(Photo Manipulation by Nathan Rubin)
Drake struggled to replicate the magic of the past in “For All The Dogs,” delivering an overall mediocre eighth studio album.
Over the past 13 years, Drake cemented himself as an influential and prominent figure in the modern hip-hop scene by blurring the lines between pop and rap, contributing to the rise of melodic rap. Previously known for his emotionally authentic and novel flow, after the release of “Certified Lover Boy” (2021) and “Honestly, Nevermind” (2022), the artist appeared to have lost his initial sparkle to listeners. Fans fought over Drake’s new sound, discussing whether he was trying too hard to appeal to a mainstream audience or simply changing his music.
However, the highly-anticipated mid-summer announcement of “For All The Dogs,” released on Oct. 6, proved promising for fans as he teased bringing back the “old Drake” for the album. While Drake delayed the release of the LP various times, he specified at a Seattle show in August that the release was specifically for those who love his past work.
All excitement died down when fans listened to the new album, which delivered faint glimpses of the “old Drake” that are overshadowed by forgettable fillers in the 84-minute tracklist.
On “Tried Our Best,” Drake returns to his longing, emotional roots.
“I swear that there’s a list of places that I been with you, I wanna go without you,” Drake raps. “Just so I can know what it’s like to be there without havin’ to argue.”
While these lyrics are classic Drake, they are lost within the song and overall tracklist. One song that lacks much of any lyrical substance is “BBL Love – Interlude,” which Drake seems to humorously include, poking fun at his audience.
Near the beginning of the song, Drake sings, “They say love’s like a BBL, you won’t know if it’s real until you feel one,” playing into his “BBL Drake” persona, a popular meme where fans joked that Drake received a Brazilian butt lift.
Some small parts of other songs have snippets of the “old Drake” sound, but much of the album sounds as though Drake is attempting to cover his old self in an obvious and ineffective way. With an overall mainstream sound, it seems that listeners overestimated Drake’s ability to emanate his fresh, organic flow from albums such as “Take Care” (2011).
While he may not sound the same as he did in 2011, there are moments throughout the album where his flow still expresses his sincerity as well as it did in the past. “First Person Shooter” is a standout on the album, highlighting the accomplishments of both rap superstars, Drake and J.Cole. Boastful lyrics layer the forceful beat, increasing the energy of the album and engaging listeners.
J. Cole delivers a memorable verse, rapping, “Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.”
In these lines, J. Cole references the impact that he, Drake and Kendrick Lamar have had on the hip hop industry and their vast accomplishments — a theme that Drake continues throughout the album. J. Cole’s appearance on the album is one of many features from some of hip hop’s heaviest hitters. SZA appears on two tracks, enhancing both “Slime You Out” and “Rich Baby Daddy” with her musical harmonies and signature tone.
From Chief Keef to Bad Bunny, “For All The Dogs” spotlights the unique talents of each featured artist, making for memorable verses that sometimes even outshine Drake’s. This is the case on “IDGAF,” which simply sounds like a Yeet song with a Drake feature, with the latter only rapping for 42 seconds of the 4:20 total song.
The instrumentals on the album keep the tracklist interesting, cleverly sampling and changing the tone of the songs. Drake utilizes the talents of Lil Yachty, BYNX, Southside and other notable producers to craft the unique beats for each track on the album. Between the soft and soulful piano loop on “8am in Charlotte” and the energetic dance beat on “Rich Baby Daddy,” Drake successfully diversifies the sound of his album.
Despite the distinct backing tracks, Drake often falls short when he attempts to change the beat in the middle of the song to create some sort of outro or artistic interlude. While the strategy of switching the beat mid-song typically enhances the track and has worked for Drake in the past, in “7969 Santa,” the beat change makes the song feel dragged out and overdone. With an already-hefty run time for an album, these interludes feel unnecessary and increase the skipability of the track itself.
While fans were hoping for the “old Drake,” this album offers a reminder that artists must continue to evolve with their music, which sometimes means changing their sound completely. The pressure on Drake to recreate his old sound was an impossible challenge to begin with, setting up fans for disappointment. We must remember what made Drake special in the first place, which was his genuine emotional raw lyrics and style, rather than expect him to recreate his sound from a decade ago.
Drake recently announced an impending hiatus from music to focus on his health. It may be disappointing to end his nonstop run of albums with such an uneven and lackluster release. However, the break seems deeply necessary for Drake to regain his place in hip-hop.
