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In March 2012, while touring in the UK, in support of his previous album, Take Care, Drake announced that he already started working on his next album. The next month, he revealed the album would have a different style, tempo and musical direction than that of Take Care. This was due to his different mood and mindset when moving to LA.
In February 2013, Drake released the album's first single "Started from the Bottom". A few days later, when he won a Grammy for Best Rap Album with Take Care in February 2013, he announced the album title, being Nothing Was the Same. In an interview, he explained the difference between Take Care and this album, saying that Take Care was about "connecting with his city" and his past, and this album having a different vibe as he's doesn't need to be in love at the moment and is proud of where he's at as person.
The next month, the anticipation for NWTS was on when he released "5am in Toronto", the second instalment of the Time & Location series, following 2010's "9am in Dallas". He continued by releasing 2 more freebies, "Girls Love Beyoncé" with James Fauntleroy (in April) and "Jodeci Freestyle" with J. Cole (in June) before dropping the album's second single, "Hold On, We're Going Home" with Majid Jordan in August 2013. Finally, the album was released on September 24, along with its third single "All Me" with 2 Chainz & Big Sean.
Nothing Was the Same was preceded by 2 singles, "Started from the Bottom" and the Majid Jordan-assisted "Hold On, We're Going Home", and was released in September 2013 after months of promotion and anticipation. Recorded between 2012 and 2013, the album featured 13 tracks (or 16, depending on which version you had bought), with guest appearances from various artists such as Jay Z, Jhené Aiko, and Detail, and production from 40, Boi-1da, Jake One, DJ Dahi, Nineteen85 and more.
The album received generally positive reviews from album critics, being praised for its sound and style on there. However, a lot of people managed to find it disappointing, saying it didn't live up to its hype and that it didn't top Take Care like expected. But there were a few that digged the project a lot, even calling it Drake's best work (I'm part of that minority). It was also on multiple "Best Albums of the Year" lists, such as XXL, who called it the best album of 2013, and Complex & Entertainment Weekly calling it the second best album of that year. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 658k copies in its first week. By the end of the year, it sold over a million copies, and was recently internationally certified triple-Platinum just last month.
Y'all ready? Let's get into it!
1. Tuscan Leather
You know an album is fire when the intro is one of your favourites on the album. 40 makes a freakin' beautiful beat as Drake goes off, talking about where he's at right now with his career, and coming with some sick lines. There are 3 verses on this, and with every one of them, the beat switches, along with his flow. And the production on here is just on another level. 40 really flipped that sample, 3 times. THREE FAWKIN' TIMES!!!! And Drake really snapped on this song. It even feels like it should've been more than 6 minutes. I would've loved him to go off for like 10 minutes, haha! That's how fire this song is. We ain't even 3 songs in, and we get such a beautiful and amazing standout. Easily the best intro AND song Drake has ever done.
2. Furthest Thing
I freakin' love this track, especially the second part. The song has an interesting concept, as 40 & Jake One provide a nice beat for Drake to sing and rap on. It seems to be about being unfaithful, with Drake saying he's too busy to come home to her, when really, he's just been drinking, smoking, and even fawking behind her back. The first part is very chill and ambient, as he tries to explain everything to his girl, not wanting to lose her. But by the second part, the mood and sound really changes up, as the song switches into something more celebratory, heavenly and hard-hitting (and is also my favourite part). Drake instead gives a "f*** it, I don't care" attitude, saying that this ("Drinkin', smokin', fuckin', plottin', schemin'") is how he wants to live his life. And that beat tho. OOOOHH!!! Kudos to Jake One, man. Lord, he killed that. This is one that I always go back to when I have the time. Another standout!
3. Started from the Bottom
A celebratory track on coming from nothing to being a successful artist. However, it's prolly Drake's most mocked song, as many people always mentioned the fact that he never really "started from the bottom" like he said, and had a nice life, and was already earning money from Canadian teen drama Degrassi (plus, this song was an advantage for haters to call him a faker and that he was "killing hip-hop"). And while, him "starting from the bottom" wasn't necessarily true as he made it to be, it's still a banger. He explains his struggles and how he used to live with his mother. While I love the song, one problem was that he never really elaborated on how he was actually living before the music. Probably a reason why many criticized it. It was like he was just going for a celebratory hit rather than a serious track. I still love it though. The vibe on here is just amazing, and Mike Zombie killed that beat. SHEIT, man!
4. Wu-Tang Forever
The title, if I'm being honest, was kinda misleading the first time I heard it. I understand it's the fact 40 sampled Wu-Tang's "It's Yourz", which was a track/single off Wu-Tang Forever aka the name of this song. But I was expecting a full-on tribute or some lyrical Wu-esque shit. He should've simply named it "It's Yours (Part 1)" or something. Nevertheless, the song is pretty chill as Drake uses the rap game as a metaphor for a female. He recalls his Toronto days, and it's pretty interesting. One thing though was the fact that there was supposed to be an actual remix of this with Wu-Tang Clan themselves. I remember getting pretty hyped when I first heard about it. But even today, not even a leak circulated. And to be honest, I'm glad I didn't hear it. I can't imagine how someone like Method Man, Ghostface or Raekwon would sound on this, to be honest. Anyway, this is a decent one, misleading title aside.
5. Own It
I like to call this the second part of "It's Yourz/Wu-Tang Forever" as it uses the same sample. This time, it's a lot more dark and moody as Drake sings about letting a girl have his heart and feelings. PARTYNEXTDOOR comes through with some background vocals and he kills it. Plus, the song has a very nice concept and is very interesting. Plus, the infamous lyrics "Niggas talk more than bitches these days/Who could get the pussy quicker these days" is one of my favourite lines from him and is pretty true. It's not one of my favourites though, but hey, it's better than "Wu-Tang Forever" though.
6. Worst Behavior
This shit BANGS! It banged when I first heard it and it's still one of my favourites from the album. DJ Dahi creates such a fire beat as Drake gets celebratory about his success and how back then no one knew or even cared about him and his crew. The first and second verse sees Drake in his confident self, rapping about his success and luxurious life. However, the third verse switches his flow up as it's to the same structure as Ma$e's infamous verse on the classic "Mo Money Mo Problems". It's a great song, and both Drizzy & Dahi killed this (Dahi on the boards and Drake on the mic). One of my favourite songs on the album.
