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Drake A brief WPG review of Views

Started by WPG, May 2, 2016, in Drake Add to Reading List

  1. Mike Tyson
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    Mike Tyson big cuntry's alias

    May 2, 2016
    Because he's not a "rap star" in my eyes, and I guess the frustration for a lot of people comes with the "top 5" and the "then I turned in to jay" narrative he propagates.

    He is what he is, and if you're not caught up on what he wants to be, he's a pretty great pop rapper with a1 melodies and a deep understanding for how to structure a song masterfully between verses, samples, refrains, and production (thanks 40). For what I listen to Drake's music for, there is no better.

    I'll expand when I'm not on mobile tho, I'll write out my thoughts on the album in a few more days of sitting with it.
     
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  2. Narsh
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    Narsh

    May 2, 2016
    I'm with you until that last bit -- I can defintely understand how he's the biggest rap star
     
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  3. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    May 2, 2016
    I mean, yeah, I get it, but I don't want to get it.
     
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  4. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    May 2, 2016
    I think this is the fundamental disconnect you and I have--I don't think he's particularly good at any of those things. I know you're not one who pushes him as a top five rapper or anything.
     
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  5. Mike Tyson
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    Mike Tyson big cuntry's alias

    May 2, 2016
    If your answer is derived from the same train of logic that lead you to conclude that Young Thug will be bigger than Wayne, then your answer is probably wrong.
     
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  6. Mike Tyson
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    Mike Tyson big cuntry's alias

    May 2, 2016
    I honestly do think he's great at those things man idk what to tell you or how to support that statement.

    Like do you see why One Dance is such a hit, same with Hotline Bling?

    That's what I mean, to me that's considered good song writing (assuming he wrote those).
     
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  7. Skippy
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    Skippy vr

    May 2, 2016
    I'm not in disagreement with you that Thug's line>Drake's, and maybe I did reach with that last post, but my main argument is that you're berating Drake for the very concept of these kinds of lines while with Thug it's praised. I understand the focus is on the execution but I think that's a really subjective point to hang your hat on, especially as a critic and not some casual.
     
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  8. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    May 2, 2016
    See, I completely get why "One Dance" is a hit, and "One Dance" should be a hit. But I feel like Drake, as a vocalist and as a writer (asterisk or not), detracts from the song.
     
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  9. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    May 2, 2016
    If Thug starts writing and rapping lines like the ones Drake does, I'll absolutely rip him for it. Wayne is my favorite rapper to ever live, and in my estimation one of the ten or fifteen greatest ever--certainly far better than Drake--but he's gotten so egregious in some ways that I've quite literally stopped listening to new music from him. If you think Thug and Drake are doing the same thing in any regard, I seriously question how you're listening to those rappers.
    But...execution is literally all that matters? We're talking about music here, not the SATs. You don't fill out a rubric for a rap song and give it X amount of points if it has an answer partially correct. Things work or they don't work, to varying degrees, and (in theory at least) the function of critics is to dive into a work and figure out how and why things work/don't. You don't have a point here, do you? You're just talking to talk?
     
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  10. Lucy
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    Lucy #1

    May 2, 2016
    I honestly think Views is s--- boring. It's Drake showing everyone he can still do what he's always been doing, but he can do it worse because he has hotline bling bumping at #1. The album just seems lazy to me. I don't know why or what it is, Drake is just VERY VERY boring on the tape. As far as content goes, nothing really memorable out of any song. I actually find the entire thing a struggle to listen to, i sit there getting frustrated until I skip a song - then the next song comes on and it's a repeat of the last one. There's like maybe 5 songs i don't mind on it, but that's it, i just don't mind them. With Take Care/IYRTITL i could at least say "i dont mind the whole tape start to finish, some songs are really nice". Like I get so frustrated trying to listen to this boring pile of s--- called Views that I probably never will listen again. How does an artist make 2 albums that i thought were pretty cool, to making some album that's just dog s---??
    If you like this album it's totally ok, i'm not much of a pop fan, so i guess it could be good pop music. I know good rap though and views is definitely not that.

    Oh well, can't wait to hear these songs echoing through shopping center speaker systems when i'm 60+ and i've retired.
     
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  11. Lucy
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    Lucy #1

    May 2, 2016
    me too, painfully average. Kevin Gates as a vocalist >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Drake
    not even stanning, Drake wishes he could sing half as good as Big Kev
     
    #271
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  12. Big Mitch
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    Big Mitch You never made me ran once

    May 2, 2016
    Just stopping by to say I think dvsn sounds incredible on Faithful and it's one of my favorite parts of Views
     
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  13. Soldier
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    Soldier big cuntry's alias

    May 2, 2016
    Gates top 3 rn
     
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  14. MTY
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    MTY VERY SHALLOW LISTENING

    May 2, 2016
    i need that pinkerton LP asap
     
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  15. Narsh
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    Narsh

    May 2, 2016
    Context. Persona. Narrative. Creativity. Originality.

    It's not just "oh thug and drake both have quotable lines why pick on drake!!" Which is what you reduced it to, and which is why I laughed
     
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  16. Fire Squad
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    Fire Squad Boss Don Biggavel

    May 2, 2016
    I think we all do that of course in regards to having an expectation for what a rap artist should be or sound like. Lemme use my favorite example I use irl with friends and folks (spoilers since I don't want to derail the thread direction)



    If you were to read the lyrics out loud you'd be thinking "is he really doing nursery rhymes?" especially on verse two. But kind of what WPG already mentioned context is very important to music, here is a guy who challenged a ton of norms in my hyper-conservative home state of NY and for him to rap like that and sound so charismatic it just makes the whole thing work. Hope this somewhat adds further clarification to our conversation m8.
     
    #276
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  17. Narsh
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    Narsh

    May 2, 2016
    Gates voice is like butter
     
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  18. Narsh
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    Narsh

    May 2, 2016
    Same and if my editor hasn't looked at my review yet I gotta shoehorn that in there some how smh
     
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  19. joeyp363
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    joeyp363

    May 2, 2016
    Holy f--- I love this post. I couldn't have said it any better my friend. Bravo
     
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  20. Big Mitch
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    Big Mitch You never made me ran once

    May 2, 2016
    "Big Kev" hahaha I'm weak

    My dad's name is Kevin, and it's also my middle name... Gonna need a name change to Big Kev
     
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