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"Who's giving out this much return on investment?"
So sings Drake on Survival, the cinematic overture to his sprawling, 25-track double album Scorpion, which was launched in a single day.
He's actually prolific. The 90-minute opus arrives simply a 12 months after his More Life mixtape, and options two UK quantity onesGod's Plan and Nice For What.
But does Scorpion have a sting in its tail?
It's exhausting to provide an goal evaluation of such a multi-faceted document after a couple performs. In truth, it is exhausting to not collapse beneath the sheer weight of the music. But listed below are some preliminary impressions.
Drake admits to having a son
Earlier this 12 months, Pusha T unleashed a storm when he rapped that Drake had a secret youngster with p0rn star Sophie Brussaux, on the vicious diss observe The Story of Adidon.
Drake addresses the story on Emotionlessa soulful observe that samples Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged efficiency of Emotions.
"I wasn't hiding my kid from the world," he raps. "I was hiding the world from my kid."
On the closing observe, March 14, he provides: "She's not my lover like Billie Jean, but the kid is mine."
He continues: "I am out right here on entrance strains simply tryna guarantee that I see him typically. It's breaking my spirit/A single father, I hate after I hear it.
"I used to challenge my parents on every album/Now I'm embarrassed to tell them I ended up as a co-parent."
There's an unreleased Michael Jackson track in there
Michael Jackson's vocals on Don't Matter To Me seem to come back from beforehand unreleased music.
"All of a sudden you say you don't want me no more," sings the King Of Pop, who would have turned 59 this week. "All of a sudden you say that I closed the door... It don't matter to me."
Paul Anka is listed as a co-writer on the observecourting it to 1983, when he collaborated with Jackson for his album Walk a Fine Line.
Summer Games is an early stand-out
Prior to launch, Drake collaborator OVO Mal recommended Scorpion could be divided into two halvesa rap aspect and a r&B aspect.
The document mainly cleaves to that template, showcasing the star's twin lovessunshine state hip-hop and sad-boy soul (always remember, that is a man who has a tattoo of Sade on his torso).
But Summer Games, the second observe of "disc two", is a revelationa story of a summer time romance that is powered by the type of sinister, pulsing synths you'd count on to listen to on Stranger Things.
If there's any justice, it will be the subsequent single.
...But do not count on any main surprises
Drake's songs are like Google Maps: You all the time know the vacation spot whenever you set off.
Almost all of Scorpion's 25 tracks arrange a groove and experience it for 3 minutes, with no deviation or improvement (the sudden burst of Latin percussion on the finish of In My Feelings is a welcome exception).
It's excellent for the streaming period. Every observe is destined for a totally different mood-based playlist someplace on Spotify.
But after Kanye West dropped 5 albums in 5 weeks, each filled with musical handbrake turns, you are left wishing Drake had inherited a few of his sense of journey.
Jay-Z references the demise of XXXTentacion
Jay-Z's visitor verse on Talk Up will need to have been submitted near the wire, because it references the homicide of rapper XXXTentacion in Florida simply final week.
"Y'all killed X and let Zimmerman livestreets is done," he says.
The lyric refers to George Zimmerman, who shot and killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012. He was later cleared of second diploma homicide; however not earlier than the New Black Panther Party put a bounty on his head.
The rapper additionally references Donald Trump's administration with the lyric: "I got your President tweeting [but] I won't even meet with him".
Drake is extraordinarily self-aware
Drake's liner notes for Scorpion are mainly a biggest hits of the criticisms levelled at him.
"I hate when Drake raps. Drake sings too much. Drake doesn't even write his own songs. Drake makes music for girls. Drake is finished," he writes in all-caps, including the post-script: "Yeah, yeah. We know."
In different phrases: Let the music communicate for itself.
But he's conscious of the dialog round his private life and his fame, even sampling dialogue from an episode of the TV present Atlanta, set at a party in his home (he was unaware of the storyline earlier than the present broadcast).
The line"I need a photo with Drake, because my Instagram is weak"is spoken by Zazie Beetz's character Van, who is set to capitalise on her A-list invitationand goes on to steal Drake's jacket as a memento.
On Final Fantasy, Drake samples one other TV present, the Jeremy Kyle-esque Maury, the place a visitor taking a paternity check delivers the zinger: "Who'd they are saying that child seem like? Drake!"
And let's not neglect the video for I am Upset, the place Drake reunited the forged of Canadian drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, which he starred in as a teenager.
It's by no means clear whether or not he is poking enjoyable at his public picture, or railing towards it. But he sums up his philosophy fantastically in Emotionless.
"They always ask, 'Why let the story run if it's false?'" he raps. "You know, a wise man once said... Nothing at all."
It's surprisingly good
Numerous artists come unstuck after they craft a double document. Even The Beatles' White Album has a few severe dips in high quality (do not @ me).
Drake retains the standard threshold fairly excessive on this launchaside from the inexplicably feeble Ratchet Happy Birthday.
You'll most likely need to cherry-pick the tracks that replicate your favorite Drake (combative rap Drake; late-night horndog Drake; mopey sadface Drake; upbeat home party Drake) in your private playlist, however there's one thing for everybody.
I would begin with the cinematic opener Survival; the sparse, combative Nonstop; the Future collaboration Blue Tint; and the seductive soul jam After Darkalongside the three singles and Summer Games.