Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
On Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, megastar rapper Aubrey Drake Graham, better known as Drake, dropped his latest project, “For All The Dogs.” I don’t want to be that guy, but I also can’t deny it at this point — I’m not much of a Drake fan, but I respect what he’s been able to accomplish as a rapper-turned-pop star. Drake has amassed fortune and fame from a tremendous record of hit singles, features and personality. I think it’s safe to say that Drake has always had a tinge of cornball about him, but that cornball has always been charming and made him the kind of artist you enjoyed even if you weren’t entirely sure why. Let me also state very explicitly: I think Drake is a very, very good rapper. When people like my colleague Touré say that Drake isn’t a good rapper, I honestly have no idea what he’s talking about.
With that said, I also find Drake’s albums to be extremely mid. I haven’t fully enjoyed a Drake record since 2015’s “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late.” Maybe that says more about me than the listening public but it’s true. While his ear for singles and the ability to situate himself smack in the middle of the cultural zeitgeist is unmatched (Drake has hopped on any number of surefire singles by other artists — a brilliant way to remain relevant), his albums have always left more to be desired.
While his contemporaries — J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, and to a lesser extent Wale, Big Sean and Kid Cudi — have all attempted to expand their artistic expression, Drake seems content to just be the biggest artist ever. I’m not judging his ambition (or lack…
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