A Double Feature: Stream Drake’s Revealing ‘Scorpion’ LP In Full
It has been two years since Drake released his last LP, Views. But that has hardly stopped him from dominating the scene. Since then the 31-year-old has released his More Life mixtape, which landed at the number one spot on the Billboard 200. This year he already dropped his Scary Hours EP and topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice. He currently has two tracks within the Top 10. His latest single, “I’m Upset,” is sitting comfortably within the Top 20, and he has four other appearances scattered across the chart. Today (June 29), he dropped his highly anticipated sixth LP, Scorpion, which will help him soar even higher.
Comprised of 25 tracks, the collection contains two albums’ worth of material. The first half features hip-hop beats and slickly written raps. The latter delves into the hitmaker’s moodier R&B productions. The end result is nearly an hour and a half of quality content. Opener “Survival” establishes his dominance of the industry over sparse beats. “The crown is broken in pieces, but there’s more in my possession. There’s a whole lot in my possession,” he confidently raps. The rap portion also includes his impressive “God’s Plan” and a featured verse from Jay-Z on “Talk Up.” But the highlight of the first half comes on “Emotionless.”
Over a sample of Mariah Carey’s “Emotions,” he confirms rumors of his fatherhood and admits to hiding his child’s existence to protect him. “I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world, I was hiding the world from my kid,” he announces. After incorporating Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love” on More Life’s “Teenage Fever,” it seems he is making a habit of working with pop icons’ defining hits. And Mimi’s heavenly vocals add additional depth to the track. It is an instant favorite of the rap content.
He continues the trend by working in a tribute to Aaliyah’s “More Than A Woman” on “Is There More.” Here he questions the meaning of life and alludes to being done with his current recording contract. The track closes out the hip-hop portion of the project and begins a sonic transition. “Peak” signifies the beginning of the R&B-infused portion, and it immediately sinks into a more somber state of mind.
This side of the album includes the LP’s second chart-topper “Nice For What” and features from the likes of Ty Dolla $ign and Static Major. However, the highlight comes from the surprise appearance of Michael Jackson’s voice on “Don’t Matter To Me.” “All of a sudden you say you don’t want me no more. All of a sudden you say that I closed the door,” the King of Pop laments in a sweet falsetto while Drake reflects on the end of a relationship. It will be interesting to see if this gets released as a single in the future.
Meanwhile, Young Money partner-in-crime Nicki Minaj makes an unexpected appearance on “That’s How You Feel.” Over a murky beat, Drake broadcasts audio from a live performance of her remix of PTAF’s “Boss Ass Bitch.” Her voice is a welcome addition to the track, though it would have been nice to see the iconic pair work together on another original. Hopefully one makes its way onto Nicki’s Queen later this year.
Scorpion provides plenty of quality content, and fans are already delving into the lyrics. The LP is one of Drake’s most ambitious to date. Highlighting his various skills and providing plenty of potential hit singles, it reaffirms his status and will likely extend his reign. Give the collection a listen below and let us know your thoughts.
What do you think of the LP? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
