Our Fire Emoji playlist update has a little something for everyone: tough-as-nails rap, lyrical mastery, wavy instrumentals, and everything in between. Moreover, we’ve rounded up the best of the best hip-hop releases this week that are making a big splash right now. Unsurprisingly, Drake leads the pack with his For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition project, which is essentially Scary Hours 3. For this, he went in a deep lyrical bag that many fans missed, and showed that he’s still a great writer. If you want the standouts, we’d recommend the Alchemist-produced “Wick Man” and the J. Cole-assisted “Evil Ways.”
However, that’s far from the only collection of tracks that hit hard this week on Fire Emoji. After much anticipation and solid singles, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz finally unveiled Welcome 2 Collegrove, a collaborative sequel to their 2016 album. One of its more up-tempo and hard-hitting cuts, “G6,” displays Tunechi and the artist formerly known as Tity Boi with a lot of fire on the mic. With features from the likes of 21 S*vage, Usher, Benny The Butcher, that heat is very consistent and apparent throughout the tracklist.
Regardless of these solid releases, there’s one album that dropped this week that took the crown for Fire Emoji‘s best release: Danny Brown’s new album, Quaranta. If you didn’t like him before, give this project a listen: it’s the most uniquely somber, personal, but nevertheless hopeful and charismatic thing he’s ever dropped. There’s a more solid balance than ever between the Detroit MC’s wild energy and introspection, which the track “Dark Sword Angel” perfectly exemplifies. While other MCs hit 40 and get old, he proves that it’s only a question of getting older, not worse.
Meanwhile, there were a few notable singles to shout out this week, such as Jay Rock and Bongo ByTheWay’s triumphant and horn-driven “Still That Way.” Also, Mozzy came through with a passionate and bouncy banger with “FREE JUJU.” Finally, if you’re looking for gritty and grounded Chicago drill, Lil Durk and his OTF crew released the 11-song effort, Nightmare In The Trenches, on which “I’m The Type” is a menacing and relentless highlight. Let us know what your favorite release of these was- as well as what we missed- in the comments below. Stream our Fire Emoji playlist above and stick around on HNHH for more great rap releases around the clock.
For many, many years now, one of the prime knocks against Drake — arguably hip-hop’s biggest superstar for at least the past decade — has been that he doesn’t rap enough. Every time he drops a new album, the complaint can be found on social media; this is cool, but why doesn’t he just RAP?
This is an understandable sentiment; after all, while Drake’s jump to mainstream attention came with the leak of his R&B-leaning “Brand New” and its simp-tastic follow-up “Best I Ever Had,” he was only in the position for such a tremendous breakout because of his freestyles and rapper’s-rapper projects like Room For Improvement and Comeback Season.
It’s equally understandable why Drake’s always tried to toe the line between serving those two largely separate fanbases. Sure, the fellas supported him early and his rap fan bonafides are undeniable (he’s a sponsor of Ultimate Rap League battles, for crying out loud), but his biggest commercial successes are largely due to support from the ladies.
That was a big part of the reason for the outcry against his most recent album, For All The Dogs. Despite its title suggesting music catering to the rough-and-tumble part of his fanbase that loves his intricately constructed bars, what he dropped instead was a mawkish collection of wounded crooning aimed squarely at MRAs and the women who despise them but date them anyway.
However, Drake’s often at his best when his back is up against the wall. Metabolizing the critiques of his latest, he went back to the lab, synthesizing his responses to those reactions into his third Scary Hours EP, released as For All The Dogs: Scary Hours, and doing exactly the thing so many of us have wanted him to do for so long: RAP.
Rap he does, selecting beats speaking clearly to his backpacker origins (Alchemist, what up!) and doubling down on the warm reception to his J. Cole collaboration “First Person Shooter” with another epic team-up, this one infused with the pass-the-mic chemistry exhibited by fan-favorite rap duos like Jadakiss and Styles and Clipse.
Since it’s such a short project, rather than doing a full-length review, I thought I’d just list my impressions of each of these tracks and why they hit the mark where the previous project didn’t.
“Red Button”
You know Drake is in that mode when he reminds fans of the short-lived backronym for his name. “Do Right And Kill Everything” Aubrey goes off for nearly two minutes and thirty seconds with no hooks, harkening back to his Nothing Was The Same intros. Keeping a rhyme pattern going for that long can be a challenge and the fact that Drake sounds so effortless at it just goes to show how much practice he’s put into his craft.
