Drake has always felt like more of a culturally dominant, purely iconic popular figure rather than a serious artist. Unlike many of his fans, i certainly found a lot of enjoyment in his 2016 effort, Views - perhaps this is purely down to nostalgia, but there is something supremely unforgettable and almost comforting in the sounds throughout that record's tracklist. But one year earlier came Drake's most commercially successful mixtape, If You're Reading This Its Too Late. And, going into this record, i was not expecting to be as pleasantly surprised as i was. Something about this record feels more mature and self-realised than any of Drakes previous and future work would turn out to be - this could be down to the fact that this releases production has aged near-perfectly. Speaking of production, this tape album would be nothing without the grimy, hard-hitting, moody beets and generally consistently satisfying atmospheres (the kind of emotional reaction every fan wishes to receive from any half-decent trap project). In short, If You're Reading This is a constant hour long supplier of aggressive and at times melodic vocals, utterly amazing instrumentals and an overwhelming showcase of genuinely impressive pop rap songwriting. Drake has not and likely will not top this project and honestly, when looking back, its astonishing how a rapper as popular as Drake can put out a record such as this. The mainstream is usually filled with the polar opposite of what this record produces: cheap songwriting, inauthenticity and bland production. A surprisingly catchy, cold and infinitely replayable listening experience.
By: DuncanRobertson