More Life: A Revisitation

Ahhhh Drizzy. Drizzy, Drizzy, Drizzy.

I revisited this "playlist" immediately after 4;44 for no other reason than I wanted to listen to another 2017 project that I rarely revisited in its entirety.

I remember March 2017 well. I listened to this project as it premiered on "OVO Sound" radio on Apple Music. For the previous several weeks, I had been listening to "Fake Love", one of the singles Drake dropped in anticipation of this project. However, all signs pointed to More Life being a playlist of several artists, mostly OVO acts, doing their thing on the project. Think Revenge of the Dreamers. It was not that exactly. I believe I listened to it all the way through right then and there and there still a few songs that get heavy syndication in my Apple Music library,

1. Free Smoke

I often listen to the first 40 seconds of this song and then skip it. I am finally, over three years removed from its release, going to figure out who channeled pure euphoria on this track. One second.

Oh, its a sample!

A song called "Building A Ladder" by band Hiatus Kaiyote and singer Nia Palm. Call me simple or ignorant. You learn something new every day. Congratulations to that woman on a true gift.

Anyway, a great song. Applebees and Outback. Chef KD. Instagram Quotes for the rest of the Trump administration.

7.8/10

2. No Long Talk

So Drake had this phase where he spoke in six different accents on each of his projects. I'm not gonna lie, on tracks like Know Yourself and Controlla, it was cool and I am not sure of his specific bloodline or background so I won't get into the politics of it all. But, this is his infatuation with British drill at its staunchest. This is one of the songs it didn't take me long to delete from my library. There are some catchy lines and for those that appreciate the 'tings' 'manz' Drake I'm sure this is still going off till this day. I am also sure that there are some people that enjoy Giggs rapping style. This blog is not for those people.

6.9/10

3. Passionfruit

Yeahhh, mannnn. I have a significant other in my life at the moment. This is the ultimate sensual, romantic, modern dance track for me. Other qualifiers include Controlla, Work... goodness, Drake is good at this. I have gone on the record applauding Drake's natural singing voice. This is one of the shining examples of that acclaim and though he isn't a "sanger" as my significant other would describe it, he has a weirdly evocative style of singing that puts him in the shoes of the listener, whoever that may be. It's not forceful enough to hit THAT deep, but it's smooth enough to slide into any bag it needs to. One of Drake's best songs, period.

9.1/10

4. Jorja Interlude

This is a perfect follower to Passionfruit in that it transitions to rapping Drake without compromising the aesthetic of the romantic dancy mood. "Tryna stay light on my toes, Just ran a light in the Rolls" Is there anyone better at opening lines?

Forget I asked that.

God bless you, Jorja Smith

7.9/10

5. Get it Together

God bless you, Jorja Smith.

Oh, I already said that.

This is the middle of a pretty impressive run of gravity-defying, feels-driven tracks that are guaranteed to either make you want to dance or cry. Drake's voice on this track reminds me of a lot of the faint Kendrick ad-libs you can sometimes hear on any TDE track post-DAMN. Not unwelcome, but I could have very well gone without it. Although, the unison on the chorus of "get that **** together, so we can get together" is justified and admittedly appropriate.

Shout out to Black Coffee and Bucie.

7.9/10

6. Madiba Riddim

Now, this is what I like to call a conceptual crescendo. This song IS what people MADE Hotline Bling. Great job, Nineteen85, on both. And Frank Dukes. One thing these revisitations have done for me is to make me fans of whole producers rather than just songs. I love the way this song can't possibly be played on a rainy day. The subject matter of the lyrics isn't all that positive but the rhythm of this track is undeniable and is another flex of Drake's ability to put a bow on a vibe.

8.3/10

7. Blem

Check this out. Remember I said you can't play Madiba Riddim when it's raining? You can't waste this track on any moment before 10pm. The vibe is the same...just..night..no? This is the end of the tropical fruit punch five-song stretch. I think I enjoy this so much because Drake is not trying to intermingle his rapping and his singing. I don't mind that much at all (see my Thank Me Later review that hasn't been written yet), I just like to see nights where Lebron says "bump points, imma get 12 assists tonight". Five songs that all make for an unshakably head-bobbing, juking spirit that will return later in the playlist but never again at this much concentration.

