It’s Time to Talk About Drake…

As hip-hop turns 50, much has been written/said about its past and future. The full view of hip-hop would be incomplete without including Drake, arguably the dominant artist of his generation. Yet, his recent run of albums has made the Toronto rapper a polarizing figure within the genre. Drake’s success and longevity compare best to Jay-Z, but following the release of For All the Dogs, the two couldn’t be further apart in style and substance.

For All the Dogs is a predictable, featuring social media-ready one-liners about money and women that have been the foundation of Drake’s artistry for years. Since the release, there has been a growing conversation around his level of maturity, or lack thereof. In certain aspects, assessing Drake’s lyrical content is a mental exercise for self only.

Expecting him to change his style after a decade of success is unrealistic and ignores his unique skillset. Drake’s strength is his ability to connect us to nostalgic moments of euphoria. His catchy me-first singles remind me of nights out with friends where parties felt limitless. Yet, for Drake’s longest-tenured fans, those memories are only growing more seldom and distant.

For Drake, life and music run parallel. His wealth, fame, and success make emotional maturity an afterthought. Meanwhile, his fans don’t have that luxury — with familial and professional responsibilities forcing them to be accountable to others. Drake’s inability to change makes the bit feel more uninteresting with each album.

While the calls for Drake to rap about more age-appropriate subjects are warranted, it’s ironic that we don’t give those who do (i.e. Rapsody and Phonte) the popularity they deserve. Hip-hop’s 50-year history offers few examples of rappers aging graciously.

Drake doesn’t stand to gain from 4:44-esq bars about fasting and savvy wealth management. Jay-Z was once lauded by those who currently express dissatisfaction with Drake as if the themes in 4:44 are somehow more obtainable. In Drake’s case, he’s hamstrung by a lack of creative direction and forced to follow the trends set by artists nearly half his age.

Early signs indicate For All the Dogs will disappear quickly into irrelevancy like Honestly, Nevermind, and Certified Lover Boy. Drake’s most loyal fans will attempt to convince the public that his recent discography is underappreciated, but maybe now is the time to question his place in a genre he arguably still controls.

Eventually, Drake’s popularity will fade away. Not because he switched up or suddenly matured, but because he no longer connects with the group that elevated him to superstardom — and lost the ability to keep up with a genre/fans that only get younger.