Remember how in “Breaking Bad,” Walter’s meth sat comfortably at a purity of 99.1%? Well, Drake has become the Heisenberg of his lane with the release of “Views.”
Looking back on Drake’s discography, it seems every project had the Toronto rapper trying to fill a different industry issued mold of pop star. Despite not being a fan, I respected his projects as well executed. There was substantial creative power behind every album, and I couldn’t deny the effectiveness of the Drake and 40 duo.
That being said, it seems something has happened to Drake in recent years, forcing a slow but natural evolution into the “6 God”. Whether Drake ever had some sort of road to Damascus moment with Canadian Jesus (Justin Trudeau?) remains unknown to the fans. However it’s apparent Drake has been making an effort to switch lanes and reorient himself artistically. Views is the culmination of that soul searching, and is easily the most authentic album he’s put out.
Sonically, the record fits this really smooth muted vibe, with some well fitted bangers weaved in. 40 and Nineteen85 really excel on the production, pulling in a wide variety of samples that break the chance of any monotony in the instrumentals. The dancehall tracks come over rather well, although their aesthetic doesn’t mesh that well with the rest of the record. Drake’s flows and lyrics have improved a lot since IYRTITL, and he definitely shines as an emcee on tracks like “Weston Road Flows”. There are a few blips of inauthentic lines, like when Drake says he hit a lick (possibly a reference to visiting a Tim Hortons and not tipping?), however they’re insubstantial to the rest of the album. When you take those little bumps into consideration, Views really is that 99.1% concentration of Drake as an artist.
Overall Views is an enjoyable record, and I think Drake is closing space on defining his sound more solidly than on past records. There’s no doubt that Drake carved out a lane for himself the minute he stepped into the music world, but Views is drawing in the borders.
Make sure to grab Views on iTunes.
art by your homie, Arthur Banach
check out more on insta @wildhxir
