Drake has come a long away from the bottom of the hip-hop scene. The maple-bred rapper has recently released his fourth studio album and is on the fast track to having one of the most noteworthy hip-hop/rap albums of the year. Raising a second motion to the previous statement, this piece of work does not disappoint. It is subtle, yet packed with countless punches from the get go – which makes sense for an artist like Drake who is well-known for his soft melodic voice and emotional but hard-hitting lyrical rap style.
The compilation does not disappoint fans as it is reminiscent of the early days of the rapper, raw and genuine… No barriers but provides clear perspectives. In 20 tracks the album reflects a different maturity of Drake.
Starting off with ‘Keep The Family Close’, Drake sets the mood with a song that speaks of familial ties and external relationships – a smooth track that holds sentimental traction. The tempo switches up with ‘9’ a nice transition to a comparable track ‘U With Me?’.
‘Feel No Ways’ follows and makes you go back to school with the rapper’s vocal swag and courting lyrics. It switches up with ‘Hype’ plays – a piece that knocks one out with candid rap line after line. This is then followed with ‘Weston Road Flows’ a suave track leveled with the rapper’s concise rap poetry. ‘Redemption’ eases in right after and offers a plate of emotions to the listener making one go through a moment of reflection. This is then followed by ‘With You’ featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR and is instantly complimented with the vulnerable ‘Faithful’ featuring Pimp C & dvsn – both collaboration tracks on the album respectively. ‘Still Here’ speaks of loyalty met with strife and is then shadowed by the next single off the track called ‘Controlla’.
The album then turns up in all the right places with Hit single, ‘One Dance’ featuring WizKid & Kyla followed by ‘Controlla’. Jumpman makes a cameo with the situational ‘Grammys’ featuring one of Drake’s confidantes, Future. This precedes ‘Child’s Play’ which mixes many brand elements with its catchy beat and authentic strung lyrics. Another favourite ‘Pop Style’ makes an appearance – sans hip-hop royals Shawn (Jay-Z) and Pablo (Kanye) – showcasing a refreshing and satisfying delivery of the verses by Drake himself. Rihanna makes her presence felt in ‘Too Good’, which is highly presumed to be a next title single… well hopefully, fingers crossed fans.
The album dials down with an interlude titled ‘Summers Over’ trailed by ‘Fire & Desire,’ a well-executed song that blends old-school R&B with modern sets. The title of the album, ‘Views’ deserves multiple nods for visualizing standpoints, as it should. ‘Hotline Bling’ is last off the track list and even though it was the first single to be promoted, it still gets you in the right groove. And it trails.
As cliché as it may sound, Drake is unlike any other artist of his generation. Why? Because he is one of the very few rappers who actually blend more-than-decent vocals into the equation of the hip-hop/rap genre. Getting nods from his peers, both from the royals and the pawns in the industry, it is no surprise that his career has reached its current stature. ‘Views’ is another bar set by this artist and the anticipation for his next album is already building up.
