Click HERE to stream this album on Apple Music

This album was released on June 29th this year. I’ve been putting off this review for a few reasons. First of all, I haven’t actually liked Drake since like 2012. He’s easily one of the most inconsistent artists I’ve ever listened to. I don’t think I’m gonna like this project because it’s a goddamn double album. Y’all… I fucking hate double albums. I can guarantee that this album is at least 50% filler. I don’t know why Drake decided to make all his projects twice as long as they need to be, but it’s annoying as fuck. This is about to be a major chore to get through. I know it’s not complete trash though. Apparently the first disk is supposed to be the Rap side of the project, and disk two is supposed to be more R&B.

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1. Survival produced by No I.D. & 40

You can probably already see that I’m doing things a little bit differently this time. Padlock Jones made it pretty clear that he doesn’t really wanna do those Aesthetic Responses anymore, so I think he’ll just be taking care of miscellaneous articles and videos. I’m going back to my original reactionary style of reviews. I feel like this method gives a better idea of how I feel about each song. Anyway, the song’s starting now. I really like the electronic-ish sounding production. Right away, Drake’s already hitting us with an absurd level of douchebaggery.

My Mount Rushmore is me with four different expressions

The entire song is just one verse, and that’s it. There’s no hook. It’s just Drake sayin’ random bullshit that I don’t care about. It’s not really that bad. There’s not much to be mad about. I can’t really say I’m enjoying it though. It’s an okay song. I guess. It’s “acceptable.”

2. Nonstop produced by Tay Keith, No I.D. & Noel Cadastre

This album currently has a combined user rating of 1.98 out of 5 on RateYourMusic. That’s pretty fuckin’ terrible. I’m not expecting it to be quite that bad, but I guess I won’t know until I’m finished listening. Anyway, the beat on this track is decent, but I’m really not feelin’ Drake’s lazy flow on this first verse. The hook is actually pretty cool though. Tay Keith looped a sample of a guy named Mack Daddy Ju from a song called My Head Is Spinnin’. It sounds pretty cool. That’s really the only positive comment I can make though. The song is boring as hell. The repetitive beat gets old really quickly, and Drake’s flow is lazy as hell. The song isn’t completely wack, but it’s far from good. I’m not feelin’ it.

3. Elevate produced by Nonstop da Hitman & PARTYNEXTDOOR

The production on this track is a bit more exciting, and the hook is more melodic. It’s a pretty celebratory song. What the fuck… I thought this was supposed to be the Rap side of the album. Why is Drake singing the first verse? His flow gets slightly less melodic during the second half of the song. He’s doing that half Rap half singing shit that he’s famous for. The song is about three minutes, but it feels really short. It’s not really that bad, but there’s absolutely nothing about it that gives it any replay value. It’s another underwhelming song. It’s better than the previous track though.

4. Emotionless produced by 40, The 25th Hour & No I.D.

I actually really like the soulful beat on this song. They sampled Mariah Carey, and it sounds pretty nice. That’s pretty much it as far as my praise for the song goes. I think it’s a pretty lackluster listen. Drake’s flow is boring as hell, and the Mariah Carey sample is used as the hook. I don’t know how Drake manages to say so much uninteresting shit. He’s just not fun to listen to as a rapper. This is another super boring song. Y’all remember how Pusha T broke the news of Drake’s son, Adonis? Of course you do. Well, according to Drake…

I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world
I was hidin’ the world from my kid

His excuse for not responding to Pusha T is “a wise man once said nothin’ at all.” I mean, that’s kinda true, but… That’s such a non-Hip Hop way to think. Pusha T clearly wins this beef, but Duppy was a good track, so it’s not like Drake didn’t put up a decent fight. Anyway, I’m not feelin’ the song. It’s wack to me.

5. God’s Plan produced by Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Boi-1da & 40

I originally talked about this song when I reviewed Drake’s two song EP, Scary Hours. I feel the same way about it now. It’s a good song. The light production is pleasant to listen to, and Drake’s melodic delivery is super catchy. I’m not surprised this track became such a viral hit because it’s pretty fun to listen to. I don’t really have any valid criticisms. It’s dope.

6. I’m Upset produced by Oogie Man

This is easily one of Drake’s worst songs ever. It has a super simplistic, somehow lowkey Trap beat. It’s a chore to listen to. It’s an offensively boring song. It’s about three and a half minutes long, but it feels much longer than that. In fact, the song is so boring that I don’t even have anything to say about it. I can’t believe how boring Drake’s music is these days. I don’t know why I expect more from him. It’s really frustrating when you consider the fact that it’s preceded by the best song on the first disk so far. This shit is wack af.

7. 8 Out of 10 produced by Boi-1da & Jahaan Sweet

This shit is actually kinda hot to be honest. The beat is phenomenal, and I actually kinda like this rebuttal he had to Pusha T.

The only deadbeats is whatever beats I been rappin’ to

I like the way the song is structured, and I think Drake actually sounds pretty good on this beat. None of the lyrics are really that great, but they’re not really bad either. It’s a good song, especially compared to the previous one. It’s dope.

