“Views already a classic,” Drake raps on his new album Views, and he sounds quite convinced. The record wraps itself in the frigid instrumental casing of 2011’s Take Care, commonly considered to be the rapper’s closest thing to a hip-hop classic, while layering on the solipsism extra thick to create a final product that is undoubtedly, unilaterally Drake.
Because for all the heights Drake has reached, for all the accolades he’s accomplished, for all the numbers he’s racked up, he’s missing something. He doesn’t have a classic. You could argue for Take Care, sure, but that album was a fine steak with far too much gristle. 2013’s Nothing Was The Same had its fair share of flaws. Last February’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, as great as it was, didn’t really push any boundaries or quite exemplify Drake’s greatest strengths.
For months and months, we’ve heard about the next Drake album, previously named Views from the 6, and how it was to be Drake’s magnum opus. After If You’re Reading This satiated appetites for a while, the hunger was reignited with a string of fierce guest appearances last summer, followed by a triumphant, if undemanding, win over Meek Mill in the year’s most lukewarm beef. What a Time to Be Alive reminded us that Drake could play well with others, and “Hotline Bling” displayed not only his unabashed tendency to exist as a walking meme but his potential to exist as a full-blown pop star.
Through all of this, the specter of Views loomed large. At some point, Drake would need to take all of this momentum, and convert it into the killer album he had promised. For huge fans like myself (full disclosure: Drake is my favorite rapper), it was unclear what would come. Would he return to his simpler emotional ways? Would there be a heavy trap influence? With summer approaching, would there be tracks like “Hotline Bling” that simply exuded warmth?
Because for all the heights Drake has reached, for all the accolades he’s accomplished, for all the numbers he’s racked up, he’s missing something. He doesn’t have a classic. You could argue for Take Care, sure, but that album was a fine steak with far too much gristle. 2013’s Nothing Was The Same had its fair share of flaws. Last February’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, as great as it was, didn’t really push any boundaries or quite exemplify Drake’s greatest strengths.
For months and months, we’ve heard about the next Drake album, previously named Views from the 6, and how it was to be Drake’s magnum opus. After If You’re Reading This satiated appetites for a while, the hunger was reignited with a string of fierce guest appearances last summer, followed by a triumphant, if undemanding, win over Meek Mill in the year’s most lukewarm beef. What a Time to Be Alive reminded us that Drake could play well with others, and “Hotline Bling” displayed not only his unabashed tendency to exist as a walking meme but his potential to exist as a full-blown pop star.
Through all of this, the specter of Views loomed large. At some point, Drake would need to take all of this momentum, and convert it into the killer album he had promised. For huge fans like myself (full disclosure: Drake is my favorite rapper), it was unclear what would come. Would he return to his simpler emotional ways? Would there be a heavy trap influence? With summer approaching, would there be tracks like “Hotline Bling” that simply exuded warmth?