“Stories About My Brother”
Drake says “enough about me” throughout this track, but it’s still mainly a collection of boats about his status and wealth in comparison to his rivals and enemies. Mobster Drake is probably the least believable version of the superstar, but the number of metaphors he comes up with for putting out a hit on someone is borderline awe-inspiring. My favorite: “My brother put some holes in your top, you a Air Force.”
“The Shoe Fits”
This is the closest song on the EP to carrying over the spiteful spirit of the original album. For six full minutes, Drake recounts his experiences with a woman with a jealous boyfriend who spends his time hating on Drake from afar, only to ultimately lose his girl to one of the most washed-up NBA players in the league right now. You’re probably better off taking Drake’s advice at the beginning of the track and hitting skip.
“Wick Man”
Calling yourself a lipstick is … as questionable as a lot of what Drake’s said in recent years and your traction for the Pusha T jabs will vary depending on where you stood when they were openly beefing. But as an extended metaphorical threat of violence, it’s pretty well constructed despite its incredibility. Fans making the same goofy soccer joke about the song might wanna check their sources, though.
“Evil Ways” Feat. J. Cole
“Evil Ways” isn’t just the best track on Scary Hours 3, it’s also a better, more enjoyable conversation between the two rap titans than “First Person Shooter,” mainly because they’re both on topic and it sounds like they recorded it together (longtime readers will also know I’m just a sucker for trading bars). Around the 2:30 mark, I started hoping either Kendrick or Phonte would show up just to take it over the top but even without a surprise feature, I imagine this one will stay in rotation for me way longer than any of Drake and Cole’s prior collaborations. Also, shout out to Bushido Blade, an underrated late ’90s fighting game that gave me endless hours of entertainment for the brevity of its matches.
“You Broke My Heart”
Ugh. Even when Drake intentionally focuses on dropping Scribble Jam-worthy punchlines and reclaiming his hold on his corner of the “best rappers alive” triumvirate, he can’t resist one lazy lean back into the sadboy hum-singing about hating his ex that’s made him into a self-parody on his last three solo albums. We get it, man, girls have cooties or whatever. Go to therapy!
A holiday-themed review of Drake’s For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition(otherwise known as Scary Hours 3): J. Cole and Rosalía are on Drake’s nice list, while Joe Budden and Pusha T remain on Drake’s naughty list. There’s a lot to unpack — too much, really — so we’re just going to focus on Budden, who slammed Drake for “rappin’ for the children” on For All The Dogs upon its October 6 release. Drake seemingly responded on the Scary Hours Edition track “Stories About My Brother,” rapping, “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition.” But there’s a lot more — seriously, just an overwhelming amount — where that barbed bar came from.
Below is what you need to know from Budden and Drake’s timeline of beef and disses.
“Good Riddance”
2009: Multiple outlets, including HipHopDX, traced Budden and Drake’s connection to 2009 due to resurfaced video from the early days of Budden’s Joe Budden TV YouTube channel. In it, Drake says he is “honored to be around” Budden because he used to listen to him. However, there was a song called “Good Riddance” around the same time in which Drake rapped, “If I copy Budden’s flow, you mimickin’ his career / And the same money we hearin’ you giving to charity.” It’s not totally misguided to wonder whether that ancient bar is the root of Budden’s bitterness, considering Drake went from a self-proclaimed fan to mocking Budden’s career trajectory.
May 2016: During an episode of Budden’s since-renamed podcast I’ll Name This Podcast Later, Budden criticized Drake’s album, Views, by saying Drake sounded “real f*cking uninspired” (as relayed by Complex). To be fair, Budden acknowledged Drake’s rap (and pop culture) prowess, saying, “When he puts something out, you stop what you’re doing, right?”
“4PM In Calabasas”
June 2016: It is believed that Drake threw subliminal shade Budden’s way in his single “4PM In Calabasas,” though Drake never mentions Budden by name. In the 68th episode of Budden’s aforementioned podcast, he addressed Drake’s credibility as a songwriter and the perceived diss toward him in a 20-plus-minute segment annotated by Complex at the time.
Joe Budden Drops “Making A Murderer, Pt. 1” And “Afraid”
July 2016: Budden (again, seemingly but more or less definitely) referred to Drake as his child in “Making A Murderer, Pt. 1.” The song’s interlude is audio from the aforementioned video of their first meeting, during which Drake outed himself as a fan and gushed over Budden. Later in the song, Budden raps, “You made me proud, lad, but it seems my child mad / With all the clout that he grabbed, it’s still doubts from his dad.”