8. Mob Ties produced by Allen Ritter & Boi-1da

I like the beat on this track. They sampled Nas’ Affirmative Action, and I think they did a pretty good job. It doesn’t sound too close to the original. The song itself isn’t really that good to me though. I don’t really like the sung hook, and the lyrics about how Drake has connections with violent mobsters are pretty uninteresting to me personally. The song feels really… Uh… I don’t know what word I’m trying to think of for this track. It’s just really… Umm… Shitty? It sounds like he didn’t really put that much effort into it. It just feels lazy to me. It’s not completely wack, but it’s far from good in my opinion. I’m not feelin’ it.

9. Can’t Take a Joke produced by ModMaxx

The beat on this song is pretty underwhelming. I’m not really feelin’ the first verse, but I gotta give him credit for the breath control. He ran through the entire verse without taking a second to inhale. I’m not really feelin’ the melodic hook. The second verse didn’t really do anything for me either. I’m gonna be honest; I can’t fuck with this song. I’m not entertained even a little bit. I like this shit even less than the previous track. It’s wack to me.

10. Sandra’s Rose produced by DJ Premier & Maneesh

I kinda like the beat on this track. It’s not the level of greatness I’d normally expect from DJ Premier, but it’s good in comparison with a lot of the other beats on this album. I gotta say, the production on this album has been pretty lackluster. You’d think an artist of Drake’s caliber would be able to get his hands on some more impressive instrumentals. Anyway, the first verse on this track is decent I guess. The song has the same structure as Emotionless. The hook is occupied by repetition of the sample. I gotta be honest… Neither of the verses on this song did anything for me. Again, Drake is just a really boring MC to me. He never says anything that stands out in a positive way. If something catches my ear, it’s usually because of how ridiculously egotistical he’s being.

I even got my very own initials inscribed on my sheets

This is definitely one of the more tolerable tracks, but it’s still pretty forgettable.

11. Talk Up featuring JAY-Z produced by DJ Paul

This is the only song with a feature on the first disk of this album. I’m a pretty big fan of DJ Paul’s production, and he definitely didn’t disappoint here. This beat is hard as FUCK. The first verse from Drake was pretty weak. His flow was really unimpressive. I feel like he wasn’t really trying that hard. I can’t remember the last time I heard a song where it sounded like Drake actually put a lot of effort into what he was contributing. The hook is literally just Drake repeating the phrase “you know what I’m saying?” Jay’s verse was kinda wack too. His flow was lazy as hell. That was definitely a Lay-Z verse. It didn’t even sound like he was rapping on beat properly. People have been quoting his last line a lot.

Y’all killed X and let Zimmerman live; streets is done

I don’t get why people were so appalled by that line. If Jay didn’t say it, a thousand other rappers would have. This is a really disappointing song. DJ Paul is the only artist who really came through. It’s honestly really frustrating how lazily Jay & Drake were rhyming on this beat. This shit is wack to me.

12. Is There More produced by Wallis Lane, Preme & Jeffrey Rashad

I’m not really feelin’ the muffled production on this track. It honestly sounds really bad. I think the fact that Drake seems to not be satisfied with the life he’s living is kind of interesting, and the female vocals on the outro were a nice way to switch things up, but goddamn; this is arguably the most boring song on the entire first disk. Honestly, I’ll be shocked if there’s a song more boring than this one on the second disk. This shit is terrible. I’m not feelin’ it at all.

13. Peak produced by 40

The beat on this track is pretty solid. I don’t mind the first verse, and I actually kinda fuck with this hook. The second verse is fine. This actually isn’t bad at all. I could’ve done without the audio clips of Stefflon Don talking at the end of the song, but it’s not that big of a deal. This is a decent song. I personally won’t be returning to it again, but I don’t think it’s bad. It’s an okay track.

14. Summer Games produced by 40 & No I.D.

I actually think I might like this second disk more than the first one. I like this beat a lot. The subject matter is soft as shit. He’s singing about a weird relationship he has with a girl who fell in love with him too fast. I’m enjoying this one a little bit more than the previous track, but I still don’t know if I’d ever return to it. The percussion that comes in during the second half of the song sounds pretty good. I like the way the production builds up as the song progresses. It’s a really emotional sounding track. I don’t like it as much as I want to, but it’s definitely not bad. I kinda fuck with it. It’s not good enough for me to add it to my library, but I enjoyed it on the first listen.

15. Jaded produced by Noel Cadastre

The production on this track is pretty lackluster. There are some uncredited background vocals from Ty$. I just listened to the entire song. I’m not feelin’ it. It’s really boring. Drake’s singing about a complicated relationship with a girl again. It just feels really generic. I didn’t care for the lyrics, and none of the melodies Drake was singing over the boring production sounded that great to me. It’s a really underwhelming song. I’m not feelin’ it.

16. Nice for What produced by Murda Beatz, Blaqnmild, 40 & Corey Litwin

I actually like this song. I remember being kind of optimistic about this album at first because this was the second single in a row that I really enjoyed. I really like the melodic Lauryn Hill sample, and I think Drake’s half assed singing actually sounds pretty good over it. The structure’s really simplistic, and the lyrics are targeting a female audience. It’s a really girly song. I like it though. It’s dope.

