Drake’s latest effort, More Life, successfully combines grime, dancehall, pop, R&B, and hip-hop, among other genres. The result is a sprawling album (which Drake calls a “playlist”) that gets better with each listen. It draws you in with its upbeat, infectious, and smooth production. In a number of ways, More Life is similar to Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo in that it draws from different eras of Drake’s music and contains certain tracks of a certain aesthetic that appeal to every type of Drake fan. However, there are some differences as well. Whereas Kanye frequently shifts from one extreme to another, intentionally disrupting the flow of The Life of Pablo, Drake curates a 22-track playlist that somehow manages to flow together. Tracks transition quite well, despite drawing influences from a number of different genres.
More Life simply reaffirms how eclectic Drake’s musical taste is. There are many different sounds and genres blended together with Drake demonstrating his ability to fit in just fine with any type of production style.
More Life is highlighted by some of the best songs of Drake’s career thus far. My personal favourite is “Blem,” a Caribbean-influenced cut that finds him completely self-aware and direct, acknowledging his own imperfections and expressing his love for the woman he desires. It is a subject that Drake has explored numerous times, but it is the production, the vocals, and the beautiful songwriting of the track itself that really shine through: “Who keeps bringing more? I’ve had too many / This Virginia done me off already / I’m blem for real, I might just say how I feel.” It is simple, yet captivating. Drake may not be considered the de facto best lyricist or rapper in the hip-hop world, but songs like “Passionfruit,” “Madiba Riddim,” and “Blem” are strong arguments for his incredible songwriting abilities.
Other highlights are the braggadocious tracks, such as “Free Smoke,” “No Long Talk,” and “Portland,” in which Drake sounds as confident as ever, content in knowing that he has fully cemented himself as the biggest name in hip-hop music at this point. “KMT” is an aggressive and energetic track that details Drake’s power and dominance in terms of hip-hop music, with a strong and hard-hitting guest verse from U.K. rapper Giggs. It is one of the strongest tracks on More Life, as is “Skepta Interlude,” which of course includes Skepta himself, who still appears to have not missed a step since 2016’s critically acclaimed Konnichiwa, delivering power-packed verses throughout the entire track. He details his rise from the bottom to now being seen as one of the top grime MCs in the U.K.
That said, More Life does have certain flaws.
With every Drake project, there are always a few songs that just feel out of place or are generally weaker than most of the tracks on the project itself. More Life is no exception, as tracks such as “Nothings Into Somethings” and “Since Way Back” contribute almost nothing to the playlist and just disrupt the otherwise seamless transition between each track.
“Glow,” featuring Kanye West, is slightly underwhelming in that it plays like a tale of two halves. The song itself deals with both of their experiences within the industry and reinforces the ideals that through hard work and dedication, you can reach higher levels of success. The first half attempts to intertwine Drake’s vocals with Kanye’s to the point where it just feels contrived and does not seem to mesh well with the overall vibe of the track. In comparison, the second half brilliantly samples Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Devotion,” ending on a high note, while containing slightly better verses from both Drake and Kanye.
Drake’s latest effort is a combination of his previous solo efforts, packed with a wide range of influences that offers variety and substance over style, while still being fresh and new. Simply put, More Life is a testament to Drake’s versatility as an artist.
