BY BEN FURDEK
APRIL 28 – Toronto rapper Drake dropped the highly anticipated album, Views. This is Drake’s victory lap through the city that made him. He reflects on past relationships, revisits humble beginnings, and of course adds in a few good bangers that Drake has become known for.
However, this is a different Drake than who we saw on his last two projects (If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, What a Time to be Alive). Drake slows it down a lot on this album. He returns to a similar style he used on his album Take Care, which features more singing and a more relaxed production sound. The last song on the album,”Views,” is the highlight of this album. It has a drum beat over background vocals like we’ve seen mastered by artists like Kanye West and Jay Z. It also has the impressive lyrics that Drake is capable of but doesn’t always show. He reflects on dropping out of school by saying “I dropped out right before I graduate/Six credits left, my mama had a saddest day.”
Throughout the album, Drake exemplifies many different styles. The song “Hype” is the typical banger we knew Drake would have on this album. “One Dance” and “Too Good” are examples of a reggae-sounding beat that Drake uses a lot in this album.
This album’s only problem, even though it’s pretty good from start to finish, is just that. It’s just pretty good. Views’ lack of creative beats and consistently quality lyrics is the only thing that holds this album back from becoming a true hip-hop classic, which is something I think Drake has still yet to accomplish. The future’s still bright for Drake, though. He is without question one of the most influential rappers of all time.
Drake is one of the most iconic artists of our generation. He’s still missing what I would call a hip-hop masterpiece, but Views assures us that it’s coming soon.
