Drake // Scorpion

Drake

Scorpion

Republic Records

4/5 Stars

It's been a hot summer for Drake, from the highs of "God's Plan" hitting radio to the lows of being baited and later eviscerated on Pusha T's "The Story of Adidon." The track's artwork, an unforgettable photo of the rapper in blackface, left fans wondering if he'd be canceled, and if not, whether his new album would still see its slated June release. Well, he wasn't, because it's Drake — the number one streaming artist in the world. Scorpion is here, and it's exactly what fans can expect from 2018 Drake: a gargantuan, double-disc release designed to maximize streams and provide listeners with a normal album's worth of gems. A spotty release following even spottier releases (2016's Viewsand 2017's divisive "playlist" More Life), Scorpion may be the rapper's liveliest release since 2015's If You're Reading This, It's Too Late. On "Side A," Drake navigates Mariah Carey samples ("Emotionless") and clean production from Noah "40" Shebib, while "Side B" is reserved throwback Drake ("Peak"), experimental Drake ("Summer Games"), and necromancer (hear him bring MJ back from the dead on album highlight "Don't Matter To Me") Drake.

— Aaron Mook