7.4/10
Drake sets a bit of a narcissistic tone with the first track, "Legend". This is the first of many tracks produced by Boi-1da, although it sounds like an old-school slow jam that Twista would've rapped on (but it wouldn't have been as good). On the next track entitled "Energy", Drake divulges his hatred of social media with the line:
"I got bitches askin' bout the code for the wi-fi, so they can talk about they timeline and show me pictures of they friends, just to tell me they ain't really friends."
The next track, "Know Yourself", is by far my favorite and his most introspective in my opinion. Drake prays "the fakes get exposed" and proclaims, "I've always been me, I guess I know myself." The theme of his self-awareness continues into the next, and fifth Boi-1da-produced, song, "No Tellin'". Unfortunately for me, this is the peak of the album as the next 12 songs do not provide as much depth as the first five. "Madonna" sounds like it was produced for Earl Sweatshirt and "6 God" is basically a declaration of him as King of Toronto (at least he doesn't smoke crack, amirite). However, They are definitely worth a listen.
If You're Reading This It's Too Late only further establishes Drake as a leader in the hip-hop community. He delves into his past and reveals secrets about himself that can only be heard through the music. He talks of paying his mother's rent since the age of 17 and you almost forget that he was on Degrassi until he mentions it, "I've been had these visions of the life I'm livin' since I was Jimmy, all I had to do was just go out and get it." The album introduces us to PARTYNEXTDOOR, an R&B singer and producer on Drake's label. It also has decent collaborations from Lil' Wayne and Travi$ Scott. If it were my call, I would have shortened the track listing and focused on promoting the stronger tracks. Regardless, I love this album and will continue to listen to it non-stop for at least five more days.
Moment of Zen: Source: Huffington Post | |