By Marquis Cooley | Sports Editor
The “6 God” himself has done it again. After multiple delays Canadian rapper Aubrey Drake Graham, better known as Drake, finally released his sixth studio album “Certified Lover Boy” at midnight on Friday to the excitement of many fans. The 21-track album, that spans an hour and 26 minutes, features many popular artists such as Lil Baby, Jay-Z, Travis Scott and Lil Wayne. This release has already broken multiple records, including most streams in a day on both Spotify and Apple Music.
While promotion around the album may not have been as huge as Kanye West’s “Donda,” which dropped a few days earlier, subtle things like releasing the album cover, putting the release date in a SportsCenter ad and a surprise billboard campaign was enough to get people talking.
Never hesitant to brag, in “Papi’s Home” Drake announces his return to the rap throne and reminds everyone that he’s on a level all by himself, calling other rappers his juniors and mentioning how they use his name for clout. Drake then reinforces that message in “7AM On Bridle Path,” saying how fans treat his music like “folk songs,” and who can deny it? The man who has “more hits than the Beatles” is known for his ability to make No. 1 records and albums at a rate unlike any other. Every single one of Drake’s album debuts breaks a record and he became the first artist to surpass 50 billion Spotify streams in January. With those achievements, it’s impossible to argue against Drake’s claims of being the greatest rapper out right now.
Throughout the album Drake shows off the versatility he’s known for with a healthy mix of R&B and rap songs. While there isn’t an entire R&B side of the album like in “Scorpion,” with songs like “Get Along Better,” in which Drake sings and harmonizes with Ty Dolla $ign about dating an ex-girlfriend’s friend, Drake takes a break from rapping in an attempt to show off his vocals.
“Certified Lover Boy” has a little something for everyone to enjoy no matter the mood which makes it such a good album. It’s not his greatest album ever by any means, but even Drake at 80% is better than most other artists at their best. It’s not a “no skip” album, but it’s definitely the album of the year and has some songs that will be played for quite a long time.
Looking for a different perspective on “CLB”? Check out this article.
