Drake‘s new album For All the Dogs is highly anticipated after false release dates and controversial rumors. It’s finally coming out on September 22, and Lil Yachty discussed it on his A Safe Place podcast with MitchGoneMad.
“It sounds current, you know? It sounds very current,” he said. “It’s interesting, it’s coming together a lot better than I thought when I — I just had a talk with him a couple days ago in Vancouver and I was like, ‘Man…’ I was a little worried, ’cause I have a lot of the songs, I don’t have all of ’em, I have a lot of ’em though. And I was just like, ‘Man, I just don’t know if it’s — how are you gon’ put this together? Because it’s a lot of great songs but they don’t really — in my brain, I was like, they didn’t really sound together. And then we had a talk about it and he explained to me his thought process about it. And we drove somewhere, we drove to that video shoot which was like an hour away, and we listened to it, and it makes sense now.”
He continued, “It has the most, I would say like the most ‘performance’ album he’ll have, as far as like energy. … I think some of the best Drake verses that I ever heard are on this album.”
“Some of the verses I’m just like, ‘Bruh, what’s wrong with you?’ You know what I’m saying?” he said. “People gonna have a lot to say about some of his topics on this album. And I don’t think he does it on purpose, I think it’s just him — he just has a real… I will say he deals with some controversial things.”
According to setlist.fm, Drake and 21 Savage have needed two hours and five minutes, on average, to run through over 40 songs. Complex confirmed as much while reviewing the It’s All A Blur Tour stops at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“Drake has one of the strongest and most diverse catalogs in rap history, and his range is on full display during this tour,” Complex’s Jordan Rose wrote. “Few artists can go hit-after-hit for 30 minutes straight, but Drake does it with ease and still finds ways to incorporate new and unique mixes to his classic tracks. The show runs for about two hours, but it doesn’t feel that long thanks to Drake’s stage presence and how he can control a crowd.”
Erik Skelton echoed the sentiment, writing, “Drake’s catalog is undeniable. When it comes to the sheer volume of commercial hits he can string together in a two-hour concert, he’s unmatched at this point (or at least in the conversation with a select few, like Jay-Z). He’s tapped into so many subgenres that he can put together a two-hour set with more range than anyone right now, which makes for a very fun show.”
Drake’s catalog is about to become even more textured on September 22, when he finally drops For All The Dogs. The Toronto icon confirmed the release date on Wednesday night, September 6, and his dad, Dennis Graham, teased that the album contains “some of the best music that I’ve heard him do.”
Before Drake kicked off his and 21 Savage’s It’s All A Blur Tour in July, he staged an intimate “victory lap” concert at the legendary Apollo Theater in January. The It’s All A Blur Tour setlist and the Apollo show’s setlist each boast 40-plus songs, which is a roundabout way of stating the obvious: Drake has put out a lot of music.
Even so, Dennis Graham, Drake’s dad, feels comfortable in saying his son’s forthcoming For All The Dogs album will rank among Drake’s best-ever offerings.
“I had the pleasure of sitting in my Son’s dressing room and listening to this new album and I must say that it is some of the best music that I’ve heard him do, and I am sure that every Drake fan throughout the entire world is going feel this one,” Graham captioned an Instagram photo of the For All The Dogs artwork, drawn by Drake’s five-year-old son, Adonis. “Everything about For All The Dogs is what we’ve been waiting for, Congratulations Son I really feel this one.”
Drake left a comment saying, “Thanks dad [three smiley-with-sunglasses emojis] I was so happy you loved it.”
Earlier on Wednesday night, September 6, Drake confirmed September 22 as the release date for For All The Dogs with a throwback video of Graham, also known as “Cousin Dennis,” performing a cover of Albert King’s “Crosscut Saw.”
Drake’s bestie, Lil Yachty, gave an update on For All The Dogs during his latest episode of A Safe Place podcast.
Speaking with his friend MitchGoneMad, Yachty stated the album gives high energy and praises the verses.
“It has the most, I would say like the most ‘performance’ album he’ll have, as far as like energy,” Yachty said. “I think some of the best Drake verses that I ever heard are on this album. Some of the verses I’m just like, ‘Bruh, what’s wrong with you?’ People gonna have a lot to say about some of his topics on this album. And I don’t think he does it on purpose. I will say he deals with some controversial things.”
You can hear all the details from Lil Yachty below.
Dennis Graham has heard the For All the Dogs album and speaks highly of Drake’s latest creation. Hitting Instagram, Graham spoke about the forthcoming release.