7. From Time (feat. Jhené Aiko)
Jhené Aiko is on hook duties as on this sombre song, Drake reunites with an old flame and has a conversation. The first verse sees him rap about his current problems with his girl, but when the second verse kicks in, the beat makes a turning point, as Drake looks back at his previous problems before he was famous. It's a very personal and reflecting song that has deep and thoughtful lines such as "I like when money makes a difference but don't make you different" or "My mother is 66 and her favorite line to hit me with is: Who the fuck wants to be 70 and alone?/You don't even know what you want from love anymore". Drake lets the listener hear his thoughts and they're pretty interesting. It's something sad, reflective and very introspective. Jhené was beautiful on the hook, and she did well! And 40 and Gonzales were nice with the production (that piano though!). One of the many standouts on this album.
8. Hold On, We're Going Home (feat. Majid Jordan)
Never really cared for this song, to be honest. It's very alternative, synth-like and has a lot of electronic vibes to it. Drake's singing on here was good, and Majid Jordan's appearance was nice. Even the video is pretty interesting. But I always thought it never clicked like that. Kinda found it boring. That's all I have to say.
9. Connect
On this standout, Drizzy touches on a toxic on-and-off relationship, and how he still wants to be with the girl even if she makes him feel bad about himself, trying to justify his reasons. There are a lot of baseball references (especially with the opening sample setting the mood), such as "home run", "swanging" and "connect" (aka the song title). The mood changes by the 3rd verse, as it gets more chill and ambient than usual, and the car sounds hint at him driving to his girl's house, which makes the song even more interesting and better. 40's instrumental is just freakin' wavey, and the background sample is tight! Love this track.
10. The Language
Can't deny that this song freakin' BANGS! Damn, is that beat hard! This track is more of a braggadocio rap, which sees Drake asserting his position as rap's elite. He knows he's on top right now, and can't help but brag about his success and position in rap. His 2 verses are very celebratory, getting very confident and cocky. Birdman aka the #1 Stunna delivers a fire outro, and I loved it, really added on to the vibe. Fawkin' BANGER!!!!
11. 305 to My City (feat. Detail)
Arguably the weakest track on the album. Don't get me wrong, it's actually pretty good. The beat is pretty wavey, that shit got me bumping my head. And Drake's flow and content is aight. Plus, it's pretty catchy and has an interesting concept. I think my problem was that it didn't come to me like that. It always felt like something was lacking. Detail's hook was kinda annoying too. I honestly thought it could be better.
12. Too Much
Drake connects with UK singer Sampha for one of his most personal and introspective songs to date. This track sees Drizzy being anxious towards reaching his goal of being the best rapper in the game. The first verse encompasses all of his life for the last 4 years ever since So Far Gone, coming with a harsh ass delivery, as he vents. The second verse is more personal and emotional, with Drake being upset about the fact that money and fame has driven him and his family apart, and has led to anger, jealousy and resentment. And he doesn't want his family to think about it too much, and actually think about why he tried so hard to be where he's at now. This song really gets me thinking, and it's very interesting hearing Drake go to a very personal and emotional level in his music. Sampha on the hook was pretty complementing and I loved his singing. Adds on to the song a lot. One of my favourites!
13. Pound Cake (feat. Jay Z)/Paris Morton Music 2
Easily one of the most anticipated songs on the album, featuring the man himself, Jigga. Sampling an Ellie Goulding song, Drizzy & Jay go on a lyrical spree over a sombre and chill instrumental from Boi-1da & Jordan Evans. Drizzy starts off very well, and has a hard delivery, as he talks about his lifestyle, and how he's focused on his career, trying to come for the spot as the best rapper right now. But I gotta say, Jay was kinda disappointing. I expected him to come harder. I mean, this is Jay we're talking bout. His first part of the verse was decent, but the second part was just lacking! Like, why you talking bout cakes for?! Just spit some hot fire, for fawk's sake! Nevertheless, this song is still heat tho!
But 4 minutes in, and we get a "straight-bars-no hooks" sequel to "Paris Morton Music" (which was originally a remix to Rick Ross' "Aston Martin Music"). It's a more confident and aggressive song, in comparison to "Pound Cake" as he raps about his accomplishments, popularity and being "the man" in the game right now. Detail comes with a chill and laidback instrumental, and is pretty impressive. The drums on here are hard AF, and the piano is just.... OOOOOOO. A concluding standout on the album.
The following are bonus tracks from the deluxe version:
14. Come Thru
This is a fawkin' tune, maaaan. The thing I love about this song is how mixed the vibe is. The first part is more wavey and something to vibe to, as Drake tries to reunite with a girl from the past, telling her to come through and do things with him. Drake provides 2 verses, and the second verse is actually pretty good, with the flow being on point. However, the mood switches from something bedroomy to some dark "Marvin's Room" shit. Drake is wondering why the girl hasn't called him up in time, and, thinking she's talking to someone else, is desperately wanting her to be with him. The beat is more slow, courtesy of 40, and a lot more dark & moody. PARTYNEXTDOOR is also on duty for background vocals, and he's great with it. Love this song.
15. All Me (feat. 2 Chainz & Big Sean)
Originally meant to be on Big Sean's sophomore Hall of Fame, Drizzy, Tity Boi & Sean Don team up for a big banger over a menacing instrumental, courtesy of Key Wane. 2 Chainz starts off the song alright with an average verse. Drake did his thing in the middle of the track. But damn, Big Sean really came through and snapped on his verse. He freakin' bodied that whole song. But there's actually an extra verse from Drizzy, which didn't make it to the album version, due to the sample clearance. Wished it did though. A highlight on the album.
