Album Review: For All The Dogs

The newest hit album in the hip hop world this week is Drake’s For All The Dogs, featuring big names like J. Cole, SZA, and Lil Yachty. It is his eighth studio album, and comes as a long awaited follow up to the classic trilogy of Certified Lover Boy (Sep. 2021), Honestly Nevermind (Jun. 2022), and Her Loss (Nov. 2022). Composed of 23 songs, it marks his longest project since the former Billboard #1 album Scorpion, released in 2018.

Tracklist:

1. Virginia Beach: The opening track is a song driven by aesthetic and melody. Drake is known to open his projects with lyrical, slow paced tracks which holds true here. My Rating: 9/10
2. Amen (feat. Teezo Touchdown): Teezo was an expected feature on this album, but many listeners were not familiar with his work until as recently as July. His feature on Travis Scott’s Utopia caught fire and brought Teezo to the spotlight. Drake was also vocal about his admiration for Teezo via Instagram before the release of For All The Dogs, so the feature is not surprising at all. My Rating: 6/10
3. Calling For You (feat. 21 Savage): Drake and 21 Savage solidified their name as an elite rap duo after their collab album Her Loss in 2022. This track did not disappoint, but the long interludes within the song come off as a boring, pointless addition. My Rating: 8/10
4. Fear Of Heights: There is not much to dive into on this song. It connects a classic Drake trap verse with well produced instrumentals by the hot producer BNYX. My Rating: 9/10
5. Daylight: This song mirrors the previous track as it is laced with a catchy trap hook and fun instrumentals. My Rating: 9/10
6. First Person Shooter (feat. J. Cole): On Drake’s 2022 hit Jimmy Cooks, J. Cole was featured in a one sentence ad-lib that stirred the pot with talks of a potential collaboration. However, after having no features on any of Drake’s projects since, fans started to forget about Cole’s potential presence on For All The Dogs. First Person Shooter after less than a week of its debut is by far the number one track on the album. It is lead by a classic J. Cole lyrical rap verse, and finishes with a fan favorite moment on the album as Drake goes on a high speed wordplay ramble. My Rating: 10/10
7. IDGAF (feat. Yeat): A classic feature is the only way to describe this song. The track was already released via Instagram prior to the release of the album, and it has gotten most of its attention from users on TikTok as opposed to Drake’s core fanbase. My Rating: 7/10
8. 7969 Santa: This song is very comparable to Drake’s Hours in Silence off of Her Loss. Its primary quality is a catchy flow layered by thoughtful lyrics. The song is overall well written and noticeably well produced. My Rating: 10/10
9. Slime You Out (feat. SZA): SZA was a known feature leading up to the album as this song was pre-released on all streaming platforms. As a top female artist right now, the song very quickly caught traction but has disappointed some fans because of its simplicity. My Rating: 7/10
10. Bahamas Promises: This song marks a transition in the album from songs for the many to songs for the few. It is a piano interlude topped off with a slow paced verse that slows down the vibe of the album very well. My Rating: 6/10
11. Tried Our Best: Again, most of the songs on the second half of this album are not very complicated, but do their job well. Tried Our Best is a prime example. It is another well written verse over a melodic beat that some might say goes on for a little too long. My Rating: 5/10
12. Screw The World – Interlude: These days, there aren’t many songs from a Drake album that are completely different from any of his other tracks. Even though it’s just an interlude, this song is beautifully unique. It sounds like a slowed down version of an old school rap beat, yet fits the vibe of the album like a puzzle piece. My Rating: 8/10
13. Drew A Picasso: This song brings us back to the simple and effective vibe of the second half of the album. It contains pure vocals as well as clever, meaningful lyrics. My Rating: 8/10
14. Members Only (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR): PARTYNEXTDOOR was definitely a surprise feature on this album. The song is a slow paced R&B track that echos many other songs on the album with its vibe. My Rating: 4/10
15. What Would Pluto Do: The pace of this album picks back up with What Would Pluto Do. The song is a up and down melodic rap song with a R&B undertone. My Rating: 8/10
16. All The Parties (feat. Chief Keef): This song is a rare example of Drake failing to mesh well with a very different artist. Chief Keef is known for his high energy trap songs, while Drake at this point in the album has created a slow lyrical aesthetic. My Rating: 3/10
17. 8am in Charlotte: Many diehard Drake fans say that his “Time and Place” songs are his best work. 8am in Charlotte supports this as it features some of the best wordplay and flow on the album, over a calm piano instrumental. My Rating: 9/10
18. BBL Love – Interlude: Drake brings a deep and insightful lyrical performance to this interlude, pondering if his fame and success create fake friends everywhere he goes. The flow is built on a R&B beat that accentuates the meaning of the lyrics. My Rating: 7/10
19. Gently (feat. Bad Bunny): Drake experimented with this track and it was a half success. He accurately matches the style of Bad Bunny throughout the song, almost as if he was the feature. The song is definitely not a hit, but some fans could love this song while others might hate it. My Rating: 5/10
20. Rich Baby Daddy (feat. Sexyy Red & SZA): This song is a bad combination of different styles. The three artists on this song all had good performances individually, but the song all together does not mesh well and is a hard listen. My Rating: 4/10
21. Another Late Night (feat. Lil Yatchy): Yacthy was another leaked feature on the album before the project was released. Him and Drake were seen filming the music video for Another Late Night in a remote location when a fan recognized the artists and caught them on film. The small snippet posted to social media caught lots of attention, and the full song did not disappoint. Drake starts off the song with a catchy rhyme scheme, and Lil Yacthy continues the song in his very different style while not throwing off the calm and cool vibe of the track. My Rating: 9/10
22. Away From Home: As the album comes to a close, Drake brings us back to a smooth lyrical vibe with Away From Home. There’s not much to this song besides the insightful lyrics that Drake is known for. My Rating: 7/10
23. Polar Opposites: Drake finalizes the album with a track that is eerily similar to Bryson Tiller’s 2015 hit Don’t. There was no other right way to close out the album than with this song as it is an homage to Drake’s old style, which fans have been asking for for a while. My Rating: 8/10

Overall Rating: 7.2/10