end is awful, just awful.  But still,, this track is just fine.  On the other hand, “Mob Ties” really brings in the grittiness of the early tracks here.  And here, we see Drake doing this Young Thug impression which is actually eerily spot on to the point where it’s just plain weird.  And while THAT in it’s own right is more of a spectacle, I feel underwhelmed with this one.  I love the production and this beat, but I just wish Drake just focused more on his own verse.  Which eventually does hit hard, and it does sound awesome eventually.  But it’s beginning to become just how many cracks this album has. Now, personally, I do like the very icy beat on “Can’t Take a Joke”, and I love how genuinely cold and focused this one in.  Drake once again is back to sounding cold blooded.  I love Drake’s more aggressive verses here, and this once again has me flossing back to just how much I loved “If You’re Reading This…” mixtape.  It’s short, sweet, and incredibly cutting.  Then we have “Sandra’s Rose”, which once again has a really great, soulful sample to start things off.  As a matter of fact, this entire beat and track is just brilliant, and a sort of throw back to his “Take Care”.  But lyrically, I just feel like this is not nearly as gritty.  Drake certainly sounds like he’s at his more aggressive side here, which is fine.  But he also really sounds like he doesn’t even believe half of this anymore.  His disses here just come off so flimsy and half-hearted, and he sounds horribly unfocused.  There are some fine lines here and there, like the one about a “classic” being ten of these tracks, that’s just fine.  But I just feel like it’s so flimsy overall.  But for a legitimately straightforward Rap tune here with some serious swagger bars, “Talk Up” is pretty awesome.  But man, I literally feel like Drake is absolutely delusional with some of his bars.  Bringing up his son was one thing, but here he’s making himself out to be completely invincible.  Which, between both of Pusha T’s latest set of diss tracks, we know that’s not true.  Thankfully Drakes confidence makes this easier to swallow.  Then we have Jay Z’s verse, which is honestly pretty fantastic, and he sounds so youthful and seriously on point.  Overall, “Talk Up” isn’t terrible, and has some great lines.  But then we have “Is There More”, and I just have one question.  What the actual hell is this beat?  This sounds like it was an actually decent beat that someone went out of their way to make it sound seriously awful.  I’m not even kidding, it sounds awful.  And because of that, Drake just sounds completely off pace and practically drunk.  Even Drake’s lyrics here just seem so repetitive and far from where he was a few years ago.  And some of these lines, holy shit, I feel like Drake is literally parodying himself.  So we’re halfway done.  And honestly, I really wish it ended here, because if that was the case, this would be a totally fine Drake project, not perfect, but fine.  But alas, we have disc 2. 

Disc 2 is much more R&B tinged, and it starts out with “Peak”.  And guess what, it’s not that good of a start.  Drake’s heavy use of vocal effect here actually aren’t that bad, and make this come off legitimately cool.  But this beat, man did someone make this in 5 minutes through an iPhone app?  This is absolutely atrocious.  Even Drake in his performance here sounds like a far cry from the days of “Marvins Room”.  His slower, steamier moments once had Drake as this very vulnerable, emotional figure.  But his performance here is just depressive massively, as well as seriously bored.  Like, I actually think the very somber tone to this album, and the feeling of this very isolated Drake is very cool.  But Drake’s performance is awful.  Then out of nowhere, we get a literal Synth Pop tune in the form of “Summer Games”.  And honestly, it’s not that bad at all.  This album has become a fever dream of Drake’s music, with a whole lot of genuinely good material, alongside of some of the worst material he’s ever produced, period, with plenty of bizarre twists.  This one is a huge risk for Drake, but it comes off refreshing and is a wild new venture.  The synths are playful and joyous, and the drums are wildly epic.  All of this alongside these very dreary vocals really work wonderfully for Drake, to the point where I honestly wouldn’t mind hearing more tracks in this direction.  Then we have “Jaded”, but what can I say about this by this point.  This just sounds like Drake practically imitating himself.  This sounds like a Drake song from 2010 or so, but without any actual emotion or any personality.  It’s OK, and that’s it.  All I can say, is thank God Drake can actually sing.  And I have to say, I’m absolutely stunned by just how depressive this all continues to come off.  Which, if that’s something you’re interested in hearing, check this out pronto.  But man, this is getting brutal. On the other hand, not for nothing, “Nice For What” may be the best track Drake has dropped in 5 years.  It’s upbeat, hip, refreshing for Drake, and almost comes off like a throwback to the early 2000’s Rap era.  Drake here sounds back on his much more confident side, and I can’t help but really love this genuinely different beat.  It’s got some great grooves, and while one of those vocal samples are a little cheesy, this all around is a fucking awesome medium for Drake between his more R&B material and his Rap material.   But oh boy, to ask for more of that sound is clearly too much.  “Finesse” is up next, and once again Drake is practically parodying himself.  I do like the very cold atmosphere, and just how dismal Drake sounds.  But man, how much has he fallen off.  There’s barely a beat here, and Drake doesn’t even sound sad here, he sounds bored.  He’s not even singing.  I would go on, but this is just really absolutely terrible.  Then we have “Ratchet Happy Birthday”.  And I don’t know who gave Drake a synthesizer but, I really hate you.  This track is a bizarre, whimsical track that shows Drake not putting in much effort.  I get that this one isn’t supposed to be taken seriously.  Which I get that, hell I even respect it.  But Drake here doesn’t give a shit, so why should I?  Or why should anyone for that matter?  And yea, there are some actually funny lines.  But at this point in the album, this is coming off more and more of a fever dream with each passing moment.  But on the other hand, “That’s How I feel” is one very murky track that I’m 100% for.  Once again, we see Drake taking advantage of sort of a medium between singing and rapping, and here it adds some well needed energy to this track.  The Nicki sample actually ends up working just fine here, and Drake actually all around sounds fine, I wish this was longer than 2 and a half minutes. 

