Still a big improvement over his last album! But I feel like the media hype (whether warranted or not, but that’s another discussion) kinda set him up. Expectations were high with how he’s positioned himself as the heir apparent to Drake. Only difference is he didn’t have the songs to back it up in the way Drake did circa 2009-2015.
Lord how even? Even with and aside from light-skin privilege, Drake has always been a solid-to-great rapper, with fairly interesting takes on things. A lot of the hype with people like Macklemore and Jack Harlow is that taboo~ sense of them supposedly succeeding in an arena traditionally closed to them, but to actually excel is to actually have your presence warranted. I don't think his music is inventive or distinct enough to do that. Drake too has now driven himself into that lane of "OK...what else?" but I'm not here for royalty-free background Youtube rap music from the jump. Compounded with the social media roasting, easily-accessible fame should really be more...less of what it is now. It's disappointing.
Here! Still think he's hot, character (or, god forbid, his music) never factored into that to begin with.