Rapper and hip-hop artist Drake released his eighth studio album titled “For All The Dogs” on Oct. 6. This newly-released album has already proven to be a refuge from all the mediocre album releases 2023 has brought.
Drake is one of the two most streamed artists on Spotify of the decade, according to an article by The Guardian. The Canadian artist has made a name for himself after starring as Jimmy Brooks in the teen drama series Degrassi from 2001-2009.
Drake's music career kicked off in 2009 with the release of the mixtape “So Far Gone” and its hit single “Best I Ever Had.”
What I find incredible about Drake as an artist is how he is able to switch his flow so no two
songs sound alike. His beats and vocals are always immaculate whether he’s singing or rapping.
While there are songs that feature other top artists like Chief Keef, PARTYNEXTDOOR and SZA, Drake never lets them outshine him, which to me is a true talent.
I’m not exactly Drake’s biggest fan, but this album took me by surprise and I’ll be streaming "For All The Dogs” for the next two weeks on repeat.
There are 23 tracks on the album, but here are my top 5 personal favorites.
“Slime You Out” featuring SZA was released on Sept. 15 as a sneak peak of the album. The track is slower compared to his previous songs, however it does a great job telling a story through lyrics.
The song is about toxic relationships, and giving more than you are getting from your partner. Funnily enough, SZA and Drake did date in 2008, begging the question of whether or not this song drew from their late-2000s fling.
I believe “All The Parties” featuring Chief Keef will be very popular with college students.
Between the flow, and lyrics saying things like “Used to be a smarty/ Used to wanna study/ Now she poppin' addies/ She at all the partiеs,” which describes a life many college students lead, including me to an extent.
While Chief Keef only delivers a short chorus in this track, this is the first track Drake and Chief Keef have produced together.
“Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red & SZA is the epitome of Sexyy Red’s style and influence on 2023 rap. Sexyy Red proved once again that she knows how to make a song extremely catchy, and she didn’t disappoint with this feature.
I’ve been walking around the house singing, “Bend that ass over/ Let that coochie breathe/ Shake that ass bitch/ Hands on your knees” since I first heard the track.
This is the type of song that I can imagine playing while getting ready for a night out with my girls.
While Sexyy Red’s verse is repetitive and fast paced, Drake and SZA managed to calm the flow down. However, I won't lie, I’m not sure if I would rank this song so highly if Sexyy Red was not featured.
Red’s lyrics will make Drake fans feel confident, afterall she is encouraging people “shake that ass for Drake/ Now shake that ass for me.”
“8am in Charlotte” has a very smooth, slow flow. With Instruments like the piano and light drums, this song is calming and I enjoy the storytelling within this freestyle track.
Drake raps in a way that makes me feel like he’s giving me a personal first-hand account of his story, not his 77.82 million monthly listeners.
At minute 2:51 of the track, Drake says “Don't even worry about it like/ Just get me back whenever, or/ Or don't, you know/ It is what it is, I guess,” making a personal connection to his listeners almost as if Drake himself left a voicemail on my phone.
Taking the last spot in my top 5 rankings has to be “Gently” featuring Bad Bunny. Drake doesn't even speak Spanish fluently, yet the intro is Drake singing nearly perfect Spanish.
Making a feature with a native Spanish speaker as big as Bad Bunny and nearly nailing the Spanish verses is challenging and Drake managed to pull it off.
In general, most Bad Bunny or Drake songs have me in my feels, but this one makes me want to shake my hips.
Drake announced that he will be taking a break from his music career to focus on his health as he has been vocal about his ongoing stomach problems, according to an article by The Guardian, posted hours after the release of the album.
According to the same article, his career break could take up to a year. At least Drake fans were left with an awesome album to hold onto before this hiatus. According to a No Jumper article Drake is one song away from tying Michael Jackson for most No. 1 songs by a male solo artist.
I believe Drake’s album “For All The Dogs'' does have a good chance in making hits, however judging by the media's response to the album release, fans seem to be saying they miss the old Drake.
Personally, I feel as if this “new” Drake is just the evolution of Drake’s growth as an artist.
Regardless of the negative feedback he may be receiving for switching the types of beats he usually tends to go for or adding new coming artists on features, he continues to expand and make his name relevant.
