Drake – Views (Review) – THE URBAN BUZZ

Seems like a mighty long time since I’ve done a review. What a better way to come off a break to a review for one of this year’s most highly anticipated releases from music superstar Drake.

Being that P A L M takes great pride in being a hub for independent music, it may seem like a bit of a surprise that you’re even reading this review for Views. The thing about when it comes to Drake, I personally feel that he is perhaps the most overexposed and overrated artist out today. However, no matter how much radio and club airplay he receives and how much it irritates me, ever since Take Care in 2011, I’ve made it a point to listen to ever Drake project when it drops. Why? Because whether we like it or not, this man is going to be the next voice of our generation. It’s undeniable that the Canadian rapper, singer, and actor has a vast amount of talent, and this album really proves that.

What I really liked about Views was that there was a notable difference from what you may hear from Drake on the radio to this record. He’s not spitting and singing over the same stale beats from Metro Boomin, Sonny Digital, or DJ Mustard. This is a more refined sound with a lot of sampling and influence drawn from 90s R&B and dancehall.

It’s really the production from 40 that makes Views what it is. There is a uniqueness about each song but several stand out to me from the rest of the record. For starters, the record warms up by track four “Feel No Ways.” The album progresses from here pretty well from there. Personally I prefer Drake’s singing to his rapping, but he has a nice cadence on the next track “Hype.” One of the best songs on Views is “Weston Road Flows.” It has this sample which I suspect is “Real Love” by Mary J. Blige. After that you have “Redemption” which is perfect for worrying about your current situation with a significant other. Then there’s a much needed collab with PARTYNEXTDOOR which seems like it would’ve fit on Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreaks. The following track “Still Here” is definitely a banger. The next two songs “Controlla” and “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla have that dancehall feel similar to that on “Work” from Drake and Rihanna. There’s no doubt it in my mind that “One Dance is the best song on Views.

Hands down the worst song on Views is “Grammys” featuring Future. It’s just a left over from What a Time to Be Alive. Let’s face it, Future’s highly overrated too and I wouldn’t be mad if we stopped hearing from him for a while too.

“Pop Style” is another hot track on here. I also like the dancehall feel again on “Too Good” featuring Rihanna. One of the last few songs is “Fire & Desire” where Drake’s vocal effects just draw a beautiful signature. Other than everything I’ve already mentioned there’s “Hotline Bling” which wouldn’t be a bad song if it wasn’t on all the time everywhere….

As I’m writing this review, I’m realizing how much I enjoyed this album. It’s safe to say Views is what remade me a drake fan. 4.5/5 PALMs!