REVIEW: DRAKE - HONESTLY, NEVERMIND

4/5

Hold On, We're Going House.

Steph Curry with the Finals MVP, boy. You can't deny that shot. And as one of the GOATS from downtown, or any area or arena, and his Warriors, just beat the storied Boston Celtics on their hallowed parquet road to become the 75th anniversary NBA champions. Bringing the dynasty they thought was dead, back. You can just imagine they bumped the new surprise Drake album that dropped on the same night as champagne flowed like Papi. Even if the ownership of this Toronto Raptor rival used to pick lint out of the Chef's cap, just to get under Stephen's skin before Canada won their very own championship. Drake had more NBA friends than Jimmy Goldstein, and more fans than those who will Dub themselves Golden State ones like an overnight celebrity. Drizzy celebrated his own hoops championship this week...in the Sanctuary of his very own basketball league this week. Sipping champagne and spitting that s###, as the greatest rapper today not called 'Mr. Morale' or J. Cole (living out his own hardwood dreams) compared himself to Kobe in what fans trolled as the literal real life bronze medal meme. You know the one where the guy is putting up his middle fingers, kissing the medal bearer and spraying bubbly on the gold and silver better athletes like this was F1. Some fans have been throwing more shade thanks to this new album, dropping like Biggie and heading towards the house of dance music like when the Love of Puff Daddy went by Lectro Black. They wanted bangers (and they have in close-out with 21 Savage and 'Jimmy Cooks'), but the 'Certified Lover Boy' who gave us Adele's best album of 2021 (we're assuming she didn't include her own '30' piece) is still keeping it 'Way 2 Sexy' a month after telling Future 'I Never Liked You'. 'Honestly, Nevermind' the hate. Because if you're reading this. In a year of Kendrick and a new Beyoncé album just announced on the eve of this surprise release, this new Drake rocks the house. 

Some may hate and say this lacks luster or blockbuster bluster from one of the biggest in the game like LeBron James. But like The Roots of drumming legend Questlove tweets, "this Drake jawn is a gift." "Only people not wit the program are people who don't move their bodies. That ain't sexy yo." And this is way too that. Co-signed by the iconic afro comb that gave us the 'Summer Of Soul' music movie documentary. A true renaissance of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Featuring the likes of Stevie Wonder Sly and the Family Stone. A televised revolution that won an Oscar. Lest you forget after Will Smith delivered a thunder-clap to Chris Rock right before and all the reverberations that came after, that failed to give respect to what Rock was actually standing for. And in another troublesome year of torrential pain, the man who gave us the 'Dark Lane Demo Tapes' mix that felt like an actual album going hard between the balaclava like shadows of venetian blinds, the atmospheric 'Intro' really plays like when Drizzy got his 007 on with no time to die, keeping friends and enemies alike close on the opening of 'Views'. But here 'Falling Back' gets right to it on the metal type of this album artwork that will turn in to a t-shirt quicker than it takes to add all this to cart. But it's the following 'Texts Go Green' ("Texts go green, it hits a little different, don't it?/Know you miss the days when I was grippin' on it/Know you're in a house tonight just thinkin' on it/I moved on so long ago.") that's a standout like rectangle illuminations at night from the text message relationship rapper hanging on to a thread. Begging to never be left on read. 

Two ticks for Drake for this one. Message received and we love to see it. Don't read too much more into it. We're into this. Like a rapping Billie Eilish. We don't know if he's 'Happier Than Ever', but no 'Bad Guy', he's giving us more than a steady stream of quality material for the catalogue. Delving deeper and darker into the human condition. And the 'Currents' are strong. Dealing with the cousins of loneliness and isolation. Comfortable in the knowledge that he could still rap with those that believe sleep is tour Uncle and Aunties son's relation to death. This middle of the night music is just that potent in its subtle power and poignancy that seeps through your speakers poetically. Lulling you through the night like 'A Keeper', or 'Calling My Name' like Chalamet. He's just married to this. No ring on the dresser. Like he is to everyone and all their Instagram handles that are about to have so many sliding into the DM's, in the matrimony video of lead single 'Falling Back'. Featuring Canadian NBA big-man Tristan Thompson as Aubrey's best man and the best wedding singer you ever had after 'The Hangover'. A service that sees him moan "your pussy keeps calling my name" on his new mood board like the legendary King Princess (new album next month on the same day as Bey, like Maggie. Just saying) calling it God. We all know the feeling. And he fiends for it more on 'Sticky' like the lush kush of a drug. Playing with the cat (you know how it get) and rapping in French Canadian, "lifestyle she respect/Ayy, two sprinters to Quebec/Chérie, où est mon bec?/They only givin' n####s plus ones, so I never pull up to the Met/You know I gotta bring the set." It's clear to hear, he's having a ball. And this is his gala. Going into 'Overdrive', this is 'Massive'. And I hope you've got your tickets like those for the champion Warriors heading Far East to Japan to play native hero Rui Hachimura's Wizards. Because the 'Flight's Booked' and this is the best yearn for a distant lover taking to the skies since Kelis "hope(d) you miss(ed) your flight", or we saw how it 'All Falls Down' from Kanye's perspective. And now before 'Donda 2' you can say yey to this one too over the 'Ties That Bind'. Rolling, but never going 'Downhill' as this rap asset is no 'Liability' either. Drake once had a 'Celebration' with the 'R&B Money' (affording August) of Tank, who brought out a Blackstreet of audio artillery on his next album with the vocal distort. And that's what Aubrey accomplishes so well on this sets penultimate track. Rapping, "you get in my bed, you twist up my head/I'm changing for you, changing for you/You get in my bed, you twist up my head/I'm changing for you, changing for you/You die with the lie/You lie and a piece of me dies/Inside out, I pray, so much I can take/I'm here for the ride, your pride might be the reason why/We don't even make it to see the days/Woah." Woah indeed. Honestly, for Drake fans, 'Never Mind' is Nirvana. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Playlist Picks: 'Texts Go Green', 'Liability', 'Jimmy Cooks (Feat. 21 Savage).'