Nearly 10 months after he first teased its existence during a performance at the Apollo, Drake’s new album For All The Dogs is finally here. During this long lead-in, only a handful of clues were dropped about the record’s contents.
The biggest of these came this past June. In announcing his poetry book Titles Ruin Everything, Drizzy shared a short message revealing the album title and giving a hint about its direction.
It read: "I made an album to go with the book. They say they miss the old Drake girl don't tempt me. FOR ALL THE DOGS."
The middle sentence, a quote from Drake’s own 2011 song "Headlines," was a signal to fans that the album would be a throwback to an older persona. But this isn’t the Drake of 2011; he is now arguably one of the biggest hitmakers, a man who has broken so many chart records that it’s easier to list the ones he hasn’t set than the ones he has.
And yet all that success hasn’t come without a cost. Drake has had high-profile beefs, some of which have lasted for years. So with For All The Dogs came a question: What now? What is on the superstar’s mind, and what does it mean for his career?
Drake Doesn't Let Go Of Grudges
On "8 AM in Charlotte," released hours in advance of the rest of 4 All the Dogs, Drake raps, "Diss me so long ago, we makin' your memories fly/…I'll prolly hold a grudge against you guys 'til I'm 75." That’s an indication of his attitude throughout the entire album — he’s hitting back against his enemies.
While foes like Pusha T and Ye aren’t mentioned by name, there are some lyrics on the record that could be interpreted as being directed towards them. "You know I’m beefing with much older guys" he rhymes on "What Would Pluto Do," leaving the word "die" unspoken.
Other tracks like "Fear of Heights" and "Daylight" contain similar disses and tough talk. Even in the middle of an upbeat party song like "Rich Baby Daddy," he still takes time out to mention that he’s put "a hundred bands" on the heads of his antagonists. But Drake is a reluctant warrior. He admits on "All The Parties," "I wish I could dead all the beefin.’"
Drizzy’s Got Jokes
For All The Dogs is full of jokey wordplay and similes that wouldn’t be out of place on an early ‘90s Lord Finesse album. "All I really know is W’s and M’s, life lookin’ like a bathroom." "In Miami and the owl with me, like they just put my ass in Gryffindor." "Both coming at the same time like ‘Jinx.’" "So many checks owed, I feel Czechoslovakian." "Get inside and bend a dick just like the Pope."
Not all of these work — there’s an ill-advised Peanuts reference, and a cringeworthy pun on the name of Quality Control co-CEO Pierre "P" Thomas. But in general, the use of jokes brings needed levity to an album otherwise nearly entirely focused on romantic problems, with a side of worrying about haters and enemies.
The Best Moments Are Provided By Old Friends
Drake’s relationship with J. Cole goes back over a dozen years, and he’s been collaborating with PARTYNEXTDOOR for nearly as long. So it makes sense that his songs with those two artists — "First Person Shooter" and "Members Only," respectively — provide some of the highlights on For All The Dogs.
Cole in particular provides some of the best rapping on the album. Despite relying heavily on a Migos-esque triplet feel for much of his verse, he is engaging, entertaining, and surprising. Plus he has a tribute to his longtime friend that serves as the album’s best couplet: "Rhymin' with me is the biggest mistake / The Spider-Man meme is me lookin' at Drake," Cole spits, in a line that itself will surely launch a thousand memes.
Drake Switches It Up — A Lot
It seems like one beat just isn’t enough for Drake these days. On over half a dozen For All The Dogs songs, he switches up the beat in the middle of the song or as some kind of outro or interlude.
This keeps things interesting, but it also feels like a refusal to edit — as if there were so many ideas that Drake figured he might as well keep them all. And on a 23-track, nearly 90 minute album, some editing would have been welcome.
Drake Is Making His Play For GOAT Status
The "8am in Charlotte" video opens with Drake discussing his son’s drawing of a goat. That set up the central argument of For All The Dogs, which is that the Toronto rapper wants to be considered the Greatest Of All Time. He revisits the idea a number of times throughout the record, both seriously and jokingly ("Said she was vegan, she eatin’ the GOAT," he raps on "Daylight").
His evidence for GOAT-hood? "Fifteen years of dominance," as he puts it on "8am." On "First Person Shooter," he reminds listeners that he’s just one song away from tying Michael Jackson’s record for most number one songs by a male soloist. ("N— talkin’ bout, ‘When this gon’ be repeated?’ / What the f—, bro? I’m one away from Michael/n—, beat it.")
Interludes on the album feature artists like Snoop, George Clinton, Sade, and an excerpt from a song by the late DJ Screw. This is Drake’s way of putting himself in that same class of artists: He’s beyond his contemporaries now, he seems to be arguing, and should be judged in a class with the all-time greats. Time will tell if he’s right.