Haha, TUNECHI!

8.1/10

8. 4422

If I wasn't in love with Sampha's voice because of "Too Much", I definitely was after this. Not one of my favorites of the playlist, but Sampha's all-encompassing vocals are hard to knock.

See, Aubrey, this is the song you should have given us a verse or two on.

7.5/10

9. Gyalchester

End of sophomore year me is in an absolute trance.

This song is just a blast to listen to obnoxiously loud. I should know, I oftentimes queued this song to play right as I pulled up to any function where people could hear me. The bass on this one hits extremely different. Enough of my nostalgia, this song is braggy Drake at his coolest. And Baka Not Nice with the ever-important sound adlibs.

Let's see what Gyalchester means, shall we?

Nevermind.

"what's that? facts."

Is this the origin of the "top 2 and not 2" flex?

Well done.

8/10

10. Skepta Interlude

I don't have anything to say about this song, specifically.

I do want to take this opportunity to talk about international rap. I love how globalized all of hip hop has become. People rap in different languages, dialects, and styles. It's great to see especially because, from what I hear, a lot of the world's best talents come from outside of the states even when talking about technicality. I love to see it. Maybe if I immersed myself more in foreign culture, I would appreciate artists like Skepta and Bad Bunny a little more.

Anyways,

6.2/10

11. Portland

I remember around the time More Life dropped I was coming down from the four-month-high I was on after Travis Scott released Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight. So when "WE GONE GO LIIIIVE, WE GONE GO LIIIIVE, YEAH" first blessed my ears, you can imagine my thunderous headbobbing and simultaneous psychedelic-esque stupor. Anyways, this is a track that has only aged the way it has because it was played so much in the months after its release. In March of 2017, Quavo and Travis Scott's stylistic assists in a track like this were hard to come by. But today, songs like these are considered dated at best and annoying at worst. It still can hit in the function or in the car, but takes pretty particular circumstances in my opinion.

"My side girl got a 5s with the screen cracked, still hit me back right away" is still one of the best opening lines I've ever heard.

7.7/10

12. Sacrifices

Now, this is a three-man hip hop track I can get behind. 2 Chainz is one of the most underrated MCs of the decade and he almost never fails when paired with Drizzy. I don't know what it is about him. He has that old head feel that he's always had, something I would liken to a Rick Ross probably. A voice that is unmistakably mature but smooth and flows seamlessly on a beat like this. Go back and listen to all of the golden lines and double entendres in that verse.

Thugger is always a win.

"like a new car, I got two keys" I sing that every time I hear this song.

In many ways, Portland and Sacrifices are the same songs. Structurally, there are few differences. All four features are artists raised in and deeply influenced by southern hip hop. I appreciate both.

I appreciate this one a smidge more.

8/10

13. Nothings Into Somethings

More Life has some of my favorite Drake singing songs and this is one of them. This is one of those songs that can only be played in a car at night while you're driving home. By yourself. And its raining.

Not very long, just Drake making you re-think how you said "here" when your fourth-grade teacher took roll.

8.2/10

14. Teenage Fever

"I met someone newww last night and we kiggedit"

Genius says this song may be describing the triangle Drake created by transitioning from Rihanna to Jennifer Lopez (hence the sample). I have always found it hard to believe that he was ever as romantically involved with either of them as he wants us to believe but, hey, maybe discretely talking about your love life is what the most recognizable women in the world are into. Anyways, I like this song primarily for the aforementioned line and sample in the chorus. But, again, very particular circumstances.

7.9/10

15. KMT

The main thing I recall about this song is the discussion it created about Drake stealing the flow of XXXTentacion on his song "Look At Me".

I hold very little affection for either record.

6.5/10

16. Lose You

Drake is a rapper? I almost forgot.

I love Drake but, I must say, these types of tracks, where he just raps and he just mind vomits for about 3-4 minutes aren't something I return to a lot. Some gems like Views and Do Not Disturb get a lot of play for me but I usually enjoy his more structured and choreographed tracks better. I have an appreciation for the timestamp records and Weston Road Flows, I just don't revisit them as much I revisit songs like 8 Out of 10 and Crew Love. But those that do love when Drake does this, enjoy this track, I'm sure.

