Canadian rapper, Drake has achieved a notable feat recently by matching Michael Jackson for most No.1 records on the Billboard charts.
Though this should be seen as a win for hip-hop music, many critics and fans of hip-hop have raised questions and concerns about the depth of Drake’s music and the new trends of hip-hop music.
For All The Dogs, Drake’s latest project, had a record 13th number-one song on the Billboard chart, putting him on the same pedestal as Michael Jackson who in 1995 reigned as No.1 thirteen times with his hit, You Are Not Alone.
The 37-year-old’s new song, First Person Shooter which he collaborated with J. Cole shot him into the annals of records, putting him on the same plane as the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
Drake now becomes another male solo artiste with the most No.1 songs in Billboard Hot 100 History. Drake’s latest music prowess displayed in For All The Dogs is a testament to his dexterity and experience on the music scene.
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As part of the evolution of the music industry, what was tallied as sales during Jackson’s reign is now counted by streams and the frequency at which a song is heard. Many MJ fans have boldly expressed the fact that it is not an equivalent measurement.
Honoring his achievement, Drake posted a photo of MJ donning an OVO hoodie while taking a selfie in a washroom.
The Hot Blings crooner has also cemented seven of his songs on the Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 chart. He has further managed to secure the top three slots.
At No.1 is First Person Shooter. Second place is taken by the Canadian’s song, IDGAF featuring Yeat. In third place is none other than Virginia Beach.
His song with 21 Savage, Calling for You, pitched at No.5 while Slime You Out with SZA held the 6th position.
At position seven was Daylight and completing the Top 10 was Fear of Heights.
The Certified Lover Boy recorded sales of 402,000 and 514 million streams during the album’s first week of being released.
His lyrical choices have however left many of his older fans a bit skeptical of the rapper’s tune with so much toxicity being expressed in his songs.
Speaking on a Breakfast Club interview, journalist and author, Sowmya Krishnamurthy, spoke for many in her generation when she expressed her feelings towards Drake’s recent music.
“He lost me somewhere after Views. It was almost like that friend from high school that we have nothing in common anymore, and I kind of don’t want to hang out with them.”
That has been the prevailing sentiment among many fans for several Drake albums. The disparity only seems to worsen as the millennials who grew up listening to the rapper experience marriage and parenthood while Drake continues griping about ‘situationships’.
But Drake’s brand of toxicity still sells. In May 2022, he signed a $400 million deal with Universal.
Drake depicts relationships borne from patriarchal power dynamics that few outside his tax bracket will ever relate to. He chooses to write about toxic relationships and pettily snipe at his exes because he knows it appeals to younger demographics — especially if he’s smart enough to continue to collaborate with younger, on-the-pulse artistes like he did with Lil Yachty and Teezo Touchdown.
In between the groan-inducing moments on the record are legitimately impressive tracks like 8 AM In Charlotte and Calling For You that evoke his artistic prime and offer a glimmer of hope that he’ll one day decide to dig this deep again throughout a project.
When the focus is shifted away from commercial dominance and chart toppings, hip-hop is experiencing a lot of exciting moves.
Drake’s recent rap music style helps line his pockets but consistently underwhelms the listeners who know his full potential.
