Drake is a renowned rapper who needs no introduction at this point. For the first time since last May, Drizzy’s released a new batch of songs with his EP, Scary Hours 2. Being a sequel to his 2018 LP Scorpion’s preluding project, Scary Hours, can these three new tracks properly kick off Drake’s Certified Lover Boy campaign?
As opposed to a lot of the Toronto rapper’s recent efforts, these three cuts are all passionate and well thought out. “What’s Next” is the perfect introduction to this new era of Drake due to its braggadocios themes and spacey instrumental that is reminiscent of something Travis Scott would rap over in the early years of his career. While Aubrey isn’t reinventing the mold in any way here, his up-tempo flow and lyrics covering anything from his addictions to his lawyers culminate into the overlying theme, which is that he will take over 2021 and reclaim hip hop’s throne once again. Following this up, “Wants and Needs” takes a darker turn as, over an intoxicating trap beat, Drake starts confessing about his morally wrong decisions. After repenting all of his sins, he says he needs Jesus in his life. Out of all the flexes and sorrows embedded in this hard-hitting banger, the lines “Yeah, I probably should go link with Yeezy, I need me some Jesus, But soon as I started confessin’ my sins, he wouldn’t believe us” were the bars that stood out the most. Addressing his rival and devoted Christian, Kanye West, these lines are perfectly placed considering the religious climate the cuts surrounding lyrics and hook have set. On the ladder, half of the track Lil Baby spits a verse that is sonically appealing but topically disjointed from one of Drake’s best verses in years. Saving the best for last, we see Aubrey and one of his top-notch collaborators Rick Ross expand their catalog with the glorious “Lemon Pepper Freestyle”. Over a chopped-up vocal sample with even choppier drums that were taken from Drizzy’s 2018 hit “In My Feelings”, Ross pulls out his usual bag of tricks, which consists of nothing less than excellence. After Rosé’s verse which ends at about the one minute and 20 seconds mark, Drake goes on a tangent for the next four minutes. In this extended monologue, the six god lyrical wittiness and technical proficiency make for his most prolific verse in quite some time.
In conclusion, Scary Hours 2 seems to be the start of the comeback the culture’s been waiting for Drake to make. Although we’re only given three songs, there’s not a single moment of selling out, and all the material seems to be as integral as it can get for the OVO leader. Going forward, my excitement for Drake’s upcoming album Certifed Lover Boy is higher than ever, and I’m hoping we won’t be let down.
Rating: 7.0/10
Pros:
- 3/3 on good songs
- Drakes best songwriting in years
- Great production
- Solid features
- The return to form we needed
Cons:
- Lil Baby verse could have been more focused
- As a three-song EP, the ceiling isn’t very high