16. The Motion (feat. Sampha)
Originally released as a freebie in anticipation for the album, Drake & Sampha connect for a wavey and pretty funky jam, which sees Drizzy experiment with his flow, trying on new voicing for his raps. His 2 verses were very intriguing, and pretty relatable. He manages to rap about how everybody's calling him up for a feature (due to his popularity) and also looks back at his relationship with his ex. The beat is so funky and chill, thanks to Sampha & 40, and Drake's bars are very impressive. Sampha's singing on the outro was nice, and I loved how the beat switched up near the end. Another standout.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, Nothing Was the Same has to Drake's most straightforward work. An album full of mostly standouts and favourites. It's very refreshing and has a little improvement from Take Care. With 16 tracks, you can hear that Drake has stepped his lyricism up and has improved his subject matter. The vibe on here is pretty different, as he tries some new things and looks at his career and success a lot more. He also manages to get a few different producers, although 40 is frequent on the album. The theme of this is pretty obvious: he's starting to be at the highest point of his career, accepting all the fame, success & popularity. He starts to become a lot more aggressive and confident, trying to come for the spot as the best rapper in the game right now. Although you could hear confidence and how he always knew he was the greatest in Take Care, this album was more of a "I'm back and I'm better" type album. The production on here is, as usual, very diverse. 40 manages to create such a beautiful instrumental for "Tuscan Leather". Jake One's beat on "Furthest Thing" was just fire. And Boi-1da, Allen Ritter & Vinylz create such a banger on "The Language". Unlike Take Care where there was a lot of guest stars, Nothing Was the Same minimizes the features (if we're talking about the standard version). Jhené Aiko's vocals on "From Time" were freakin' soft, sweet and beautiful. Jay Z is the only rap feature, and he does a decent job on "Pound Cake". As for the deluxe, "All Me" is just a tune, and everyone did their thing, especially Big Sean. And Sampha was nice on "The Motion". However, I can understand why some people thought it was a letdown. Many did expect a whole new sound, and while this album did have a different vibe, there was times where the album was lacking and felt like he was still revisiting his previous styles instead of carving new ones. "Wu-Tang Forever" was kinda misleading and I expected better from his verse. "305 to My City" had a dope beat and flow from Drake, but Detail's hook was annoying and I always felt something was lacking. But other than that, I loved this album. Buy it NOW! Take Care is a freakin' classic, but NWTS is just as good as that album, even slightly better. It's such a great album, and nearly every song is dope AF. Drake knows his position in the game, and his content and lyricism on here proved it.
Recommended Tracks
Tuscan Leather
Furthest Thing
Too Much
Connect
Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2
From Time
Come Thru
All Me
The Motion
Worst Behaviour
Almost every track is recommendable!
OK, on to the next one!!!
Released: February 13, 2015
A few months after Nothing Was the Same, Drake released "We Made It", an end-of-year freestyle with Soulja Boy, along with "Trophies". The latter was an outtake from NWTS, produced by Hit-Boy, and unfortunately didn't make the final version of the album. But, Drake intended for the 2 to end off the year, especially "Trophies", which was an attempt to be a NYE anthem. From there, Drake released a few more freebies on SoundCloud: "Draft Day" and "Days in the East" in April and "0 to 100/The Catch Up" in June. The latter would be taken off of SoundCloud to be released as an official single, and is a lot more shorter than the original.
In July 2014, Drake announced that his next album would be titled Views from the 6, paying homage to his hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and its area codes (416 & 647). As time went by, a few tracks started to leak, including the album's supposed title track, "Can I" with Beyoncé and "On a Wave" with Tinashe. In October 2014, in celebration of his 28th birthday, Drake released 3 new songs: "Heat of the Moment", "How Bout Now" and "6 God", which were previously surfaced in raw forms. But the next month, rumours started to surface that Drake was planning to release a mixtape in January 2015. When the month came, the mixtape didn't drop as expected. But more rumors ended up surfacing that it'd drop on February 13th, which would coincide with the 6th anniversary of his breakthrough So Far Gone. Nor Drake or anyone from his team actually confirmed this, which did decrease the hype, with fans thinking that it was a lie. However, on the 12th, Drake released a short film called "Jungle", which featured snippets of some new Drake, including "Know Yourself" and "Jungle". But Friday came and he dropped the mixtape out of nowhere, under the name If You're Reading This It's Too Late.
His fourth commercial release, If You're Reading This It's Too Late coincided with So Far Gone's 6th anniversary and was filled with 17 tracks, featuring guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Travis Scott and PARTYNEXTDOOR, and production from Boi-1da, 40, WondaGurl, TM88 and more. When the rumors first surfaced, many people thought IYRTITL was gonna be a free mixtape. But instead, it was released as a retail project. Due to this, there has been a debate whether the project was an album or a mixtape, although Drake himself referred to it as a "mixtape". It was available for stream on LiveMixtapes and SoundCloud before being removed.
The mixtape received mostly positive reviews from critics, praising it for its different sound and how Drake doesn't sound like he WANTS TO be remembered as one of the greats, sounding like he already is. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 535k copies in its first week. It was streamed 17.3m times on Spotify, breaking Drake's own record of NWTS's streams during its first week. In August 2015, it was certified Platinum, and as of December, has sold 1.1m copies.
Let's check it out!
1. Legend
The hard-hitting intro to the mixtape, with a beat from PARTYNEXTDOOR, which sees Drake flaunt his success and feel like a legend, as his popularity starts to rise. He's not worried about any competition, feeling like he's the only one really doing this. The beat on here is just fire, and I love how it always manages to switch up. PND really flipped that Ginuwine sample up like DAAAMMMNNN!!!! A solid opener.
2. Energy
Probably Drake's most aggressive and harshest song to date, where he claps back at the haters. He's a lot more serious and comes in a lot more harder than before. This was something that was meant to shut all the people that underestimated him, thinking he was as soft as a teddy bear. He highlights a lot of things, such as manipulative girls, his finances, rappers he don't really like and his homies not getting the chance to leave home. You can tell he's mad, and wants to get a lot of shit off his chest, cos he was fully spazzing on this track. The beat just BANGS!!! Kudos to Boi-1da & OB. Woooo, I love this!
3. 10 Bands
On this banger, Drake shows off his wealth, rapping about how he owns a house in Calabasas, being successful off Degrassi, and also the moves he's been making. It's just a braggadocio and celebratory banger that really doesn't have any concept to it apart from Drake talking about his money. The beat is fawkin' fire, thanks to Boi-1da (once again) and Sevn Thomas, and it's weird cos the sample sounds like a bedtime jingle, haha. One of my favourites.
