We're getting close to the finish here. At this point there's not a single song left that I don't feel particularly passionate about but nonetheless we're still going to have to make some tough decisions. Here's how the Top 8 is looking before we kick things off.
(16) Jodeci Freestyle vs (8) Jungle
"Jodeci Freestyle" is a standout point in musical history for both Drake and J. Cole. The two hopped on a beat built around a Jodeci sample as the track title implies where both contemporaries pushed each other to deliver some of the best verses of their respective careers up until that point. The song originally was one of four songs to drop on the same day in June of 2013 but may have been slightly overshadowed by the inclusion of Drake's remix of Migos' track "Versace". Regardless, this track still stands the test of time a captures the hunger, lyrical abilities, and wittiness of a young and upcoming Drake.
Notable Lines:
- "All this capital it's like I left the caps lock on / It's like every time I plot a return I seem to shift the game / See I can still talk keys without pitchin' cane"
- "Oh well, b-tches paint OVO on their toenails /And show up at the show, the afterparty, and the hotel / That five star in your city, they know where we at / I hit the lobby, women's screaming like Jodeci's back, ni--a"
"Jungle" takes a much much different turn from the braggadocios Drake that was present on the aforementioned track. Instead he uses the track to talk about a woman from Lawrence Heights with a nickname that this track borrows its title from. The instrumental on this track is mellow and ambient featuring incredibly minimalistic production which truly pushes Drake's incredible vocal and lyrical performance to the forefront. Drake gets vulnerable and introspective on this song and provides listeners a glimpse into his love life and the heartbreak he experiences.
Notable Lines:
- "Listen, you can hear them callin' my name / I'm all over the place, I can't sit in one place / I'm not ashamed at all /Still findin' myself, let alone a soulmate, I'm just sayin'"
- "Call your number and it's out of service / Who can I call for your information?/ What am I supposed to do after we done everything that we done? / Who is your replacement?"
Both songs contrast wildly in sounds but I think it's hard to argue that emotional depth and story of heartbreak that Drake paints on "Jungle" is absolutely spectacular and for that reason it wins this matchup.
Winner: (8) Jungle
(4) Marvin's Room vs (12) Cameras / Good Ones Go
As I mentioned in the previous post "Marvin's Room" for some is the song they think of when someone mentions Drake. And rightfully so. It very much perfectly captures the emotional, romantic, and slightly problematic side of him to a tee. He's honest and extremely vulnerable on this song which is partially the reason why it's gained so much adoration from passionate fans. This song is arguably the centrepiece of his 2011 album "Take Care" where Drake takes listeners to a place of loneliness and regret which is just even more exemplified by the stripped down production the track features.
Notable Lines:
- "F-ck that n--ga that you love so bad / I know you still think about the times we had / I say f-ck that n--ga that you think you found / And since you pick up, I know he's not around"
- "I think I'm addicted to naked pictures / And sittin' talkin' 'bout b-tches that we almost had / I don't think I'm conscious of makin' monsters outta the women I sponsor 'til it all goes bad"
"Cameras / Good Ones Go" also from "Take Care" is track that serves as a transition point as Drake moves from the more somewhat uptempo first half of the project to a series of four tracks with a much more somber note. The track is two different songs with a very similar theme. On "Cameras" Drake talks about how the numerous women he is seen with "on camera" mean nothing while on "Good Ones Go" Drake laments about how the celebrity lifestyle makes it difficult to have a woman waiting around for the right time. Both halves of the song compliment each other both lyrically and thematically without particularly overshadowing one another.
Notable Lines:
- "Baby girl, you need to stop it, all that pride and self-esteem / Got you angry about this girl I'm with in all them magazines / Baby, she look like a star, but only on camera / It look like we in love, but only on camera"
- "I shouldn't be much longer / But you shouldn't have to wait / Can't lose you, can't help it / I'm so sorry, I'm so selfish"
Two great songs, two very similar lanes. It should be obvious which one wins this matchup. On to the Final 4 for "Marvin's Room".