“I had the pleasure of sitting in my Son’s dressing room and listening to this new album and I must say that it is some of the best music that I’ve heard him do, and I am sure that every Drake fan throughout the entire world is going feel this one, everything about For All The Dogs is what we’ve been waiting for, Congratulations Son I really feel this one”
– Dennis Graham
For All the Dogs drops on Sept. 22. You can see Dennis Graham’s message below.
Drake’s dad says FOR ALL THE DOGS is some of the best music he’s heard him do pic.twitter.com/sDbaiVsgrR
Drake has set the For All The Dogs album for Sept. 22. Hitting Instagram on Wednesday (Sept. 6) night, Drake dropped off a video of his father performing with his band.
In the comments of the post, Drake’s father, Dennis Graham, wrote, “Awwwwwwww thank you Son 1991 Toronto Canada, seems like a hundred years ago, For All the Dogs.”
That night, Drake verified their collective hunch.
Drake posted an old video to Instagram of his father, Dennis Graham, performing in Memphis, Tennessee, for Stormy Monday With Dennis Marks while casually smoking a cigarette. Along with his band, he covered Albert King’s “Crosscut Saw.” Drake captioned the video, “FOR ALL THE DOGS SEPTEMBER 22.”
Drake will also perform his second of back-to-back It’s All A Blur Tour shows at Desert Diamond Arena on Wednesday night, so prepare for more For All The Dogs anticipation-building. On September 22, Drake will celebrate the long-awaited release during his It’s All A Blur Tour stop at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. See all of the remaining tour dates here.
In case you didn’t know, First Take has a new host in Shannon Sharpe (heck, even Sharpe seemed to not remember just which show he was on in the first episode). He’s already displaying some great chemistry with original host Stephen A. Smith, aside from accidentally calling him “Skip.” Before Smith slapped on a name tag to help his new co-host remember his name, the two hosts teamed up to take on one of the summer’s most hilarious memes, which of course involved Drake.
Earlier this year when Drake teamed up with buzzing UK rapper Central Cee for “On The Radar Freestyle,” Drake’s goofy faux-British accent caught fans’ attention, and they couldn’t stop making fun of the way he pronounces the word “combination” on the track’s intro. Hopping aboard the bandwagon, Sharpe and Smith’s social media team inserted the two hosts into a screenshot of the video, captioning the post with, “The combo we all needed.”
The joke was a big hit in the comments, with one responder writing, “Whoever made this needs a raise!!!”
The new First Take crew is clearly leaning into their shared love of hip-hop for content; after comparing their respective physiques to The Rock and Snoop Dogg on a past podcast, they got a response from the Long Beach rapper himself showing off his gym progress. I’m getting my weight up so when I come on the show will talk about [weightlifting emoji],” he wrote. “Thanks 4 the motivation.” With these two jokesters, it appears First Take will be less about tearing down athletes for engagement and actually having some fun with the intersections between music and sports.
Back in April, Universal Music Group issued a takedown notice after an AI-generated song imitating Drake and The Weeknd went viral on YouTube, but that somehow isn’t stopping the song from being considered for a Grammy Award. The song’s creator, an anonymous internet denizen going by “Ghostwriter,” has submitted the song to the Recording Academy, and it sounds like it’ll be taken seriously despite its dubious provenance.
The song, “Heart On My Sleeve,” used approximations of the two performers to sing a mopey breakup ballad supposedly about Selena Gomez (who was previously romantically involved with The Weeknd). It also generated plenty of criticism online from detractors who believed that its popularity undermined the creativity and individuality of the artists invoked. As one Twitter user put it, “The first immediate thing that stands out is that so much of this AI music is going after rap/hip hop and that’s how you can tell the people behind it have contempt for it.”
Apparently, that contempt extends to the Recording Academy (because of course it does). The Academy CEO, Harvey Mason, Jr., told The New York Times, “As far as the creative side, it’s absolutely eligible because it was written by a human.” I’m not so sure that’s the case (one generative AI “writes” Drake songs based on prompts provided by users after scraping existing Drake songs for cues), but Drake himself generally seems to frown on the illegal use of his likeness (or, in this case, his voice) for AI-generated songs, so that would be enough for me to disqualify this thing from contention — but I’m not an Academy member (yet) so, what do I know?
The Academy announced that AI-generated songs would be eligible in June, provided the songs were actually written by people, but despite later clarifications, it’s unclear how exactly the Academy intends to verify authorship.