4. Know Yourself
Arguably the most popular song off the mixtape, which coined the term "woes", which, ever since, has been used by almost everyone nowadays. Like "10 Bands", it's another banger, which sees Drizzy touching on a few things, such as exposing the fakes, having a lot of money, and trying to keep his spot in the rap game. While the first part of the song is a lot darker in sound, the beat switches up into something light that was more accessible to listeners, and was the memorable part of the song. Here, he gets more braggadocio, and raps about his crew and how he rides around Toronto. He also admits to thinking about women & money, which is funny cos isn't that what has been on his mind since his career blew up? Anyway, Boi-1da, Vinylz & Syk Sense do their thing with the beat, and it's amazingl failing to disappoint. The sample on here is even more hypnotizing and sleepy. A standout!
5. No Tellin'
Woooo!!! This song BANGS!!!! On this song, Drake looks at how much he has accomplished, and that there's no tellin what will happen next. He raps about spending nights at the club, killing other rappers and how popular he is that he took a break in the Summer of 2014 and no one noticed. The flow switches up in the second verse, coming with memorable lines such as "Okay, I had to switch the flow up on you niggas/The shit was gettin' too predictable" and "It's our year (aw yeah), Aw yeah/I mean besides Ricky Ross, Aubrey the biggest boss here (grunt)/What's the word these days?/Buncha' niggas chasing after all these woman they don't even know (WOOO)". The beat changes almost near the 3 minute mark to a softer and chill one, sampling a song called "No Talk" by River Tiber. This part is more thoughtful and introspective, as Drizzy focuses on the possibilities of his future. He knows he's at a higher place, trying to keep his spot, and not let enemies get in his way. There are much better lines such as "I gotta keep watchin' for oppers cause anything's possible, yeah/There's no code of ethics out here, anyone will take shots at you, yeah" and "Please do not speak to me like I'm that Drake from four years ago/I'm at a higher place". The beat is even more better and I love it. Another standout!
6. Madonna
Named after the Queen of Pop, Drizzy creates a little something more for the ladies. This that type of shit you vibe to at a late night, like 3am in the morning before the sun rises up. The subject matter of this track sees Drake trying to hook up with a girl, saying that if they slept with each other and had sex, it'd make her famous the same way Madonna slept with songwriters and producers to make herself famous. The beat is pretty dark and moody, with 40 on the boards, and Drake's 2 verses (the second being added to the physical version) on here are alright. Plus, his hook is pretty lazy and laidback. However, while it's decent, it isn't a song that I'd pick to play over and over again, as it doesn't really have that vibe for me IMO. It's still good though!
7. 6 God
Originally released as a free single on SoundCloud in October, Boi-1da & Syk Sense samples a soundtrack from Donkey Kong Country 2 to create a bass-heavy banger. Drake only provides one verse, which sees him once again get aggressive and harsh. Some of the lyrics on here don't make me question him though. The way he says "watch your motherf***in tone, boy" as if he's hard and got shooters just makes me cringe. The flow is kinda annoying, and the ad-libs really annoy me to be honest. But obviously, you can't deny the beat is fire though.
8. Star67
On this dark and wavey banger, Drake gives us a throwback, taking us back to the days when he was growing up in Toronto, thinking of ways to get money. The first part is more of a wavey banger, with Drake talking about his current state, even taking a jab at his label. But it gets more serious, dark and more thoughtful as Drake reminisces about his past life, and connects it with his life now. His rapping and singing is a lot more lazier and mature than the first part, which was more celebratory and braggadocio. Vinylz killed that beat, and I loved it. The song is pretty interesting, and it's nice to hear about Drizzy's past life before the fame (and I don't mean Degrassi). His hook was catchy and reflective, and it gets you thinking about the hard work he puts in, being glad that he got to where he's at today. Love this track!
9. Preach (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR)
I never really cared for this. IMO, it's prolly the weakest track on here. The hook is weak, PND was lacking on this, and Drake did an average job with the verse. Plus, I wasn't feeling the beat. But the end is on some Jersey Club shit though.
10. Wednesday Night (Interlude) [performed by PARTYNEXTDOOR]
We get an interlude from PND, which is a slow introspective jam that takes a break from the rap-heavy first half of the mixtape. PND realises how it's been a long time since he's slept with his girl, because there's been a lot on his mind. He's lonely on a Wednesday night, and decides to call her. His singing on here is just amazing, and I freakin' love the beat. The sample is pretty eerie and creepy, and adds on to the song. It's such a good break from the mixtape, and is so damn wavey and chill. This that type of shit you vibe to at a late night, and it doesn't fail to impress.
11. Used To (feat. Lil Wayne)
This was originally on Lil Wayne's mixtape Sorry 4 the Wait 2, which was released back in January. But, it pops up on here with a second verse from Drake, and takes off Wayne's autotune. I happen to love this version a lot more. I always felt like it was more of Drake's song rather than Wayne, and him coming with another verse just adds on to the track. And that verse was fire. I'm a lot more comfortable with Weezy's verse, as the painful autotune is finally off. He sounds more refreshing. The beat is just freakin' MAUD, kudos to WondaGurl, and that bass though. Woooooo!!!! Fawkin' BANGER!
12. 6 Man
Another bass-heavy banger, which sees Drizzy extolling the virtues of a man from his area, rapping about how hard he works for his position for the rap game, and explains how cold-hearted he is. He manages to refer to his local area, along with basketball player Lou Williams who, at the time, was to win the 6th Man of the Year award, and even does an interpolation of The Roots & Erykah Badu's "You Got Me" at the end. Drake really snapped on this, and that beat got me jumping like DAMN! This shit BANG.
13. Now & Forever
I can't be the only one that has a feeling that some of the lyrics sound like a suicide note, haha. Just pay attention to the lyrics, and you'll understand. Anyway, there are 2 concepts to this song. Here, Drake sings about his separation from the Cash Money label, not sure of what the future holds after this. But it also might refer to a messy relationship, in which Drake probably feels like his girl is holding him back, and has had enough. The vibe is very dark, emotional and pretty intriguing. The content was pretty interesting, and it was nice to see Drake mix his relationship and label problems to make this song. I never cared for it before, but to be honest, it's actually pretty decent.
