‘Drake’s new playlist “More Life” is the real ‘ting’….except for when it’s not.

The “More Life” playlist isn’t called an album or even a mixtape. I don’t really know why; with 22 songs on it, it sure sounds like an album, but it doesn’t matter what you call it. Most of these songs are good and extremely “vibey.”

Alright, let’s first get the bad stuff out of the way, I really don’t want to end this review on a sour note because I do truly enjoy this album…or playlist.

Dear Giggs,

You’re trash. You shouldn’t even be on this project. You ruined one of the hardest beats on this playlist (Yes, I know the “KMT” beat has ties to XXXtentacion). Your flow doesn’t match with Drizzy’s and your train of thought is horrible. You suck, please stop, I have been able to deal with poor rappers but you don’t even try to act like you care.

Sincerely,

Jack

*Deep breath.* Okay, let’s get back to it. On “Sacrifices” Drizzy has 2-Chainz and Young Thug, two really big stars in the rap game. Usually when you have only one of these two it turns into a hit, but when you have two, the sky should be the limit. The last time Drake did something with “Big-deuce” (2-Chainz) was on Drake’s album “Nothing was the Same” on the track “All Me”, which also had Big Sean. So how can you go from an absolute banger and one of my favorite Drake tracks of all time to this pile of garbage? Slow and steady might be Drake’s appropriate speed, but for Chainz and Thugger, they need something faster and more upbeat. This song was a huge flop, just a big disappointment considering who Drake was able to get on a track.

It also seems like Drake is trying too hard to be something he isn’t. If you couldn’t tell. he traveled all around Europe, more specifically the UK, and picked up slang from each region. The prime example is the word “Ting”. This can be heard on almost every Drake track right now.

He also has connections to the Caribbean; he steals a ton from Jamaican dancehall music. If you feel like you’re getting Jamaican vibes, it’s not just you, it’s done on purpose. And that’s the problem. People like Drake for his style, not for someone else’s. I understand that the game changes constantly and you have to adapt and advance the culture but there is a point where you can be  doing it too much and being someone you’re not, and Drake has reached that level.

Now onto the positives.

“Free Smoke”: What a way to kick off a playlist. From the smooth melodies from Nai Palm to the intense beat that comes in. Mmmhhhm. What a track. With the fast up-tempo rapping that Drake provides on this track, this is a good change from the slow pace of the majority of the playlist. Even though Drake stated that he wouldn’t play “Back to Back” again, he doesn’t see any issue with going back at “Meek Mill” after their beef took place over two years ago.

“Passionfruit”: With a smooth, almost tropical beat, Drake does well on this track. Let’s be honest, Drake doesn’t impress me with the bars he has on this track, but the beat really carries the weight. When it’s a beat no one has heard before and it’s something fresh and new, people are going to be attracted to it. I have had a handful of conversations with people: “Heard the new Drake?”, “Yup”. “Favorite track?”  and simultaneously we both said “Passionfruit” . That’s never happened before after Drake has dropped a new project. It just goes to show that people are getting tired of the same trap beats and this track provides that new life people were looking for.

“Get it Together” ft: Black Coffee and Jorja Smith: Wow. Another non-stereotypical trap music beat that catches my ear. Surprised? No. Jorja Smith has one of the smoothest voices I’ve ever heard; it’s so silky. And mixed with the Caribbean-type beat and her timing, it creates a great harmony. Then Drizzy comes in only for the chorus and that’s it. But I don’t care; Jorja is so good I could listen to her all day.

“Gyalchester”: This is the definition of what a Drake rap song is. Heavy beat with max bounce and bass. Mix in some extravagant lines about “Ice blue minks” and you’re done. There’s no secret ingredient, Drizzy has been doing this for years and it’s worked for him, so why change it?

“Do Not Disturb”: This reminds me too much of something off of “Nothing was the Same” and you don’t see me complaining. A good beat and great lyrics– what a perfect ending to this playlist. It sums it up so nicely that it doesn’t leave you feeling left out or craving more. (Just try to forget about Giggs… good luck doing that) You could make an easy case that this is the best track on the entire list.

There are a couple other tracks that are also really good but we don’t have that kind of time and you really don’t care about what I have to say anyway.

Would I say this is “the best” Drake album ever? I’d say no … there are too many misses on this project to outweigh the positives. My top four albums respectively are: “Nothing was the Same”, “Take Care”, “Thank me Later” and “Views”. This doesn’t even crack the top four. It seems like ‘Wheel chair Jimmy’ needed to spend some more time figuring out what he wanted to do instead of working on his slang. There are some Jamaican vibes and then some non-Jamaican vibes. Maybe that’s why this isn’t called an album? Maybe he called it a playlist so he can put all these tracks and not have people tear it apart? Too late.
Considering all of this: three out of five ‘Tings’. There are better albums out there that you should listen to, or be like me and go back and listen to all the old stuff.