Scorpion Review
I preface the entirety of this post with a note that while I may not be classified as a “stan”, I’m a loyal defender of Drake. I don’t think he misses often. I think he’s the best artist of the generation, and I’m not sure how one can even debate that.
The reality is that Drake cares a lot about what people think. Security in his public persona is not exactly his greatest strength. I think he has long heard the chatter that he hasn’t made a classic, and it drives him nuts. His frustration is understandable - he has made 2 of my favorite albums ever (Take Care and NWTS) and I think that a lot of people my age would agree, so the notion that he hasn’t made a classic is funny to me. Regardless, a lot of the loudest voices in hip hop are from a generation before me, and their constant murmuring about his lack of an iconic project surely drives him crazy.
Scorpion feels to me like Drake’s concentrated effort to make a classic. It’s his attempt at a rap music epic. With a two-part album focusing on his rapping and his singing, he created a built-in defense for some of his critics. “Drake sings too much” – Okay, then side 1 is for you. “I think this guy tries to hard to rap and doesn’t just admit he’s an emotional dude” – Fine, side 2 is the solution. In theory, Scorpion is intended to be a showcase of everything Drake has with enough content to satisfy any type of listener.
Did it actually work, though? I’m not so sure. My first critique of this album is that it’s too long. There’s just no way to deny that. Instead of the refined, tight approach of the GOOD Music albums of the summer (which were a bit unsuccessful in their own right), this feels a bit like taking as many shots as possible and seeing what goes in. There are a lot of good songs on this album, but there aren’t 25. In my eyes, the best songs on the album are:
Nonstop, God’s Plan, I’m Upset, 8 out of 10, Mob Ties, Sandra’s Rose, Summer Games, Nice for What, In My Feelings, and Don’t Matter to Me
Right there is a list of 10 songs that stand out – realistically there are probably 14-15 songs total that I think are really worth a spot on an album and that will have longevity. I think that a typical 15 song range would’ve made this so much more successful.
“But if you cut the album to 15 songs, you wouldn’t be able to do the two-sided double-album!” I’m quite alright with that. I really don’t understand this side A vs. side B premise on here. It was presented as side A is rap and side B is R&B – I don’t buy that for a second. Nothing about Nice for What belongs on side B according to that premise, and nothing about Elevate belongs on side A. I think creating this dichotomy sounded great in theory, but the finished product doesn’t represent nearly as clear of a divide as was intended. If sequenced properly, I think a single, 15 song album that bounced from singing to rapping with fluidity would’ve been a more cohesive project - quite frankly, I think that’s where Drake is at his best.
The last main point I want to make about this album is that the release of singles really hurt the album launch. Drake had this problem with Nothing Was the Same, too. Of the 10 songs that I said really stand out from the album, all 3 singles were included. God’s Plan and Nice for What having a life (and death) of their own prior to the album coming out doesn’t really do them justice. Imagine hearing those songs for the first time when hearing the album for the first time - it would completely change your perception and reaction. God’s Plan will go down as one of Drake’s best songs of his career, and I think it’s strong enough that it could’ve really made people love this album upon release. Additionally, I’m Upset works so much better in the context of the album than as a single, and releasing it on its own probably did it a disservice. I completely get why singles exist and that there are benefits, but I just don’t feel like they did this album any favors.
With all that in consideration, where does Scorpion fit into both Drake’s catalog and the current context of hip hop? As far as Drake’s albums go, this definitely won’t be better than third for me. There are quite a few songs that I don’t care about, and I can’t just look past that. Both Take Care and NWTS have done more with less, and you might even be able to say the same about IYRTITL. Scorpion, as a whole, is a good album with some really good songs, but there’s a massive gap in quality between the best and worst songs on the album.
As far as its place in hip hop, it’s important to note that this is absolutely in the discussion for best album of the year. Five years from now, I’m a lot more likely to be playing hits from this album than anything else I’ve heard this year. The reality is that Drake at his best is better than just about anyone, and Drake at his worst is still better than a lot of people at their best.