Drake released his 11th album on the 18th of March this year. Many of his American fans were upset, as the Canadian rap star featured multiple British grime musicians and newcomer Jorja Smith. Drake also used a lot of Black-British slang, such as 'ting' and 'mans'.
The opening song starts with the melodious voice of Nai Palm, the lead singer of an Australian quartet by the name Hiatus Kaiyote. A snippet of Drake's AMA speech for Best Rap Artist plays, where he calls out Meek Mill after their 2015 beef. 'Free Smoke' has a very catchy beat and a redundant, yet foot-tapping.
'No Long Talk' features Baka Not Nice, who is also featured in two songs on the album, and Diggs, a Black-British grime musician. This song is full of Jamaican and Black-British patois and heavy with British street culture.
'Passionfruit' is very soft and calm song, compared to the majority of the songs on the album. I believe that the ballad would be the most mainstream track on the album.
The following song, 'Jorja Interlude' is performed by newcomer and R&B singer, Jorja Smith, and Drake. Once again, he repeats the snippet from is acceptance speech at the AMA's.
'Get It Together' is personally one of my favorite songs on the album. Jorja has a more dominant voice than Drake, who only appears in the chorus. The ballad describes how to solve problems that get in the way of a properly functioning relationship. However, at the hook, it becomes rather fast-paced and danceable.
The name of the next song, 'Madiba Riddim' was influenced by Nelson Mandela's clan nickname, 'Madiba'. The second half 'Riddim' derives from the Jamaican patois for rhythm. 'Madiba Riddim' illustrates Drake's journey to fame and his struggle to keep real friends.
'Blem' was produced by Canadian record producer, T-minus. Continuing with the prominent, Black-British slang, Drake takes a spin on the popular saying 'Drunk words are sober thoughts.'
'4422' was written and performed by British singer, Sampha. Sampha was also featured on Solange's, hit 'Don't Touch My Hair'. This is Sampha's third collaboration with Drake, first appearing on 'The Motion' and 'Too Much'. The lyrics of this song talk about forgiving people that do you wrong and repentance.
'Gyalchester' comes from Jamaican Creole and it is a term for the Manchester parish of Jamaica. It got its name due to the women that lived there. In this song, Drake talks about his position as a rapper, loyalty, and money.
The tenth song on the album, 'Skepta Interlude' features Nigerian-British grime musician, Skepta. Drake and Skepta have collaborated before in Wizkid's 'Ojuelegba Remix'.
'Portland' features Quavo, from the rap trio Migos, and Travis Scott. The three rap about their originality and success as performers. In the hook, Quavo says you should never let anyone 'ride your wave' meaning that you should never let anyone get famous off of you.
Atlanta natives, Young Thug and 2 Chainz appeared in More Life's 12th song, 'Sacrifices'. The rappers discuss the sacrifices they have had to make and the struggles they encountered on the way to the top of the rap hierarchical structure.
In 'Nothings Into Somethings', Drake reveals his thoughts on the tension between him and his former love interest, world-star tennis player, Serena Williams.
Drake samples 'If You Had My Love' by his rumored ex-girlfriend, J-Lo in 'Teenage Fever'. The song talks about Drake's transition from his relationship with the Bajan R&B singer, Rihanna to Jennifer Lopez and the pressure it brought about.
'KMT' is the second song on the playlist to feature Giggs. This song got a lot of controversy with the upcoming Floridian rapper, XXXtentation, because the song sounds a lot like his single 'Look At Me!'. Drake also sampled the theme of Sonic '06, 'His World', gaining popularity with the gamers.
'Lose You' has the most solemn denotation on the playlist. He sings to his friends, family and everyone who is close to him and asks them if he has lost them attributable to his devotion to his rap career leaving little to no time to spend with the people that he really cares about.
In the next song, 'Can't Have Everything', Drake says that him, and everyone else, can want the entire world, but no matter how influential or wealthy they are, they can't get everything they want. However, that should not stop the from aspiring.
The following song,'Glow' features another Atlanta native, Kanye West. It is the first collaboration since the single version of Drake's 'Pop Style'. The rappers describe how they started out with nothing and they have strived to reach their current position in the rap game. They boast about their luxury and fame and how they will continue to shine and be popular.
PARTYNEXTDOOR, Drake's long time friend and the first artist ever signed to OVO Sound, is featured on the 19th song on 'More Life', 'Since Way Back'. They have collaborated on multiple songs since then. Both Canadian rappers croon over a licentious love interest. At the end of the relationships, the two artists both long for the same woman.
'Fake Love' was the first single from the album. It was released in October of 2016. In this song, Drake criticizes the people in his life that are only there because of his incredible success.
Drizzy teams up with Young Thug again for 'Ice Melts'. This song is very light and cheerful. Like many Drake songs, the lyrics of the song refer to a mysterious lover. Drake persuades the woman to give him another chance. Many fans believe the song is about Rihanna. Although some think that Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj are possible speculations.
The final song on the playlist, 'Do Not Disturb' is pretty much a sequel to 'Lose You'. He continues talking about his career costing him relationships with people he cares about. The songs samples the vocals of a Swedish singer named Snoh Aalegra.
Personally, I think this is one of Drake's best albums and I loved how he feature many afrobeat influences. I cannot wait to see what he releases next