8.3/10

17. Can't Have Everything

This may be the most replayed song from this playlist for me. This song has been played during so many of my workouts in the two and a half years since I realized how energizing this track is. You're probably asking yourself; "Billy, you just said you don't like when Drake just raps". Oh, reader, I said I don't like when Drake mind vomits and rambles quietly on a mid beat for 240 seconds. This beat is interactive and lively. I want to rap on this beat. And Drake's lyrics pack more of a punch on it. Old triple-double Russ face??! I mean, come on.

Also, I often get confused because Drake's mom on the audio to end this track sounds a lot like Lil Dicky's mom on his similar outro?

8.4/10

18. Glow

I think I'm going to shed a tear. Remember when two of the best hip hop artists we'll ever hear would make music together and weren't beefing?

Man, Watch The Throne was good.

Anyway.

But seriously, it was not all that surprising to hear Kanye on a Drake song. If I'm not mistaken, their only other collaboration is Forever. But, now that that relationship has soured (to say the least), I doubt we will get more than this for the foreseeable future. I don't know, though. I feel the same way about the Kendrick/Cole mixtape everyone so desperately craves. I feel like we don't need 10 songs with Kendrick and J. Cole trying to see who can out spit the other. Just like I don't think I want to hear Drake do anything but sing faint vocals on a Kanye West production. This is an okay song. The best part of it is the inclusion of Earth, Wind, and Fire at the end.

7.8/10

19. Since Way Back

There are only so many songs that I believe are "blanket" songs. They hit on every aspect and nerve of their writer's intention or the producer's intention. These are almost always longer songs in my opinion. Examples I have include "Pyramids" by Frank Ocean and "4 Your Eyez Only" by J. Cole. There is usually one on good albums. Not always the best song on the album but really encapsulates the full vision of the artist, in my opinion. This is is that song. Partynextdoor brings out the best in Drake creatively because I believe Party to be the most musically gifted artist on OVO. I'm not terribly educated on the attributes of OVO's artists but Party rarely misses on a project of his own and writes a lot of great music for others. This is no exception. Party's first verse and chorus are one of the shining moments of the whole playlist and Drake does the near-impossible by keeping up with Party's sorrowful and soulful style. So many great lyrics on this record.

9.2/10

20. Fake Love

Yeah, when this junk came out?

*raspberrys*

It's not a terribly complex or substantial song, but its one of those tracks that can be played back to back to back in the right time. Took me about a year to figure out the "reach back like 1-3" line.

If this song was released today it would definitely be a hit on TikTok.

This is what Drake wanted Tootsie Slide to be.

"Straight up to my faaahhhce"

8.5/10

21. Ice Melts

God bless you, Young Thug.

Ice Melts is my favorite song on More Life by a pretty wide margin. I spoke on my other revisitation about my "ride out" songs. This is right at the top of the list. This is a playfully negative song when you listen to the lyrics but its bounce and vibrance is enough to make a young child dance I'm sure.

I don't know what Young Thug is saying at all. And I sincerely love every moment of it.

8.7/10

22. Do Not Disturb

Is this Drake's best outro? Let me check real quick.

It's really close between this and Thank Me Later.

This is Drake's rapping at its best. Boi-1da murders this Snoh Aalegra sample. Its living, breathing, tense, offensive, retrospective, living in the moment, thankful, ambitious. Do Not Disturb may be the song I show people when they ask me who Drake is. The second and third quarters of this song are Klay Thompson-caliber. He's done rapping before the 3 and a half mark and lets this glorious instrumental have the spotlight it deserves. What a way to end an album as creative and experimental as this one was.

Kudos.

9.3/10

Three years later, More Life still yields some of my favorite moments from 2017. To me, this is on the level of IYRTITL as far as cultural significance and aging value. Its a playlist of many different wired sounds and experiences which is helpful in its ability to be played from front to back but I think it is most enjoyed in the playlists that you make yourself out of this playlist. If this was just an EP including tracks 3-7, it'd be just as good if not better. The same can be said for tracks 19-22. It's more like a rollercoaster ride than the cruiseliner it's advertised to be.

8.1/10