14. Company (feat. Travis Scott)
Drizzy & La Flame link up for this dark, moody and eerie track, where Drake is trying to get with a girl, not wanting to have a relationship with her, and just wanting company. 2 minutes in, and finally, the beat drops, only to go back to normal when Travis comes on. While at the beginning, it was very dark and moody, Travis' part is even more eerie and spooky, and he continues where Drake left off, rapping about wanting to spend time with his girl and tour around the city. His flow is even better than Drizzy on this one, and he manages to deliver. One thing I hated was that the beat never dropped and continued like I expected it to. They could've done more with the drums. Other than that, this is great.
15. You & the 6
A personal and sombre track, dedicated to Drake's mother, where Drake discusses the issues he had growing up, and how his mother, along with the city had raised him right and helped him get over it. He also talks about his position and how people are trying to be him. The first verse is more about his conversation with his mother, telling her how messy his life is, with her giving advice to him. The second talks about his dad, and how he raised and looked after Drake. He reminisces about some personal moments, such as being bullied for being Jewish, and criticized by many for his "softness" in the rap game. It's a very interesting and emotional song that is pretty relatable with its content, reflection and emotion. A standout on the album.
16. Jungle
This song is just freakin' beautiful, on God! Out of almost every song, this is the one I always vibe to. It's that good! Getting its title from a particularly rough neighbourhood in Toronto, this song is more like an ode to a girl from the "Jungle" who Drake struggles to stay connected to as his fame grows. The beat is just too chill and laidback, with 40 on the boards, and I love the freakin' sample. Drake's singing on here is a lot better than on most of the tracks on the tape, and it's just so impressive. This is one of those songs where you can see his singing improving a lot on here. And this time, it has improved MASSIVELY!!! Such a freakin' smooth and chill track, and one of my favourites.
17. 6pm in New York
The best song on the album, and it was regarded as a freakin' bonus. On the third instalment of the Time & Location series (following up "9am in Dallas" and "5am in Toronto"), Drake attacks a few figures, including Tyga, while also reflecting on his success and the problems going on today. It's a pretty interesting song, where Drake tackles a lot of issues, which really needed to be said, such as people just tweeting about a death instead of actually doing something about it. The beat is just monstrous and Drake was really going off on it, like never before. I know a lot of people overlooked the whole song, mainly cos of the Tyga line at the time, but really, who gives a shit? He touches on more better things than that, such as "Best I Ever Had" feeling like a decade ago or how people use the paparazzi for attention. And if you're like me, you'd know this song is freakin' fire. If you thought "9am in Dallas" and "5am in Toronto" was fire, this one is even better.
Final Thoughts
Last year, who would've thought Drake dropped a mixtape outta nowhere. With no promotion, singles or marketing, just a surprise drop. If You're Reading This It's Too Late is straight heat. Nearly everything on here was a highlight. Unlike his other projects, Drake goes through a different sound, which is more radio-friendly, experimental and messes with a few elements from other genres. On this mixtape, Drake is a lot more confident, aggressive and very cocky, and unlike NWTS, knows he got the crown and is running the game, trying to stop anyone in his way. He's a lot more happy about his life and career, as his success and fame is getting bigger and the amount of celebratory bangers on here proves it. There's no theme to it, and it just sees Drake looking at his life and being proud of where he's at. The mixtape starts off with "Legend", where Drake is saying he'll die a legend, considering his popularity and success. He manages to come at the haters and go off on "Energy" and brag about his money and the moves he's been making on "10 Bands". He continues reflecting on this and being proud of it as the mixtape goes on. His singing and rapping has improved massively on here, especially on "Jungle" and "6pm in New York". The production on here is banging! Boi-1da was killing it on "10 Bands", "No Tellin'" and "6pm in New York". 40 did his thing on "Madonna" and "Jungle". PARTYNEXTDOOR surprised me with his production on "Legend" and the "Wednesday Night" interlude. The features, like NWTS are minimal. Travis Scott added a dark vibe to "Company". Lil Wayne sounded much better without autotune on "Used To". And PARTYNEXTDOOR was amazing on "Wednesday Night (Interlude)". From best to.... I wouldn't say worst, I'd rank this at the bottom. It has a lot of replay value, but IMO, didn't have that click that Take Care & Nothing Was the Same had. Overall, I love this. While I still regard it as a weaker work (at least it's better than Thank Me Later), it's still a great project that has heavy replay value. I recommend a few bucks on this! Almost every track on here is amazing, and doesn't disappoint. If You're Reading This It's Too Late is just another effort that proves that Drake is not going anywhere and is here to stay...
Recommended Tracks
6pm in New York
Jungle
You & The 6
No Tellin
Used To
10 Bands
Star 67
Wednesday Night (Interlude)
Know Yourself
And now, a feature presentation...
After the release of If You're Reading This It's Too Late, Drake was on a roll. He went on tours and headlined a few events such as Wireless Festival. In July, Drake was featured on fellow rapper Future's third album Dirty Sprite 2, and around the same time, signed a deal with Apple Music, which was Apple's new streaming service, which had a Beats 1 Radio channel. He started his new radio series called OVO Sound Radio, which Drake used as an advantage to premiere new songs and remixes, including "Hotline Bling", "Right Hand" and the remix of Ramriddlz' "Sweeterman". In July, Drake & Meek Mill got into a feud, after Meek said that Drake doesn't write his own rhymes. This caused Drake to release "Charged Up" and "Back to Back" in a few days before Meek replied with "Wanna Know". In September, he released a joint mixtape with Future called What a Time to Be Alive, featuring 9 tracks from the two, and 2 solo tracks (one from Future, and one from Drake). On Drake's solo "30 for 30 Freestyle", he hinted at a January release date for his long-awaited album Views from the 6, saying "But just know it'll be January in no time". A lot of people got hyped and thought Drake would drop it out of nowhere, assuming with every OVO Sound Radio episode in January that it was about to come out. The album failed to drop on January 15, with many feeling deceived and lied to. But when Drake said he was hosting another OVO Sound Radio episode on the 30th, many thought again that it'd drop on that day. Instead, "Summer Sixteen", a pre-album single dropped. And good news: he announced that the album was actually coming in April.
