Last year saw one of the most anticipated album releases in recent memory with Drake’s critically acclaimed Views record. It wasn’t my favorite music from Drake for the simple fact that it felt like he didn’t know what kind of album it was that he wanted to make. Some songs he flexed his bar-spitting skills, others he took a more reggae inspired route, while some songs were perfectly produced radio hits. The album was good, but not what I have come to expect from October’s Very Own. Most songs were not very memorable and it left me wanting more. Well, only one year later, Drake has delivered more - More Life, that is. Reluctant to call this a true album, Drake is finding himself on a clearer path towards the future of his music with this self-proclaimed 'playlist'.
The 'playlist' opens to the song “Free Smoke” which flexes Drake’s stature in the music industry, again. He beats his chest about 'making it', and making more of it than anyone else in the rap game today. It's been said a million times before, but it's still a certified banger. It feels like a track from his collaboration album with Future. We then find a string of songs that emphasize Drake’s latest interest in reggae-inspired beat making. “Passionfruit” is all-but guaranteed to flood the charts with Drake serenading you to get out on the dance floor. Think of it as a more relaxed “Controlla”.
“Blem”, whatever that means, highlights the thought process of a highly inebriated Drake, with stream of consciousness being the backbone of the track. It's a beat driven track but not with a heavy emphasis on more reggae R&B sounds. If only one song (other than “Fake Love”) makes it off of this record to the radio, this will be it. “4422” features the British R&B singer Sampha - the second Brit on the record, but the only one worth listening to. (The rapper Giggs is on multiple tracks but his voice just makes me want to stop the album right then and there. Awful choice there, Drizzy.)
“Gylachester”, again whatever that means, finds Drake flexing his rapping skills, albeit sparingly. It's a hard-hitting track but not necessarily memorable. “Portland” and “Sacrifices” bring us some more unusual sounds for Drake’s repertoire, with whistles blowing in the background like a Jason Derulo song. “Teenage Fever” is a slow burner with one thing on Drake’s mind. With a spacey hook and haunting vocals, this is a great blend of slow and hard-hitting Drizzy. It sounds like something from Nothing Was The Same.
“Lose You” finds Drake falling back into his comfort zone - but that's not a bad thing. Combing slow beats and lyrics about lost love and earning his success, we get one of the best ‘classic’ Drake tracks on the playlist. “Glow” is a track heavily featuring my man Kanye - and it's one of the most annoying on the album. Sorry, Yeezy, but not one of your best. “Since Way Back” is a slow jam that again sounds like it was ripped right from an old album, and it fits very well. The album closes with “Do Not Disturb” which finds Drake in his classic introspective mode, questioning his own existence, his friends, and where he is going to from here. A solid way to end a solid set of songs.
At the end of this playlist/album hybrid, I am very satisfied with what Drake has turned out. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is ‘better’ than Views so much as it has more replay potential to me. It has a definite R&B reggae vibe, one that is much more welcoming than Drizzy going hard for an entire album. It does feel like a collection of B-sides, but ones that still have radio potential. It's not perfect, but it feels more like old Drake, and that makes me very excited for the future. So here is to more Drake, more good music, and More Life.
