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This year has been Drakes most concerted and for the most part, successful push for unilateral love.
Both singlesshot to No.
1on theBillboardHot 100, and stayed there collectively for months.
It seemed perfectly plausible that Drakes best work was on the horizon.
Then he got greedy.
Skirmishes between both camps have broken out every year since.
Prince broke the perfect peace of the rappers landmark year.These werent the unfazed moves of a champion.
This was someone flustered and buying time to plot.
Drakes tired but not discouraged: The crown is broken in pieces, but theres more in my possession.
Over 25 songs,Scorpionattempts to address Drakes flaws while massaging his bruised ego.
Side A is a succession of angry, honest songs of spite and personal revelation.
Is There More is a gutting whats it all about?
/ Is there more to life than saying I figured it out?
Side As stunning highs are offset by frustrating boilerplate and borrowed flows.
Mob Ties rips Young Thug off so effectively that his absence from the songs credits is a shock.
The rubbery beat and fun-house ad-libs of Nonstop sound like a Playboi Carti song on a Klonopin.
But in rap, a knockoff is a knockoff.
Thats How You Feel is convinced that people go on vacationjust to throw it in friends faces.
Finesse evokes the dark organ drones of Tim HeckersRavedeath, 1972.
ButScorpionis not an album about taking chances.
Its massive, but its scope is narrow.
It ditchesthe global pulse ofMore LifeandViews.
Theres not a single foray into grime or dancehall or Afrobeats.
Its obsessions are trap, boom bap, and old-school R&B.
The big rap guest is Jay-Z.
There are vocals from Michael Jackson and Static Major and interpolations of Aaliyah and DAngelo.
The craft has been refined over the years, especially on Drakes end.
Drakes powers have grown, butScorpionis a retrenchment.
Hes fussing over people he told us he doesnt have to answer to.
Hes addressing personal matters he said were none of our business.
Drake is bothered, but thats usable energy.
Gods Plan, where he celebrates the broskis and shades naysayers is the same.
Prince said, its not in his character.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Therestoo much shooting and stabbing in rap.
Side Bs obsessions over who dumped him and why are the same concerns he had ten years ago.
Seeking comfort in people who failed you is not growth.
Both sides ofScorpionneeded to drop three or four songs and get a grip.
