There’s been no larger mainstream figure in hip-hop over the past decade than Drake. He almost singlehandedly dominated the commercial charts in the 2010’s, appealing to hardcore hip-hop fans, grandmothers, and everyone else in between. Time will tell how well Drake’s prolific output ages in the coming decades compared to some of his contemporaries (see: Kendrick, J Cole, Tyler The Creator, whose focus feels more timeless), but for now Drake still owns the conversation, capturing massive amounts of the online discourse through virality on social and streaming services.
His 2018 double album Scorpion is gargantuan in scope, featuring 25 tracks that move between genres like hip-hop and R&B. The production on Scorpion is exactly what you would expect from Drake, meticulously crafted and sonically sublime. There’s natural peaks and valleys with something so extensive in scope, but through it all Drake remains Drake– smooth, consistent, measured with his approach in each and every song.
Standout Songs: “Emotionless”, “God’s Plan”, “Peak”