The growth of streaming platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music transformed the music industry in the 2010s decade. In particular, 2011 housed timeless rap hits. Artists benefitted greatly from this shift, making their music more accessible to global audiences. The reach and popularity of the genre exponentially increased within the decade, and its significance and impact on pop culture were felt more strongly than ever before.
Rap’s diversity soared in 2010, and even more hits took center stage in 2011. Consequently, commercialization became fully realized. Chart-topping rap hits and collaborations became more common. Additionally, artists were more open to experimentation, further blurring the genre boundaries. As the scope of the genre broadened, so did its success.
“Black And Yellow” – Wiz Khalifa
“Black and Yellow” was released as the lead single from Khalifa’s third studio album, Rolling Papers. The song also served as an anthem for the city of Pittsburgh, whose official colors are black and gold. It features an energetic, anthemic beat with a memorable hook. The catchy and infectious track became one of the most iconic rap hits of 2011.
Further, “Black and Yellow” gained widespread popularity due to its commercial appeal and association with Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams. The song was also a commercial triumph and achieved notable chart success. It peaked at No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Rap Songs charts.
Following her major breakthrough in 2010, Nicki Minaj forged on with numerous rap hits in 2011. She released “Moment 4 Life” as the fourth single from PinkFriday. Similar to her debut single “Your Love,” Minaj smoothly blends rap and R&B on this track. She also featured fellow Young Money affiliate Drake on the track. “Moment 4 Life” is a celebratory song that explores themes of success, ambition, and the desire to make a moment last forever. It is one of Pink Friday’s standout tracks and performed well on the charts. Besides topping the Hot Rap Songs chart, it peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100.
“Look At Me Now” – Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
“Look at Me Now” is a high-energy Hip Hop track and one of the biggest rap hits of 2011. The song effectively showcases the talents of Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and Busta Rhymes. It was released as the second single from Brown’s fourth album, F.A.M.E., in 2011. “Look at Me Now” is characterized by its fast-paced and energetic beat. Furthermore, the song focuses on rapid-fire, tongue-twisting lyrics, especially exemplified in Busta Rhymes’ iconic verse. The hit song was also positively received by critics and fans alike. As a result, the single topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for a whopping ten weeks.
“My Last” is a Hip Hop and R&B song that marked a significant moment in Big Sean’s career. The upbeat track helped solidify Sean’s presence in the music industry. It was released as the lead single from Sean’s debut studio album, Finally Famous. “My Last” also became one of the most popular rap hits of 2011 and a party staple. Additionally, Chris Brown’s smooth vocals provided a memorable hook. The song was a commercial success, peaking at No. 30 on the Hot 100 chart and number one on the Hot Rap Songs chart for two weeks.
“I’m On One” – DJ Khaled ft. Drake, Rick Ross, & Lil Wayne
DJ Khaled featured three of Hip Hop’s most prominent artists on this track. “I’m on One” was released as the second single from Khaled’s fifth studio album, We the Best Forever. Upon release, it received attention for its star-studded lineup and soon became an anthem for celebrating success and living in the moment. The track’s slow, atmospheric beat creates a laid-back, introspective vibe that greatly complements the artists’ verses. ”I’m on One” was a commercial success, peaking at No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart and topping the Hot Rap Songs chart for 13 weeks.
“Headlines” – Drake
“Headlines” was released as the second single from Drake’s sophomore studio album Take Care. The 2011 album featured many rap hits, but this track stands out. The song is characterized by a mid-tempo beat and a minimalist yet catchy melody. Moreover, Drake’s clever lyricism and flow take center stage. On “Headlines,” Drake reflects on his rise to stardom, relationships, and challenges while maintaining his authenticity. The song was one of his highest-charting at the time, peaking at No. 13 on the Hot 100 chart. “Headlines” also received critical acclaim and claimed the top spot on the Hot Rap Songs chart for seven weeks.
Upon release, “N*ggas in Paris” was a massive hit and a standout track from West and Jay-Z’s collaborative project, Watch the Throne. The energetic, hard-hitting beat, synth bell loop, and aggressive rap style made the track one of the biggest hits of 2011 across genres. “N*ggas in Paris” showcases the chemistry of the two iconic artists, with verses that reflect their distinctive styles and personalities. The song achieved critical acclaim and widespread commercial success. It topped the Hot Rap Song chart for ten weeks and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart. The song went on to win two trohpies at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony.