And let me tell you, things don’t get much better with “In My Feelings”.  Like, this one barely comes off like a Drake track, I feel like this could have been any R&B artist. It’s not catchy and it’s certainly not interesting, just wildly bland.  The sample is average at best, and to be honest the production here is dreadful.  Everything about “In My Feelings” just seems thrown together.  However, I do like the much more nocturnal and slick vibes of “Don’t Matter to Me”.  Here, Drake focuses much more on singing, which is obviously a strong point for him and it always has been.  I’ll be honest though, everyone is talking about this Michael Jackson verse though.  But for a posthumous verse from MJ, it’s awkwardly placed.  Like, this is a very sleazy R&B tune that has a lot going for it.  But I don’t think MJ was necessary here. And by the time we get to “After Dark”, I honestly feel like this doesn’t eve sound like a Drake album anymore.  I actually don’t mind the features from Static Major and Ty Dolla $ign actually sound great, hell they both haven’t sounded this great in a while.  And the beat is solid at best.  But Drake’s performance is so uninspired.  This isn’t terrible, and certainly has it’s moments.  But that entire last minute, who asked for this?  And then out of nowhere, we get this ridiculously sexy track in the form of “Final Fantasy”, the likes we really don’t hear too much of anymore from Drake.  I mean, it’s literally a laundry list of things Drake wants to do with his *ahem* love interest.  But if this doesn’t get you hot and bothered, nothing will.  And yea, there are some cheesy lines here and there.  But if I heard more of this Drake, I wouldn’t be so grumpy right now.  Are you exhausted?  Cause I’m exhausted.  And after two discs of material, Drake just so happens to feel like the ending of this album, “March 14”, needs to be over 5-minutes long.  That’s strike 100 my friend.  For the love of God, I’m sorry, but this is the last thing I need to hear right now.  It’s a complete summary of everything we’ve heard here, with nothing new.  Hell, at this point Drake sounds exhausted.  


Rating: 6.6/10

Give A Listen To: “Nonstop”, “8 Out of 10”, “Summer Games”, “Nice For What”

Least Favorite Track: “I’m Upset”

Genre: Hip-Hop / R&B

Overall Thoughts:  This is the perfect example of a seriously rushed album that didn’t need to be this bad.  As a matter of fact, there’s a whole lot of this album that really isn’t that bad.  As far as the first disc goes, I would be lying if I didn’t say I was totally into the much more aggressive and cold Drake sound was going for.  But it’s with the second disc that it just becomes more and more relevant by the moment just how much Drake has fallen off.  These R&B tracks are mostly all terrible, with only a few really sticking out.  This album is just such a mixed bag.  For every truly great moment like “Nice For What”, there’s a sickening moment like “I’m Upset”.  This album should really be taken as a wake-up call for Drake.  There’s no divine intervention going on here, and if he took his time with this album and trimmed out all the fat, this could have been a fine project.  But instead, we just get a whole lot of filler.