Many were hyped and were anticipating the album so much, considering how long he's been working on the album. Between late March and early April, a few songs started to leak, including "Controlla" with Popcaan and "Faithful" with the late Pimp C. On April 5, Drake released 2 singles: "Pop Style" with Jay Z & Kanye West (who were credited as The Throne) and "One Dance" with Wizkid & Kyla. The first track "Pop Style", although a banger, was criticized as they thought Drake's verse on there was lacking, with cringey lines like "Got so many chains they call me Chaining Tatum" (really, Drake?), and also the lack of a Jay Z verse. "One Dance", on the other hand, was more of a funky Afrobeat/dance track, which was a lot more popular in the UK, considering it sampled a well-known funky house track (The Crazy Cousinz remix of Kyla's "Do You Mind"). A few days later, Drake announced on an OVO Sound Radio episode that Views from the 6 would finally drop on the 29th, and on the same day, premiered a alternate version of "Pop Style" with a new verse from Drake. He started to promote the album by opening up pop-up shops around the US, in places like New York, LA and Miami, before going to Toronto on the 24th, where he announced that the album would have around 20 tracks on it. On the same day, he unveiled the cover art, which was quickly made fun of on social media. The 27th saw Drake reveal the tracklist, with 19 tracks + "Hotline Bling" (as a bonus) being on the album; and on the 28th, the title was shortened from Views from the 6 to simply VIEWS. Finally, after being premiered on OVO Sound Radio, the album was released the next day.
VIEWS featured 20 tracks, with guest appearances from various artists such as dvsn, Rihanna, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Future; and various production from Boi-1da, 40, Cardo, Nineteen85 & more. Led by "Pop Style" and "One Dance", the album has been in the works for over 2 years. and unlike most of his projects, features afrobeat, trap and dancehall elements, and the usual dark/ambient and introspective production. In anticipation, the album was preceded by a few pre-album singles such as the Meek Mill diss "Back to Back", "Right Hand", along with leaks like "Can I" with Beyoncé and "On a Wave" with Tinashe. The album has a particular theme, which are the changing seasons of Toronto: the R&B songs are part of the Winter part of the theme, while the trap-influenced and dancehall-influenced tracks are part of the Summer part.
I don't even know how much it sold (or the sales projections), and whether it had critical acclaim etc. This shit just came out yesterday. YESTERDAY!!!!! Let's go...
1. Keep the Family Close
The album opens up with a personal and introspective track, which sees Drizzy singing about his trust issues, and how as time went by, he lost many friends (like Meek Mill). His friends might have betrayed him but he still had his family by his side, protecting himself from getting hurt. Unlike his other opening tracks, Drake isn't rapping about how his career has increased, or the shit he has got into, and instead sings about personal shit and losing friends. This is another one of those songs, where you can actually hear the improvement in Drake's voice. He sounds a lot more refreshing on this track, and I love it. The instrumental is just EPIC and dramatic! It's something a lot more orchestral and has a lot of live instrumentation. Kudos to Maneesh for that. So beautiful!!! An amazing opening track.
2. 9
This is more of an anthem for the Toronto niggas, as he pays homage to his home city. He claims that he "turned the 6 upside down", making it a 9. But it also refers to the moves he's been making that has influenced his city. I can understand that lyric, but I can't be the only one that cringed at it. The beat was actually decent, but Drake's lyrics were lacking on this. It's not really one I'd put on repeat.
3. U With Me?
OOOOOOO!!!! I'm actually fawkin' with this. This one features a lot more rapping, and Drake is trying to ask a girl is really with him, and here to stay. The beat is good for the majority of the track, and is pretty ambient. Drake's 2 verses are actually great, excluding that Happy Meal line. But when the 3rd verse kicks in, the beat switches to what was actually the beat for the leaked title track back in 2014. He was on his Bryson Tiller on that part. Damn, he was really hitting the high notes. Like, I had to run that shit back when I heard it. I was that surprised! Never knew Drizzy could snap like that. A lot of producers are on this track, including Kanye & 40, and they do their thing with the production. I love this track, one of my favourites!
4. Feel No Ways
This one is a lot more electronic and nostalgic, with a lot of synths, as Jordan Ullman gets on the boards. Drake sings about a girl who has gotten "gassed up", tarnishing Drake's name, making him have different feelings about their relationship (even though the relationship was going to fail anyways). He's trying to move on, but she makes him feel sad and guilty about it. The verses on here were pretty good, and his singing was nice on here, and that short beat switch-up near the end got me surprised. Overall, I like it, it's very decent and has a very interesting concept.
5. Hype
This shit fawkin' BANGS! OOOOOOO, Nineteen85 & Boi-1da killed it. Here, Drake uses a similar flow to "Summer Sixteen", highlighting how the game has changed, and his competition always fails to 1up him. It sounds like it address the whole beef with Meek, with lines like "I don't run out of material/You shouldn't speak on me, period/You try to give 'em your side of the story, they heard it, but they wasn't hearin' it", and also raps about how haters and rappers are trying to tarnish his legacy. The lyrics on here were alright, with a Juelz Santana line and already declaring VIEWS as a classic. I certainly love the lines at Meek, and he snapped on this better than he did on "Back to Back". Great song!
6. Weston Road Flows
I already had a feeling from the title that this was gonna be some introspective shit. Sampling "Mary's Joint" (by Mary J. Blige), Drake takes a throwback to his past in Weston Road (a road in Toronto), where he grew up in as a child. He reflects on his beginnings, along with how much work he has put in to be where he's at now. He even throws in an infamous "What are those?!" line, and it's pretty suiting, especially when he raps about other people's first-week numbers. 40 comes through with a ambient and soulful instrumental, and like the rest of his beats, it doesn't disappoint. This is pretty much the Time & Location instalments all in one. And hearing this is one of the main reasons why I fawk with Drake. One of the best songs on here!
