By: Ayara Pommells
Yesterday, Drake’s third studio album was officially released, much to the delight of his millions of fans worldwide. Despite the unfortunate ‘leak’ around a week ago, NWTS is sure to move some colossal units. NWTS (much like the title suggests) is a journal of Drake’s progressions since being a part of the industry and breaking into the mainstream to become the global phenomenon he is today.
“Tuscan Leather” kicks off the album. The opening two lines pretty much sum it all up:
“Comin’ off the last record/ I’m gettin’ 20 million off the record/Just to off these records, n*gga that’s a record…” And there you have it.
Drake’s first single off the album, “Started From The Bottom” became something of an anthem earlier this year. It was huge and probably still is one of the more popular tracks on NWTS. A modern day, Cinderella story (the Young Money version). It’s a club banger for sure.
The now infamous “Wu Tang Forever” has garnered the most attention of all of NWTS’s offerings. In itself, it is a beautiful, well crafted song, if a little slow. My only real criticism is the title, which sets itself up for failure. The bottom line is, if you call a track “Wu Tang Forever”, it should really nod towards the Wu in a translatable way to the fans of Wu… It should not be a slow jam; however, it is a likeable song.
We see an edgier side to Drake in “Worst Behavior”. Drake almost sounds angry as he bellows over the DJ Dahi beat:
“On my worst behavior, no? /They used to never want to hear us, remember? /Muf*cka never loved us, remember? /Muf*cka, remember? /Muf*cka never loved us”
He says Muf*cka a lot in the song before hitting us off with a Mase quotable from “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems”. This may appeal to those who are of the opinion that Drizzy is a ‘soft rapper’. Maybe Drake isn’t the boy scout people make him out to be?
Single “Too Much” kicks off with the hook provided by the London (UK) artist, singer-songwriter Sampha. His vocals are looped through the mid tempo beat as Drizzy pours his heart out completely on this song. Drake personally addresses those closest to him including his mother, his uncle. Even amidst all the success, it appears at times that Drizzy feels tremendously isolated. He has this to say to his cousins:
“All my family from the M-Town that I’ve been ’round/Started treating me like I’m “him” now/ Like we don’t know each other/We ain’t grow together/ We just friends now/ Shit got me feeling pinned down/Pick the pen up or put the pen down/Writing to you from a distance like a pen pal/But we’ve been down…”
Overall, the album is a solid piece of work. Drake sticks to what he does best and keeps everything within the realm of the life he knows. He doesn’t not overstep his boundaries. He combines the much enjoyed perks of the money and the fame with his innermost thoughts and feelings. Drake shows a vulnerable side of himself that many are afraid to which should earn him a lot of respect. You may not love everything about NWTS but you will definitely find something to salivate over. Drizzy has always had a good ear for beats, and they do the project justice. The doe-eyed Young Money signee has grown up into a confident (if slightly cocky) young man who continues to remain true to the essence of what makes his music unique. NWTS is fun and filled with emotion.