17. Finesse produced by Noel Cadastre

I like the really heavy, slow paced beat on this track. I just listened to the entire song, and I don’t really have anything to say about it. It’s not that great. I kinda enjoyed it on the first listen, but I don’t think I’m gonna ever come back to it. It’s kind of boring. The production is really nice though, and I kind of like the hook. He’s singing about some girl he’s obsessed with. I’ve definitely been in that position before, but that doesn’t mean I need to hear Drake singing about it. This is a decent track I guess.

18. Ratchet Happy Birthday produced by Boi-1da, Jahaan Sweet & D10

I kinda like the production on this song, but that’s the only positive comment I can make. This shit is fuckin’ terrible. Lmao. I get what he was going for. Girls are gonna listen to this on their birthdays. This shit is definitely not for me though. The chorus is fucking awful. I don’t know why he decided to roll his tongue like that. It sounds stupid as fuck. It’s easily the worst song on the second disk so far. This shit is wack as fuck to me.

19. That’s How You Feel produced by Noel Cadastre

The dark production on this track is kinda cool. That’s pretty much the only thing I like about the song though. Nothing else about it stands out in a good way. It’s a pretty uninteresting song. The Nicki Minaj samples were interesting. It just feels like the song is lacking something to keep it worth returning to. It’s a step up from the preceding track, but that’s not really saying much. It’s wack to me.

20. Blue Tint produced by Supah Mario, !llmind, Taz Taylor & JR Hitmaker

There are some uncredited background vocals from Future on this track. The beat’s not really doing anything for me. It sounds generic. This is a pretty short song. It’s decent. Future actually sounds alright over this beat. The repetitive melody doesn’t really do much for me. I feel like this is one of the more accessible tracks on the album though. I personally find it mediocre. I won’t be returning to this one.

21. In My Feelings produced by TrapMoneyBenny, Blaqnmild & 40

I hate this song. It’s become the next hit single from this album. It’s got a pretty bouncy beat. The hook is annoying as hell to me. I think there’s something called the #InMyFeelingsChallenge. I don’t know exactly what it is. I think it involves people jumping out of moving cars, which has probably resulted in some pretty tragic incidents. I always think those viral social media challenges are corny as fuck anyway. I’m kind of a hipster though, so I usually go against trends, which might be why this song pisses me off so much. Everyone else seems to love it, but I just think it’s annoying as hell. Good for Drake though. It’s another hit. I personally think it’s wack. It sounds like it could’ve been on the first disk honestly. I’m not feelin’ it at all.

22. Don’t Matter to Me featuring Michael Jackson produced by 40 & Nineteen85

This is not okay. This feels really disrespectful. It’s just like how he “featured” Pimp C on his previous album. Michael sounds kinda flat on this track. The melody he’s singing sounds pretty good over the heavy production. It’s definitely one of the weakest performances I’ve ever heard from Michael Jackson though, which is probably why it was originally shelved. The production is the only aspect of this song I can really get behind. This shit is wack to me.

23. After Dark featuring Static Major & Ty$ produced by Capo, Shaun Harris, 40 & Static Major

I’m not really feelin’ the production on this track. It sounds generic. Uuuuugh… I’m not really into R&B like this. This is really boring to me. I don’t like the production, and I’m not impressed by Drake’s singing. I didn’t really like Ty$’s verse either. The track ends with a spoken outro from a radio host named Al Wood. I really have nothing to say about the song itself. It’s just super uninteresting to me. I’m not feelin’ it at all. It’s wack to me.

24. Final Fantasy produced by Boi-1da, 40 & Jahaan Sweet

The beat on this track is alright. Drake’s rapping on the first verse. It’s pretty emasculating. It’s just Drake going on about his sexual fantasies. I don’t know why I’d ever wanna hear anything like this. The song switches up at the halfway point into an R&B track. It just sounds like two unfinished songs smooshed together. It’s another super underwhelming track. I’m not feelin’ it.

25. March 14 produced by T-Minus & Josh Valle

Oh thank God. I’ve finally reached the last song. It’s almost over. Okay, this track is starting now. Okay, he’s rapping again. It sounds like he’s finally addressing his son Adonis.

I’m out here on front lines
Just tryin’ to make sure that I see him sometimes

Yikes. This is a messy situation. It sounds like he’s not living with his son. It was kinda interesting to hear Drake rapping directly to his son, but I’m never gonna listen to this shit again. It’s not bad though. I just don’t really care to hear about this more than once.

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…What the fuck was that? This shit is fuckin’ wack, man. Out of 25 full songs, there were only three tracks that I liked, and two of them dropped prior to this album’s release. I hate reviewing Drake projects. This shit suffers from all the same problems as Views. It’s way too long, and almost all of the songs are boring as hell. I’ll never understand how such an uninteresting artist is at the top of the industry. Just as I predicted, this album is a chore to get through. It’s wack.

Favorite Song: God’s Plan
Least Favorite Song: I’m Upset

D

Watch the videos below for more thoughts on this album