7. Redemption
A slow and smooth ass jam, where Drake wants to rebuild bridges he burnt with his former lovers while on the come up. The first 3 verses see him scorning a girl for the emotional pressure she had put him through. And he's mad that she's spending time with another guy, telling her that he still has feelings for her. But the fourth verse kicks in and God damn, it's not surprising that the beat switches up. He raps about how relationships are slowing down his focus on his career, and that it means a lot when people say they're proud of him. It's a lot more thoughtful, personal and introspective, compared to the previous three verses, coming with bars like "Wonder what they'd do put in my position/I wonder, when my shit drop, do they listen?/Wonder if they're second guessin' their decisions/I hate the number 2, that shit is unforgiven" or "Who's gonna save me when I need savin'?/Since Take Care, I've been caretakin'". The beat is smooth and laidback, with 40 on the boards with the heat once again. His singing on here was great, and I loved the 4th verse.
8. With You (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR)
PND & Drake are back with another collab. And, as usual, it's not a disappointing one. The song is more of a EDM-infused track, mixing with the two's ambient production. The two both reminisce about the good & bad of their respective relationships with women. Party starts off very nice, with them fire vocals. Drake was also good with his verse. But Jeremih manages to come through and sing the hook at the end, and God damn, did he kill it! I wished he had a verse though. Anyway, I can vibe to this. Great song!
9. Faithful (feat. Pimp C & dvsn)
A song previously leaked in unfinished form back in the start of this month finally gets a mastered a final version. It mirrors the sensitive and emotional vibe of 2011's Take Care, as Drake explains a fondness for a girl, who is too busy working to get into a relationship. The verse from the late Pimp C (which was sampled from "Tom Ford (Remix), released back in 2014) is still on here, but OVO signee dvsn also comes through with a verse. The beat on here is amazing, and the bass is too much. All 3 do well on this track. Pimp's verse was great, and Drake did his thing with his verse. But dvsn was just amazing! That nigga can sing, and this (along with his album Sept. 5th) proved it. OOOOOO, them high notes though! SHEIT, man! The vibes are just in full effect, and this was one that had that classic Drake sound. One of my favourites.
10. Still Here
On this banger, Drake reflects on how far he has come in his career, and tells us that he ain't going nowhere, hence the title. The beat is wavey and freakin' SLAPS. This is more celebratory and something to turn up to, rapping about the money he has earnt, his spot in rap and receiving the key to Toronto. His flow on here was nice & on point. And I loved the beat. Solid track.
11. Controlla
Originally leaked back in March as a collab with Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan, "Controlla" finally gets a spot on the album. However, Popcaan is omitted from this version, and Drizzy replaces him with a Beenie Man sample and an extra verse. Anyway, this one is a dancehall-infused track, continuing where he left off with Rihanna's "Work", as he details a commitment with a woman. The 3 verses are still great, but I actually loved the new verse. I know a lot of y'all, especially you Jamaicans were mad AF when you didn't hear Popcaan on it. But that doesn't mean this still ain't fire. Boi-1da added a lot more to the beat, and that Beenie Man sample was pretty good. I loved it when it first leaked, and this version made me love the song even more. Another one of the best tracks on the album.
12. One Dance (feat. Wizkid & Kyla)
When this song first came out, I instantly loved it. Released with "Pop Style", I was fawking with this one a lot more. Nineteen85 samples a classic funky house song from Kyla called "Do You Mind" (actually the Crazy Cousinz remix) to create an afrobeat/dancehall-infused track. Drake's 2 verses were great, and I loved his singing on it. Nigerian afrobeat artist Wizkid comes through to sing the break and bridges. No offence, but he kinda sounds like a Bollywood singer on the break though. But near the end though, the beat switches like DAAAMMMNN!!! Love this song.
13. Grammys (feat. Future)
Drake & Future have always delivered together. Whenever they link up for a track, it never disappoints. Their chemistry is just on point! "Tony Montana", "Never Satisfied", "Where Ya At", the What a Time to Be Alive mixtape. And now this! On this banger, the two both look at their musical past and successful careers as musicians. Drake's verse has that C-Biz flow (check this track out if you wanna see the similarities). Future also delivers with the mumbling, providing a solid hook and verse. It's one where he actually manages to go in hard, and he sounds a lot more aggressive, bringing a "no-f***s-given" attitude with his verse. The beat, as usual, bangs, as Southside & 40 are on the boards. Niggas about to be making viral dances to this track now.
14. Child's Play
I thought this song was gonna be on some next-level lyrical shit. Like "Energy" or something. But I was wrong. Sampling a bounce classic, Drake tries and explains to a woman about how childish she is, as she picks fights with him, and how she's like with him. The verses are nice, and the hook is catchy AF. His flow was tight, and the beat is freakin' wavey. I'm loving this.
15. Pop Style
Originally released with Jay Z & Kanye West (who were credited as The Throne), "Pop Style" makes it onto the album, but omits both Jay & Kanye, replacing them with the new verse from Drake, which previously premiered on OVO Sound Radio at the start of April. I'm surprised the first verse didn't change, especially that cringey Chaining Tatum line. That was the main reason why I didn't like that song at the first place. Plus, the verse was lacking, and Jay only had 2 lines. But that new verse really delivered, really made me like the song, unlike before. He takes a few subliminal shots at Meek & Mo-G (who allegedly was a ghostwriter for Drake, and was mad about the credit he didn't get), and raps about his consistent run in radio, and how he deserves a #1 on the Billboard charts. This was damn sure better than the original, and I'm glad he replaced it. A way to make fans feel satisfied!
16. Too Good (feat. Rihanna)
Another song for the Summer. You know every Drake & Rihanna song has been a hit, and this one just adds on to their chemistry, as they follow-up "Work". It has an island vibe, and is about a couple who treat each other too good for the other person, while the receiver of love doesn't appreciate it, and instead takes it for granted. Drake is pretty good on here, but I freakin' loved Rihanna, although her verse was a little short. I wished she sang with Drizzy on that 3rd verse. Nineteen85 doesn't disappoint with the production, creating such a funky dancehall beat for the two to sing on. This about to play non-stop on the radio. This may be the one that might top the charts soon enough. What a tune!
17. Summer's Over (Interlude) [performed by Majid Al Maskati]
You know the interludes on Drake's albums are always on point. From "Bria's Interlude" with Omarion (on So Far Gone) to PARTYNEXTDOOR's wavey "Wednesday Night" interlude from If You're Reading This It's Too Late. This album's interlude comes from Majid Al Maskari aka 1/2 of Majid Jordan, which captures the melancholic turn back to the cold weather. It really suits the concept to the album, which is about how Toronto only has 2 seasons: Summer & Winter. It's a good interlude, considering the bangers and island-vibe tracks we've just had.
