I'm sure a good 100% of my hip hop brethren will throw me to the wolves with this next statement I'm about to make but what the hell? I mess with Drake. Yeah, I said it and it is what it is. In the beginning, I fronted on dude for no other reason then he was light skin and I've never known any dope light skin MC's. But once word got to ear on how nice dude was from folk who don't share any common space with each other whatsoever, I finally gave dude's mixtape "So Far Gone" a spin and the rest in history. So while the rest of the hip hop world spurned dude, I was banging everything from "Over" to "Hotline Bling" and everything else in between. Which is why I was salty as hell when "Views" dropped and it was a straight dud. So I had absolutely no interest or expectations when I heard Drake had something new on tap. But at the end of the day since damn near everybody I rock with gets at least one get outta jail free card (see Com's "Electric Circus") I knew in my heart of hearts that at the end of the day I was gonna end up listening to "More Life." So I guess with all of that said, the question of the hour is could Drake really drop two back to back duds?
Well I can tell you from the door that "More Life" sets off the right way with the Boi 1da produced "Free Smoke" which is BONKERS and has me wondering why these two don't link up much more often, "No Long Talk" has me trying to figure out when did Drake become Jamaican with this fake ass patois accent and "Passionfruit" is where singing Drake comes into the fold and even though Drake can't really sing, I won't hold you this jawn is kinda dope. The 40 produced "Jorja Interlude" is real dope, "Get It Together" has a house/808 & Heartbreaks "Love Lockdown" vibe going on, "Madiba Riddim" and "Blem" brings Drake back to his Jamaican roots (yeah right) and has him shooting for "Work" part 2 on both. Sampha shows up for "4422" and is one of my fave tracks on the album even though Drake is no where to be found but get used to it cause he's MIA on a couple of songs which makes me feel like I'm watching a play and these "Drakeless songs" gives him a sec to change wardrobe for his next scene. "Gyalchester" brings the trap Drake to the forefront and has some one of my fave quotables off the album, "I know I said top 5 but I'm top 2, and I'm not 2 and I got one thought you had one but it's not one nigga nah." "Skepta Interlude" is another one of those interludes sans Drake to change costumes again and come back with "Portland" featuring Quavo and Travis Scott which as much as I don't wanna like it, has a dope knock to it. And ya'll already know that with any Drake album he gotta have some slow jams on tap and that's where "Nothings Into Something" and "Teenage Love" come into play.
"KMT" featuring Griggs brings Drake back to the trap and whoever this dude Griggs is he could literally be the worse MC EVER! Yes, even worse then Malachi from Group Home and here's exhibit A, "clap man dominant earner, I'm a black man government earner/I could just slapped man but he wanted it further, batman da na da na na." Did this UK nigga just say "da na da na na?" Yup...he really did smdh. "Since Way Back" featuring PartyNextDoor has two non singing niggaz...singing. But again, for some reason...I like it. "Fake Love" is dope and has Drake speaking on the fake folk in his life & not trusting anybody, "Ice Melt" featuring Young Thug just makes me feel old cause I don't understand what the hell Young Thug is saying or talking about and "Do Not Disturb" ends "More Life" on a solid note but my fave song on the album is easily the Kanye West featured "Glow." I don't know if it's hearing Kanye actually kinda sounding like the old Kanye or if it's the Earth Wind & Fire "Devotion" sample at the end but this jawn mos def bangs!
The Cover of "More Life" says "a playlist by October Firm" and that's exactly what "More Life" sounds like...a playlist because there's absolutely no cohession to this album what so ever. You'll go from boom bap (or as close as Drake can get to boom bap), to wanna be reggae, to house, to songs that Drake's not even on to R&B, to trap, etc. And the CRAZIEST thing is even though the album is technically and literally ALL over the place...I still like it. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy cause it sounds crazy writing it but it is what it is. God I TRULY feel like I'm in the sunken place right about now because this review makes no sense at all and I know it. Me being a producer, my ears are always tuned in to the production first and foremost and nobody can front on the production on "More Life." Now, the lyrics well that's another story. Cause there's no way in the world that Aubrey will be getting any hip hop quotables in the Source with this album but again...I still like it. I guess, I'm just not expecting any of those "So Far Gone" moments from Drake anymore so I've gotten used to the dumbed down Drake and even though he does still technically rhyme, I haven't looked at Drake as a MC for a minute. In fact, when it comes to Drake I look at dude as the modern day Sammy Davis Jr. And when you think about it like that, who in their right mind could front on Sammy Davis Jr? The sad part about that is I'm sure a good 70% of folk reading this don't even know who Sammy Davis Jr. is. I guess I'm REALLY getting old smdh.
3.5 outta 5 mics
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