On March 18, global rap (or is it pop now?) phenomenon Drake released his highly-anticipated new "project." I say that because Drake has repeatedly referred to "More Life" as a playlist; not an album or a mixtape, in the vein of 2015's "If You're Reading This It's Too Late."While many people were expecting "More Life "to be a collaborative effort between Drake and his collection of artists on his OVO Sound label, what he delivered is so much more than that. "More Life" marks a return to form for Drake following last year's disappointing "Views," and shows that the best rapper alive isn't going anywhere just yet.

While the decision to refer to this project as a playlist was confusing during the album rollout, it makes total sense now. "More Life" can almost be seen as a greatest hits of ideas that Drake has explored throughout his career, as well as what is currently influencing him musically.

I think you have to start discussing this playlist with the song "Passionfruit." After my first listen, this is the song that stuck out the most to me, which is impressive considering 19 songs follow it until the conclusion of "More Life." And as I listen to it now, days later, it is still the song that sticks with me. The song is beautiful as Drake effortlessly croons over the tropical production, thanks to Nana Rogues. This is one of those songs where you can close your eyes and vividly imagine yourself laying on a beach with a drink in your hand, just enjoying life. This may be the most elegant song Drake has ever released and is better than anything he has come out with in years. If you don't listen to any other songs on "More Life," at least listen to this one.

While the stretch of songs around "Passionfruit," including early standout tracks like "Blem" and "Get It Together," carries on the Caribbean dancehall vibe Drake embraced on "Views, More Life" does an excellent job of mixing up styles so you're never really bored with an of the ideas. Drake knows he has a lot of fans that enjoy his rapping more than his singing, and he caters to this crowd with tracks like album opener "Free Smoke," that show Drake in full-on attack mode. He's heard people questioning his status within the rap hierarchy, and he wants us to know it.

Another quality that pushes "More Life" to the top of Drake's catalogue is his willingness to share the spotlight with other artists. Young Thug pops up twice on "Sacrifices" and "Ice Melts," and he only continues to prove why he is one of the genre's most exciting artists. 2 Chainz continues to be one of hip hop's most consistent features while the Kanye West collaboration "Glow" shows that a Kanye and Drake album could actually work. However, the tracks "Get It Together" and "4422" are the best examples of Drake stepping to the side and becoming the curator for this playlist. "Get It Together" is basically a Jorja Smith song that samples "Superman" by Black Coffee. Drake's sole contribution to the track is repeating the two lines of the chorus. On "4422," Sampha gets an entire track to himself and it's one of the most beautiful songs on the entire project. While Drake is certainly the ringleader here, sometimes it is best to step behind the curtain and let those around you shine.

So far this review has been fairly positive, but there are certainly flaws on this playlist. For starters, this may just be a taste thing, but the Grime features on here don't really do it for me. UK rapper Giggs makes two appearances on "More Life" and I think both tracks would be better if the features were replaced with an additional Drake verse. Also, he finishes his verse on "KMT" by rapping "Batman, da-na-na-da-na" and it's horrible. Skepta makes an appearance on his own track "Skepta Interlude," another example of Drake stepping out of the spotlight, but again, I didn't feel like it added much to the project.

The main problem Drake had with "Views" continues on "More Life." Both projects have at least 20 tracks on them, including one song that released months prior and is only included to increase streaming numbers ("Hotline Bling" and "Fake Love" respectfully). While Drake manages to throw a lot of ideas at his listeners throughout "More Life," it is still a lengthy project that could be trimmed down. With the lone exception of "Nothing Was The Same," all of Drake's projects have had this issue, so it isn't exactly surprising.

"More Life," while not perfect, certainly exceeded my expectations and is a step in the right direction following "Views." Drake seems hungry again and I can only hope that he continues to build on the ideas present on this playlist for his next official album. Take your time Drake, we'll be waiting.

Top Tracks: "Passionfruit," "Blem," "Sacrifices," "Do Not Disturb"

Score: 8.5/10