18. Fire & Desire
On this one, 40 samples Brandy's "I Dedicate (Part III)" as Drizzy exhibits his dedication to one woman, although she’s already taken by another man. While he & the girl have spent time together, he's wondering if she's ready to leave the man she's dating for him. The vibe is just amazing. On some Take Care shit. 40 sampled that Brandy song very well, and that beat is just so soulful, like OOOOO!! Them nostalgia chills there. But I can't be the only one that feels like this was a quick song. Like, it's 4 minutes, yet felt like it was 2. Maybe, I was actually vibing to it a lot.
19. Views
No doubt, the best song on the freakin' album. The conclusion to the album sees Drizzy paint a picture of his road to success, as Maneesh samples The Winans' "The Question Is". The song really shows Drake at his most introspective, with lines like "Who you think running this show?/You saw it in me at 20 years old/The lingo start to sound like we talking in code" and "Me and Niko used to plot on how to make a change/Now me and Kobe doing shots the night before the game". He doesn't fail to impress with the lyrics, and he was really going off on this beat. Speaking of which, that beat is just bananas! Like.... OOOOOO!!!! Them gospel samples there. Kinda reminds me of "Lord Knows". It's the only song on the album that really reminded me of Take Care & Nothing Was the Same, and it just shows how far Drake has come in his career. This song is just amazing, up there with the Time & Location series (along with "The Ride").
The following is a bonus track:
20. Hotline Bling
I really didn't expect this song to actually be on here, to be honest. The song has already been rinsed out, and now it's on my phone! I know it was a hit, nearly getting a #1 on the Billboard 200, but honestly, it was better as a pre-album single. I mean, he could've added "Can I", a finished version of "On A Wave" or even "Summer Sixteen" as a bonus, not this. Oh well... this song is decent. It's still a banger, and still gets played every now and then. Drake's singing on this was alright, and Nineteen85's beat is pretty good, as he sampled a soul song from Timmy Thomas. A solid track.
Final Thoughts
VIEWS has to be Drake's most diverse project of his career. We've waited a long time for this, and God damn, was it worth it! Most of the tracks on here are fire, and, like almost every Drake album, has only a few to none weak tracks
The album's theme is simple. It focuses on how the seasons are like in Toronto. The album starts off with the Winter side, which sees Drake with emotional and personal lyrics over ambient, trap and introspective production, with tracks such as "Keep the Family Close", "U With Me?" and "Redemption". By "Controlla", we move onto the Summer side, where there are a lot more bangers and dancehall/afrobeat-infused tracks like "One Dance", "Child's Play" and "Too Good", before Majid settles down the vibe with "Summer's Over". The features are great, and are kept at an acceptable level. Not too much like Take Care, and not too little. PARTYNEXTDOOR was great on "With You". dvsn killed his verse on "Faithful". I loved Rihanna on "Too Good". And Majid really settled the Summer vibe with "Summer's Over", reverting the them back to its emotional and cold Winter side. The production is A1, very top-notch. Maneesh killed it on "Keep the Family Close" and the title track. 40 was amazing, as usual, providing the smooth and soulful beats for "Weston Road Flows" and "Fire & Desire". Boi-1da did his thing on "Controlla" and "Hype". Jordan Ullman really provided such an alternative beat with "Feel No Ways". It got that new wave sound. Nineteen85 was great on "One Dance" and "Too Good".
One thing about VIEWS is that his singing has certainly improved. Back when So Far Gone, Thank Me Later and Take Care dropped, his singing was good, don't get me wrong, but you could see there was still room for improvement. This album just proved that his singing has just gotten better. The intro "Keep the Family Close" features a lot of wonderful singing, and his range really improved on that track. The beat switch on "U With Me?" when he hit them high notes still gas me up. "Redemption" is a smooth jam, and he really did well on that one too.
However, while most of the tracks on here I loved, I can understand why many would classify it as his weak project. There wasn't enough balance with the singing and rapping, to be honest. I hardly heard that much rapping from him, and most of the tracks, he was just singing way too much. On the Summer part of the album, there wasn't that much bangers, apart from "Hype", "Still Here" and "Controlla". Plus, there were a lot of struggle bars on the album: "You toyin' with it like Happy Meal", "And I turn the 6 upside down, it's a 9 now", and don't even get me started with the Chaining Tatum line, for goodness sake! That shit got me asking "where were the ghostwriters?" (chill! I'm joking).
Overall, after a few listens, I'd rank this album at the bottom, like last place. Thank Me Later is even better than this. Look, it was very diverse, and consistent with the vibes. I got a lot of mixed vibes with this one, like never before, whether it was something chill and laidback, something banging or something that had an island-vibe. And his singing has definitely came a long way. But when you think about it, considering the 2 year hype and how many expected it to be his best work or an instant classic, it was pretty disappointing. Most of the tracks were him going back to his old ways and I felt like he wasn't really putting his all into it like we thought he would. I mean, with a title like Views (from the 6), I expect a full-on album that would have a BIG look into the city of Toronto and its perspective. Instead, I got Take Care-like songs, and struggle bars, along with tracks that didn't really do anything new. Like, I really wanted him to come harder, especially in terms of lyricism, because his bars were lacking, I mean, REALLY lacking. I wanted beautiful shit like "Jungle" or lyrical tracks like "Jodeci Freestyle". As for the experimentation, I thought the album could've branched out more with it. Drake can do better than this, and he knows it. I wanted better than this, and while I appreciate the album's theme and how this was dedicated to his city, it still wasn't good enough. He's dropping more music around the Summer, so hopefully, they actually deliver way better than this album. IMO, I think he should drop an EP or mixtape, full of bangers or even full of lyrical tracks. Or he could do a free music series, where he drops something every week. But, anyway, as for now, we got this to listen to.
Recommended Tracks
Views
Weston Road Flows
U With Me?
Controlla
Faithful
With You
Child's Play
Hype
Pop Style
Fire & Desire
Keep the Family Close