Winner: (4) Marvin's Room
(15) The Ride vs (10) Jaded
The beat on "The Ride" is absolutely mesmerizing. Being built around a repeating sample from "The Weeknd" a main percussion and one that comes and goes provides Drake a textured canvas to recount different phases of his career up until that point in 2011. He starts the track by basically saying nobody understands him and what he's going through. He then proceeds to detail specific events that reinforce that claim. The second verse which serves as a bit of self-reflection for Drake is particularly impactful as he makes mention of the length he used to go to in order to maintain an image of wealth rather than the an aspiring rapper who spent their gas money on champagne.
Notable Lines:
- "You won't feel me 'til everybody say they love you, but it's not love / And your suit is oxblood / And the girl you f--kin' hates you and your friends faded off shots of / What you ordered to forget about the game that you on top of / Your famous girlfriend ass keep gettin' thicker than the plot does"
- "You drop a couple songs in hopes that you could be the n--ga / And come out every night to let the city see they n--ga / Tellin' stories that nobody relate to /And even though they hate you / They just keep on tellin' you they feel you n--ga"
It's now time to talk about what I have already deemed one of the pettiest songs in Drake's discography. The song being called "Jaded" is perfect as the entire track just oozes pain and resentment. Rumours have swirled that the woman in question on the track is none other than Jorja Smith, but of course that hasn't been confirmed by either party. Drake takes the track to outline how he feels used and played by the woman in question. The song feels like a stream of consciousness, the second verse especially. It's like he's just recounting all the things this woman has done to him and he certainly makes it known how he feels about it. The beat is minimal and gives Drake room to work and the Ty Dolla $ign background vocals are just icing on this incredibly bitter cake.
Notable Lines:
- "Ayy, told me about all your insecurities, for what? / Dragged me like two hours to your family's house, for what? / Said you need some time but I should stick around, for what? / Always felt like stickin' 'round's the same as being stuck"
- "Yeah, you played me, you played me, you played me / Lowdown, dirty, shameful, crazy / I need to know how the new nigga you got does the same thing / I do for a living but is way less wavy"
This is a fantastic matchup. Drake with The Weeknd in one corner and Drake with Ty Dolla $ign in the other. Both songs are so packed full of emotion and storytelling but I think the edge goes to "Jaded" off of the strength of the vulnerability alone.
Winner: (10) Jaded
(14) Tuscan Leather vs (11) Star67
An introductory Drake track with three different parts is obviously hard to beat, especially when it's 6 minutes and 6 seconds (how clever) of rapping without a chorus. He takes this time to recount his successes between his last major release in 2011 and this track in 2013, address his contemporaries that seem to have issue with him, and reflect on how much he's been able to achieve in his relatively short time on the scene. The song is almost cinematic in a sense as not only is it musically grand but also sets the stage for what the rest of the album is going to be which is only emphasized by the Whitney Houston sample that is at the backbone of this song.
Notable Lines:
- "I'm tired of hearin' 'bout who you checkin' for now / Just give it time, we'll see who's still around a decade from now"
- "How much time is this n--ga spendin' on the intro? / Lately I've been feelin' like Guy Pearce in Memento / I just set the bar, n--gas fall under it like a limbo / The family all that matters, I'm just out here with my kinfolk"
Drake takes us back to a time of alleged phone scams on the second verse of "Star67" while using the first verse to air some grievances he has with label. He enters the track with the utmost aggression to address these label issues but that aggression quickly dissolves as he glides into the second verse. The second verse features both a dramatic beat switch as well as tonal switch as Drake begins reminiscing on his relationship with money and how difficult it was to come by and preserve while he was growing up. He wraps up this section by frankly stating that he couldn't be involved in the activities he initially begged his friends to let him get involved in. The track has yet another distinct section which I can only describe as hazy which makes sense as Drake talks about his frequent mixing of weed and alcohol before wrapping up the song with a replaying of the chorus with a much different meaning this time.
Notable Lines:
- "Brand-new Beretta, can't wait to let it go / Walk up in my label like, "Where the check, though?"
- "I was on TV, makin' fifty racks a year / After helpin' Mama out, the shit would disappear / I am not a man, I can't do this on my own / So I started askin' them if they would put me on"
If it wasn't obvious enough from my writing the clear winner in this matchup is "Star67". It really is such a complete and unique song and always stands out for me in Drake's discography.
Winner: (11) Star67
And just like that, we have our Top 4.
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