It’s safe to say Drake is in a zone.
And if you let the world tell it, he’s been in it for a while now. There isn’t anything involving Drake nowadays that doesn’t get instant praise from the public, including a surprise “mixtape” released on iTunes.
With all the behind the scenes drama with Cash Money coming to a head in the last month, it makes If You’re Reading This You’re Too Late seem very peculiar, especially when conspiracy theorists are suspecting that Drake might’ve decided to sell it as a way to finish out his contract (and maybe end up leaving with Wayne (?)). Despite all the mystery surrounding it, Drake left us with a project full of things to talk about.
Even though he called it a “mixtape,” this is probably one of Drake’s most cohesive efforts, which says a lot if he only views it as a side project. Between the cold piano riffs, futuristic bass lines, boastful one-liners and pointed jabs at pretty much anyone against him, he’s definitely evoked a more detached and aggressive vibe that’s prevalent throughout the project.
After declaring himself a Legend on the opening track, he lets the shots fire on Energy, probably his most antagonistic track since his verse on Stay Schemin. No one is safe as he targets everyone from two-faced rappers to gossip-driven women. Other tracks like 6 God, No Tellin’, and 6 Man follow in the same vein as he draws a fine line between himself and his contemporaries.
Even though Drake’s made it clear that he sees himself on a different level now, he still manages to tell his life stories, in true Drake fashion. You & The 6 finds him conversing with his mom about potential love interests and his father, while on standout track Star67 he goes into detail about struggling to help his mom as a teen and the type of decisions that came from it. Even fan favorites like Know Yourself show him dropping numerous allusions to life (with his woes) in Toronto.
If You’re Reading This is a project that isn’t meant to be taken as a full-fledged album, but is hard to not be taken as one when it’s broken Billboard records quicker than some artists manage to go Gold. If any single thing can be taken from this album, it’s that Drake is surely reaching his potential as one of the greats. Of course he’s still got a long way to go, but if history repeats itself, it won’t take too long for him to reach it.
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