Michael Foster-Sanders
senior producer
What does a rap God do when proven to be a mere mortal?
Drake had to ask himself this question after battling the cocaine-infused bars of rapper Pusha-T, who exposed Drake’s dirty laundry — including a son he kept secret — in 2018 with “The Story of Adidon.”
Since then, Drake has been on a personal journey to reintroduce himself to the world and show why his spot on rap music’s Mt. Olympus was not a fluke. Three EPs and singles later, Drake decided to drop his sixth studio album “Certified Lover Boy” to quiet the naysayers and his rivals. But does Drake regain the power he once had, or become a washed rapper whose best years are behind him?
Drizzy Drake is back with a vengeance to show why Lil Wayne signed him as a rookie.
Someone had to tell Drake the best thing you could do is embrace your flaws and live life to the fullest. Because he embraces the ladies man label he’s earned over the years and the coy cockiness he exuded before destroying Meek Mill in their rap beef.
The first track “Champagne Poetry” invokes Drake’s mixtape days. He raps over soul samples and goes crazy when the beat changes to a Southern Baptist church revival vibe where he’s testifying about his personal life, friends and family. “Papi’s Home” features a sample from former labelmate Nicki Minaj, with Drake letting the copycat pretenders of his style know that the original is back, and they’re all his sons.
Again, this is the type of track Drake excels on because he’s being himself, but that also is a detriment on this album because he tends to go into cruise control on tracks like “Girls Want Girls,” “In The Bible” and countless more that feel like filler tracks. But Drake fans are going to eat those up regardless of how critical reviewers feel.
When Drake embraces his Southern rap love, that’s where he shines the brightest. “No Friends In The Industry” has him rapping over a Juicy J mixtape hook from 1993 to send shots, albeit subliminally, to fellow hip-hop stars Kayne West, Swizz Beats and others. Project Pat’s lead “Knife Talk” shows his love for the rap group Three 6 Mafia with a beat produced by Metro Boomin. 21 Savage also gives a menacing verse to back up Drake’s thug mode.
The highlight songs of the album are “TSU,” which pays tribute to Houston with its story about a woman wanting a better life than just being an exotic dancer and becoming a business owner, and “Way 2 Sexy,” which samples the 90s pop song “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred, turns into an anthem for guys with dad bods.
At this point in his career, Drake has concluded that he’s one of the best that ever did it. His album sales and career longevity have shown that he’s not far off in his beliefs. He’s found his footing again and is making great music without the shenanigans, and that’s all he needs to do.
