Aubrey Graham, aka @champagnepapi, aka Drizzy, aka Drake, has dropped a 3-song EP entitled Scary Hours 2, a sequel to his 2018 release under the same name which included the massive hit “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity.”
This new EP is riding the curtails of what some would say is a rather lackluster mixtape project Dark Lane Demo Tapes released back in May 2020. Although Demo Tapes brought us the “Toosie Slide,” “Pain 1993,” and “Chicago Freestyle,” this project was overall a miss and felt like a batch of throwaway songs. So, going into Scary Hours 2, I was hoping for something with a bit more bite.
To provide some context for this review and my overall “views” on Drake (pun intended), I do enjoy his music, and think that the 6 God is a pop hit-making machine. With that being said, I think Drake’s last good project in his discography was If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015) or maybe a slimmed down version of Views (2016). Drake really thrives off his singles. But as far as album releases, he tends to jampack his projects to the brim with fillers and forgettable songs that get overshadowed by the radio hits.
That doesn’t mean I don’t get excited about listening to new Drake. I always want Drake to outdo himself musically and hope that he finds new creative ways to redefine himself artistically. Although he doesn’t necessarily do any of that on Scary Hours 2, he does give us some decent tracks with a couple of fun features.
Leading off with “What’s Next,” Drake comes out the gates with a sticky hook saying “I heard you was givin’ your chain away / That’s kinda like givin’ your fame away.” The instrumental has a bumping bass and these electric piano chords teetering back and forth throughout the track. Although it’s not a groundbreaking song by any means, it is pretty typical for Drake and I think that’s really the most anyone can ask for.
There is one line that I found amusing in which Drake was listing off things he has been doing throughout certain times of the year such as summer and New Year’s. When he gets to February 14th, he says, “And Valentine’s Day I had sex, okay?” As if someone was asking him what he has been up to over the past year and he found it necessary to insert that piece of information.
Next is the track “Wants and Needs,” featuring Lil Baby. This is my least favorite out of the three, mostly because Drake’s flow almost feels like he is struggling to keep on tempo — perhaps that’s intentional. But other than that, it’s not a bad track. The instrumental is actually quite nice. It’s ethereal with spacey synths and slapping drums. The lyrical content is pretty intriguing with Drake talking about how he needs to find Jesus, even saying, “I should probably link with Yeezy, I need me some Jesus.”
Then there’s the Lil Baby feature which absolutely pops off. There’s no question that if an artist has the opportunity to collaborate with someone of the caliber of Drake, for rap’s sake, it’s essential that the artist makes sure to rap laps around him on his own track. Needless to say, Lil Baby definitely shows up.
The final track of the bunch is “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” featuring Rick Ross, and this one might be my favorite. The instrumental is smooth and infectious with a sped up sample of “Pressure” by Quadron continuously hovering in the background. Rick Ross kicks off the track with a smooth as butter verse sounding as braggadocious and boss as ever. Then after a short section where the sample is in the forefront of the song, Drake raps for like four minutes straight about a multitude of things, such as picking up his kid from school, ordering exclusive lemon pepper wings, and his Canadian pride.
This is the Drake that I truly enjoy hearing the most. When Drake is able to be introspective and pull back on the flashy choruses or hooks, that’s when Drake shines as a lyricist. Whether you subscribe to the belief that Drake still uses ghostwriters or not, he is quite a performer and definitely puts his heart and soul onto a track, and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” is one example of that.
Overall, I enjoyed Scary Hours 2 and found it a lot better than some of his previous projects. I know that these tracks are most likely filler until Certified Lover Boy drops, but I will gladly be bumping this trio of songs until then.
What do you think about these new Drake tracks? Let us know @themouthsoap on Instagram!
