The words ‘old Drake’ bring fans into a state of reminiscence, longing for his somber melodies about failed relationships or upbeat raps about increasing success early in his career. In his most recent album, “For All the Dogs”, Drake fulfills the promise to his fans that old Drake would come through.
In June 2023, the world-famous artist Drake announced the release of his new poetry book— with a new album complementing it. His announcement featured lyrics from his hit song “Headlines”, which read, “They say they miss the old Drake, girl don’t tempt me.” Fans were thrilled to know Drake would be bringing back old flows in his newest album.
The album was set to release in late July to August, but was postponed due to his “It’s All a Blur” tour. Drake finally dropped the album on October 6, 2023— fitting as it’s his birth month.
“For All the Dogs” opens with “Virginia Beach”, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. “Virginia Beach” is unlike other popular introductions such as “Tuscan Leather (Nothing Was the Same)” and “Champagne Poetry (Certified Lover Boy)”, however the R&B style Drake embraces sets the album off right.
Drake continues with “Amen (feat. Teezo Touchdown)” and “Calling For You (feat. 21 Savage)”, allowing featured artists to elevate the album. Collaborating with J. Cole, SZA, 21 Savage and Chief Keef, while also promoting upcoming artists like Yeat and Sexxy Red, Drake enhances the production of the album. His features added diversity to the music, and he gave the opportunity for upcoming artists to showcase their talent on his album.
Many slower, R&B style songs are included, reminding listeners of his earlier releases. “Slime You Out (feat. SZA)” and “Bahamas Promises”, two R&B style songs, are back-to-back in the album, providing fans with two slower, in-the-mood tunes.
Although a multitude of songs present slower beats to resemble the R&B era of ‘old Drake’, the Canadian rapper includes catchy melodies with faster tempos. For instance, “Daylight” and “Another Late Night (feat. Lil Yachty)” provide upbeat flows to keep fans intrigued.
Catchy lyricism and various styles of beats create a diverse format for the album.
“8am in Charlotte” and “First Person Shooter (feat. J. Cole)” are just some of the standout songs in the album, debuting at #17 and #1, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
“8am in Charlotte” adds to the collection of Drake’s timestamp songs—“4pm in Calabasas”, “6pm in New York” and “5am in Toronto”. Drake raps in a melodic style much like his older songs, dishing out money flexes, versatile lyrics and subtle disses.
“First Person Shooter (feat. J. Cole)” is just one of the few songs Drake and J. Cole have collaborated on. Recognized as two of the best rappers, both of their verses contain catchy lyrics and rhymes pushing this song to the top of the charts. J. Cole raps, “Rhymin’ with me is the biggest mistake, the Spider-Man meme is me lookin’ at Drake”, referring to a well-known picture of two spiderman characters pointing at each other. Drake later raps in a beat-switch, “She call my number, leave her hangin’, she got dry-cleaned”, comparing hanging up the phone to hanging clothes to get dry-cleaned.
Senior Laksh Vashsisht is content with the song’s debut at #1. “My favorite song was probably ‘First Person Shooter’ because of how Drake and J. Cole’s styles compliment each other to the point where their status at the top of the rap game is certified. Their lyricism was top-tier and the intricate beat proves this song deserves its rightful place at #1 on the charts,” Vashisht explained.
Drake’s ability to add flair in his lyrics allows the songs on this production to flourish. He’s dependent on the beat to determine whether to sing about women and reminiscence or boast about money and fame in his rap.
Vashisht also felt “For All the Dogs” brought a mix of elements to the table. “‘For All the Dogs’ incorporated various genres of music, such as, R&B, rap, pop and it even included a Hispanic song with him and Bad Bunny. The diversity that the album had was truly phenomenal and really made the album stand out from the others,” Vashisht said.
However, some listeners weren’t satisfied with Drake’s production on “For All the Dogs”. Senior Owen Chiles felt overwhelmed by the album’s 23 songs and its 1 hour and 24 minute run-time. “I felt like there were quite a few filler songs that didn’t really have any meaning. It felt like Drake had some leftover beats to rap on and he just included them in the album. Although I felt like the better songs really stood out, the fillers just unnecessarily elongated the album,” he said.
Although some may feel disappointed that “For All the Dogs” was not a true display of the ‘old Drake’, it is certain that the mix of styles make the album a display of the old, current and future Drake.
