On “Scary Hours 2,” Drake proves once again that he’s dependable, if nothing else.
Leading up to the impending release of his sixth studio album “Certified Lover Boy,” the Canadian rapper dropped the three-track EP “Scary Hours 2” last Friday, featuring collaborations with rappers Lil Baby and Rick Ross.
The first track, titled “What’s Next,” features a thumping video game-inspired beat that would’ve been more impressive if it offered a change of pace. Instead, it drones on throughout the entire track while Drake raps his usual eye-rolling verses about being on top and having an amazing friendship with Off-White designer Virgil Abloh.
The chorus features vague blanket statements that would be cringe-inducing and ridiculed if sung by anyone else:
“Summer, all I did was rest, Okay? / And New Year’s, all I did was stretch, Okay? / And Valentine’s Day, I had sex, Okay? / We’ll see what’s ‘bout to happen next, Okay? Okay? Okay?”
Okay?
On the second track, “Wants and Needs,” Drake begins by purposely rapping off-beat for the first three bars before claiming that the album “Views,” which I’m a huge fan of, is an overlooked classic. I think it’s a very underappreciated album, but a classic it is not.
Drake promptly gets outshined by Lil Baby, who rises to the occasion and provides some of his most inspired verses since the release of his police brutality anthem “The Bigger Picture.”
The final track, “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” finds Drake reuniting with Rick Ross once again, and he doesn’t disappoint. After a rather forgettable opening verse by Ross, Drake raps for five minutes straight and provides the type of braggadocio that’s been largely missing from his past projects since “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.”
During the verse, he targets the new wave of artists biting his style:
“Half the time, I gotta ask n***** what they profession is / Ushered a generation in, these are where my confessions live.”
The best moment in the song is also the most comical when he discusses his experience at a parent-teacher conference:
“Yeah, teacher-parent meetings, wives get googly-eyed / Regardless of what they husbands do to provide / Asking if I know Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj.” Then he gives a pronounced pause before casually saying, “Of course.”
Overall, this project delivers the usual Drake mantra: sending barbs at his seemingly endless number of foes, flexing brands you probably never heard of and providing the usual tough-guy talk that never gets questioned because he’s backed by J. Prince (you can Google him yourself).
This project, albeit a profitable one, ultimately is one that will disappear. Even though “What’s Next” is about to debut number one on Billboard Top 100, you will hardly remember it a year from now. After all, tell me when was the last time you listened to “Toosie Slide?”
But none of that matters. Drake is like the music version of Amazon or McDonald’s. No matter how much you criticize or correctly point out his flaws, he remains stronger than ever, and that’s something we all must accept.
Okay?
