We're on to Group 2 of Aubrey's Arena. Here's the initial bracket from Group 2.
Round 1
(8) Jaded vs (9) Own It
Once again the 8/9 matchup proving to be a tough decision for me. "Jaded" has Drake so extremely deep in his petty bag and his run on sentence of disgust and disappointment in verse two is damn near perfect. Don't even get me started on how great the Ty Dolla $ign ad-libs are. "Own It" is no musical slouch either, especially the instrumental build up to start the song and the second verse. However, I don't think it can compete with the storytelling and emotion on "Jaded".
Winner: (8) Jaded
(4) Started from the Bottom vs (13) The Ride
Even when it first came out I was never a huge fan of "Started from the Bottom". It got panned by Drake haters for making the claim of starting from the "bottom" while growing up middle class and starring in a TV show from his teenage years. My problem is more that I don't really like the flow or vocal tone he has on the song. On the other hand, "The Ride" with the superb backing vocals from The Weeknd and Drake's introspective verses which take you through the various stages of his career has always been a standout track in his discography to me.
Winner: (13) The Ride
(5) Do Not Disturb vs (12) Hours in Silence
"Last verse that I gotta do is always like surgery" is what Drake raps at a point on "Do Not Disturb" as he concludes on the outro of "More Life" over a beat that is constructed around a Snoh Aalegra sample which immediately hits a musical soft spot for me. "Do Not Disturb" has all the major elements that Drake fans have come to love from him as a rapper; witty bars, subtle disses, and effortless flows. "Hours in Silence" has a fun first half and a second half which Drake does the thing where he provides a stream of consciousness to/about a woman. It's good but it's not as good as "Do Not Disturb"
Winner: (5) Do Not Disturb
(7) Childs Play vs (10) Weston Road Flows
I'm willing to go out and say the intro on "Childs Play" is up there as one of the most memorable in his discography. It's also got such a phenomenal beat switch which goes from the accessible pop sounding beat to a more minimal and darker sound to correspond to the tonal shift in his lyrics. "West Road Flows" is also a phenomenal Drake song with him delivering hard hitting and nostalgic bars over a chopped Mary J. Blige sample. He's got some incredibly clever entendres on this one and the fact that he stays captivating while rapping for almost 4 minutes straight is a testament to his lyricism and mic presence. Brutal decision picking a winner from these two but I'm slightly leaning towards "Weston Road Flows" for this one. Wish I could pick both.
Winner: (10) Weston Road Flows
Winner: (3) Jodeci Freestyle
Winner: (6) Fire & Desire
Round 2
(1) God's Plan vs (8) Jaded
I'm not even going to talk too much on this one. "God's Plan" is Drake in his pop artist bag. It's not a bad song but it's clearly meant to be accessible and a radio hit. I'd be hard pressed to find any true Drake fan that would be like "put on that God's plan bro". The line about only loving his bed and his momma is catchy though. "Jaded" wins this one.
Winner: (8) Jaded
(4) The Ride vs (5) Do Not Disturb
Both of these songs are fantastic deep cuts from Drake's discography. Both carry a similar sense of introspective thought and critical self-awareness despite being recorded almost 6 years apart. One "Do Not Disturb" you can feel how Drake's increased public image has caused an increased yearning for privacy and how hectic his life has become due to his success. "The Ride" taking place much much earlier in his musical timeline documents the exuberant things he had to do in order to reach the level of success he raps about on "Do Not Disturb". Both serve as excellent check-ins with regards to his career but from a pure musical standpoint, I have to ride with "The Ride".
Winner: (4) The Ride
(2) Toosie Slide vs (10) Weston Road Flows
Hear me out, "Toosie Slide" isn't that bad. I know a lot of people don't like the song at all but for some reason I've always found it to be just a fun song. I'm also a huge fan of his entendre with the meaning of the word slide. Who else would mask a song threatening the "opps" as a dance-along track. The second verse in my opinion is the peak of this fun feeling when Drake raps/sings his way through some more threats. I may or may not have a video of me doing the "Toosie Slide" in my camera roll. Covid was a weird time. Obviously "Weston Road Flows" is the better song but "Toosie Slide" deserves a bit more respect.
Winner: (10) Weston Road Flows
(14) Jodeci Freestyle vs (6) Fire & Desire
Different eras and different moods with this round here. I know in the prior matchup which involved "Fire & Desire" I mentioned how much I enjoyed R&B Drake and how well he rode the dreamy instrumental. I would comfortably say it's one of his best R&B performances. However, "Jodeci Freestyle" had Drake giving such a hungry performance that he wasn't necessarily known to deliver prior to this release. The song is 9 years old at this point but Drake sounds as confident and as refined as he does today. "Jodeci Freestyle" wins this one.
Winner: (14) Jodeci Freestyle
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