The internet goes nuts every time Drake so much as sneezes. So when Drizzy dropped Scary Hours, the Twitterverse exploded like a shaken up bottle of Sprite. The fact that the EP is two songs is puzzling at face value, but it also makes perfect sense considering who its author is. This is the same rapper who dropped If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late on iTunes in 2015 and swore up and down that it wasn’t his fourth studio album. “Hotline Bling,” his highest-charting single (at the time of its release), was initially labeled a remix to DRAM’s “Cha Cha.” Last year, he dropped More Life and dubbed it a playlist. So, if Drake wants to go all Season 4 of Luther on us and drop an EP where the intro and outro cuts are the only two tracks, who are we to argue? Especially when the music itself is an intriguing juxtaposition of Aubrey Graham the man and Drake the superstar.
The jab of Drake’s one-two punch is “God’s Plan,” which became the 29th song ever to debut in the top slot of the Billboard Hot 100. The song is everything that’s endearing about Aubrey. He rides a whimsical, minimalistic beat courtesy of 40, Yung Exclusive, Boi-1da and Cardo, reflecting on God and life as if he’s stargazing from a hotel balcony. His rap-sung delivery, which is sometimes guilty of straying from melody and being too airy, is in pocket with the song’s tempo as he laments those who wish him face down in a Toronto alley. However, this isn’t the Drake who knows pettiness on a first-name basis. All he wants here is to perpetuate good vibes and does so by desiring real love, shouting out family and friends, and acknowledging God’s plan for his life. “Without 40, Oli, there would be no me/Imagine if I never met the broskies,” he raps, and there is the sense that he is adopting Nas’ mantra that “life is good” means appreciating what you have, not simply flaunting it.
Drake delivers the knockout blow with the right hook that is “Diplomatic Immunity.” Nick Brongers and Boi-1da supply a beat fit for a ‘70s crime flick, with its ominous horns and faintly soulful wails backing the 6God’s declarations of war. “Diplomatic immunity, fuck ‘em/All that peace and unity/All that weak shit’ll ruin me, fuck ‘em, yeah,” he snarls at the outset. Drake spends the rest of the joint as a disenfranchised loner who listens to “heavy metal for meditation,” going so far as to threaten to bury the opposition “where they won’t find ya.” While Drake has long been a contender for the softest in the game, his resounding victory over Meek Mill in their 2015 battle adds some muscle to his claims, if only lyrically. This is Petty Drake in full effect, the one who sneaks disses Kendrick Lamar while criticizing others for sneak dissing him. Whether or not you find Drake’s antics entertaining or childish, there’s no denying that songs like “Diplomatic Immunity” provide for delicious drama.
“God’s Plan” released on its own would be just another catchy radio jingle — albeit a massively successful one — from the artist formerly known as Wheelchair Jimmy. “Diplomatic Immunity” dropped by itself would be considered yet another track in which Drake vaguely stokes fires. Together, they encapsulate the reason for Drake’s staying power; the yin of his bright-eyed carpe diem attitude to the yang of his burning desire to crush the competition and prove himself amongst grittier MCs.
With that in mind, Scary Hours no longer seems lazy, but rather a compelling case study of one of Hip Hop’s biggest stars.
Finally a hiphopdx review I can get behind
Thanks to Meek Mill or No thanks depending on what side your on. I can’t take rapping drake seriously anymore
Sounds like all other Drake songs. It’s ok. Nothing crazy. Some good lines though but it wasn’t special. Ppl need to chill.
I don’t know why the reviewer gave this shit a 4 rating. This is typical drake wack shit. The first song was horrible. This lil kid can’t rap to save his life. I wish hip hop dx would stop over hyping sorry ass rappers to make a profit. I understand that lil kids don’t realize this is bad but i come from the golden year i know his music deserves a negative 4 rating.
Why would a Hip-Hop site write about one of the biggest Hip-Hop stars in the world? Hmmm…. What a mystery. And it’s the golden era, not the golden year.
Yes, lil green one it is the golden era. You lil kids don’t know what is good or bad. The corporations misinform lil kids. This music is terrible especially the first song. Lil kids don’t have a musical background to understand what makes a good record. You guys depend on companies like hip hop dx to tell you if the music is bad or not. Basically, you lil guys are no better than brittany spears fans. No matter how bad the songs are corporations will say it’s a hot song to make money. And you guys will believe it. It is so bad the corporations make you believe your gay just to sell music. In 20 years, people will laugh at this generation for being so gullible.
You depend on old copies of The Source, get Benzino’s dick out your mouth! Ribbit! You don’t even know when the golden era was. Ribbit!
I lived thru the golden era. You live thru the gay rap years. Hip hop will always be golden whether it’s on the radio or not. Hip hop is based on skills. Rap is based on promotions. Rap can’t survive without the radio because the artists are terrible. Nobody listens to garbage rappers that are not play on the radio anymore because it is a fad. Although, the hip hop isn’t play on the radio, it survives on the talent of the artists. No rapper will ever go into the hall of fame because they won’t last long enough. Lil jon and crunk music die. Trap music, autotunes and the rest of this trash will die too.
My dude, you’re being trolled by a guy whose name is an obscure reference to an underground rapper’s short-lived alter ego. Can you name said rapper, oh great knower of all things Hip Hop?
This cat couldn’t figure it out even if you gave him nine livez! Ribbit!
Review on point
Aaron McKrell, this should have been a 5.0 0 not 4.1
Its just OK.. Nothing wow…
“Promise shit is gettin’ outta line like when you make a stencil
Or gettin’ outta line like when you break a pencil”
You have got to be kidding. You have got to be kidding. Please tell me you’re f***ing kidding! Its like he’s rapping for toddlers 😀
“Black excellence, but I guess when it comes to me it’s not the same though, all goodie, that just pushed me to do the things we all couldn’t”
I’ve seen buddin'(Budden) careers turn to sit around and talk about other careers, judgin’ their peers”
Rapping Drake is untouchable
Haha that’s not even a good bar lmao
Drake consistency at his age is unparalleled
What consistency, his last few albums have been mediocre, anything else is a a dancehall record
The two songs are dope, but to have a full scale review is a reach. Fire never the less
trash.
Drizzy top5 now
more like top1
This has been out for weeks
11 days ago… weeks.
Drizzy for little girls, homosexuals and reggae artist looking cover-band his S%#. Drake garbage.
This doesn’t sound like the trend setting artist that he had become. It sounds more like Uzi Vert. He had a good run but it sounds like the end.
In the Winnebago, let go my Eggo, my girl is Prego, and my my assshole is fuego
This site will review a fake 2 song ep but not dc4 or wins and losses, ovo has y’all on a payroll for sure
How you do a review on a 2-song EP is BEYOND me…
unbelievable…2 songs is an EP now? Drake has never sounded more bored. He’s trolling us all.
LOL shit is absurd, and so is this “EP”.
Solid project to set things up for 2018
Ep is fire. Sad how they jackaed that white boys art haha
another lazy, boring, uninspired release from Fake Drake. more stolen material..check. more whining, complaining subject matter..there’s a lot of people wishing bad things for me..check. more bitch made pussy subliminals..check. GTFOH.
#DRAKEISFAKEDRAKEISWACK
70% OF FAKE DRAKE’S FANS WEAR HIGH HEELS..THE OTHER 30% ARE QUEER THAT WEAR SANDALS
you guys review this but not meek mill dc4 or wins and losses HOLD THIS L hhdx