Can Drake Miss?

Drake has been the talk of hip hop consistently for the last few years. From his last project Views, to his beef with Philly rapper Meek Mill, Drizzy’s reign on top has been unmatched in hip hop today. The 6 God hit another home run this past Saturday with the debut of his new album (or playlist), “More Life.”

More Life is a playlist of songs that have so many different sounds; it satisfies so many different genres, but when put all together, creates what sounds like a summer anthem album. You can hear how much Drake loves the islands throughout the entire album with records like Passionfruit, Madiba Riddim, and Blem. Songs like Free Smoke, Jorja Interlude, and 4422 give an almost R&B vibe that reminds you of a smooth summer night. And for all you trap fans, Drizzy didn’t leave you out. Kanye West, Young Thug, and 2 Chainz appear on the songs Glow, Sacrifices, and Ice Melts.

Now we can’t go any further without acknowledging Drake’s music producer, Noah “40” Shebib. The samples used in this album are extremely strong, and reminds me of the same type of sampling Kanye West does in his music. Throughout the album you hear samples from Stevie Wonder, and Earth Wind and Fire. You can hear how much Drake was inspired by the soul and funk era.

Drake also had a big European influence. He reeled in features from British artists like Dave, Jorja Smith, and Giggs. Drake shows a lot of love to our friends across the pond. He was even spotted there after his victory at the Grammy’s.

More Life. This album brings out questions like, “Where does Drake rank among the best entertainers ever?” And that’s a legitimate argument. I mean, he had the largest grossing tour of 2016 beating out Kanye West, and Beyonce at $84.3 million (hotnewhiphop.com), he hasn’t had a bad album yet, and he’s just crushing his competition. So you tell me, can Drake miss?

-Darrel Kidd