Kori Barnes 
Drake has entered a new era with his latest album “For All The Dogs.”
After Drake’s highly anticipated eighth studio album has been rumored to release all summer and fake news regarding it’s prior expected release date, it’s finally been made available on all streaming platforms. As a true Drake fan, it’s intriguing and inspiring to witness his growth musically throughout his career. Each album has represented a different phase within his life and he’s definitely entering a new era of doubling down on his as a status legendary rapper. However, his newest album has been met with an increase of mixed reviews from fans and critics.
Many have begun to speculate if Drake has lost his special “touch” throughout his catalog of nostalgic hits and his debut releases. Personally, I think he’s just proving the point that he’s able to maneuver between different genres of music. Also, his ongoing tour with 21 Savage “It Was All A Blur” has been selling out stadiums and increasing the hype around his album. So, it’s safe to say that people actually don’t hate Drake. Although fans may assume they’ll know what his next move is with including certain features on his album, they couldn’t have prepared themselves with this surprise collaboration. After numerous years of internet gossip regarding the alleged previous relationship between Drake and SZA and diss tracks released, their track “Slime You Out” has taken over social media platforms.
Once their official track was confirmed, fans immediately went into a frenzy about this surprising collaboration. “Slime You Out” is one of the best tracks on the album as both artists discuss using their partners for their own desires and benefits, while not considering the others’ feelings or wants. Although it could be deemed a “toxic” track, SZA’s harmonies and melodies sound so graceful as they banter back and forth between perspectives of their resentments. This track was promoted with an image of Halle Berry getting green slimed at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, and Berry wasn’t happy about it, but that’s another story.
Not only was this track a surprise and hit on the album, fans weren’t prepared for the news he announced next. Shortly after the release of his new album, he confirmed that he’ll be taking a break from music due to stomach issues that he’s suffered with throughout the years. However, he wants to assure fans that it’ll be for a year or two; or possibly a little longer. Regardless, he’ll be back to continue his legacy. According to nbcnews.com, “During the Friday episode of his radio show, ‘Table For One’ on SiriusXM’s Sound 42, the Canadian rapper said he needs to focus on his health issues. ‘Nothing crazy, but just like, you know, I want people to be healthy in life,’ he said. ‘I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach. I’m just saying what it is … ‘I got some other things I need to do for some other people that I made promises to, but I probably won’t make music for a little bit, I’m gonna be real with you,'” Drake said.
Drake also wants to leave the possibility of other opportunities open as there’s more he’d like to focus on, so we may be receiving different projects from Drake in the near future. Overall, we hope that he has a healthy recovery.
By Kori Barnes, University of Southern California
Instagram: @korixnicole
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