Drake then responded with “No Shopping,” leading to Budden’s “Afraid,” which samples Drake’s “The Resistance” and finds Budden going at Drake repeatedly throughout. Perhaps most notably: “Yeah, Aubrey, that’s the one we trusted / Not this new Aubrey with his stomach sculpted / I’m disgusted, you’re such a f*ckin’ incumbent / Can’t govern, trust in the public becoming a f*cking puppet.”
Um, Liposuction?
July 2016: So, about that “Aubrey with his stomach sculpted” line. After the song’s arrival, Budden doubled down, tweeting that Drake had gotten liposuction (twice) from the plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael “Dr. Miami” Salzhauer. Uproxx did the important follow-up investigative journalism of getting plastic surgeons’ opinions on whether Budden’s outrageous claim could be true.
Joe Budden On Hot Ones
Yep, still July 2016: Budden stopped by Hot Ones, where he addressed Drake fans who had recently appeared uninvited outside of his home.
April 2020: The beginning of 2020 threw many confounding things our way, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a potential Budden-Drake resolution — which, to be clear, are equally confounding. Budden went live on Instagram, and Drake was active in the comments. Eventually, Drake joined Budden on the Live, and they had a friendly exchange. Budden joked that Drake was avoiding him, to which Drake said, “I never avoid you; we’re just never in the same place.”
Petty Drake Thrives In St. Tropez
July 2022: Take it or leave it: Drake posted a video to his Instagram Story from a restaurant in St. Tropez that was playing Budden’s “Pump It Up” (as relayed by XXL at the time). “Where else, Joey, would you have them going so crazy?” Drake is heard saying in the video. It goes without saying by now that it was in a mocking tone.
Joe Budden Slams For All The Dogs
October 2023: Skipping ahead to the present to preserve whatever is left of our collective sanity. Budden did not care for Drake’s For All The Dogs album. Right after Drake dropped it on October 6, Budden dedicated a portion of his podcast to torching it. DJ Akademiks posted a snippet on Instagram, where Drake left a lengthy comment that felt like it was a decade in the making.
This is what Drake wrote:
“@joebudden you have failed at music. You left it behind to do what you are doing in this clip cause this is what actually pays your bills. For any artist watching this just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success…a quitter give their opinion on how to achieve longevity…you switched careers cause the things that pop into your brain had you broke living cheque to cheque and the raps you write had 450 men showing up to your shows in dusty Enyce jeans to screw up their face to Mood Muzik 29 and pretend you are the goat…pls to any artist that’s doing what they feel is right don’t let these opinions affect your mindset after the fact…
This guy is the poster child of frustration and surrendering. You retired and we never hung up your jersey we don’t even remember your number. We know you for doing this…you withdrew from rap not cause you accomplished all you need to it’s cause it wasn’t working for you. I never want anybody in the generations to think that the whole ‘everybody’s entitled to their opinion’ is a real thing…this is a man projecting his own self hate and the fact I did and continue to do everything he wanted to do for himself. If you need it put in simpler terms I own a 767…he owns a modest house in the 973 and flies first class on special occasions.”
November 2023: This morning, November 17, Drake dropped “Stories About My Brother” as part of For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition. In it, he raps, “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition.” Welp!
That Drake sure is a rascal. We all know that a new Drake project usually means a new collection of slights against his critics, enemies — real or imagined, and any number of former paramours who’ve wronged him in some way. His latest release, For All The Dogs: Scary Hours Edition, is no different, bringing with it a slew of disses for former flames and current nemeses.
So, who does Drake diss on Scary Hours 3?
Well, in the song “Stories About My Brother,” Drake certainly responds to Joe Budden‘s lukewarm reception of the original For All The Dogs. “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition,” he raps, which is most probably a reference to Budden’s former career as a rapper. Budden has since turned to being a volatile podcast host, slinging hot takes in the hopes of viral fame (to his credit and the chagrin of Budden haters everywhere, it mostly works).
Then, on “Wick Man,” Drake quotes Pusha T‘s 2018 diss track “The Story Of Adidon,” which effectively turned the audience against him in their beef at the time, but hasn’t seemed to do much for his rival’s fortunes since. “Man, I remember n****s was jokin’ ’bout some tick, tick / And now that rapper broke as f*ck / That boy a statistic.”
So, Drake’s streak of petty posturing continues. Since it doesn’t look like he’ll actually be taking that break anytime soon after announcing an extended tour with J. Cole, perhaps his targets will take the opportunity to fire back.
On his new EP, For All The Dogs: Scary Hours Edition, Drake has a song called “Stories About My Brother” in which he raps several lines describing the various attributes of someone he calls his brother. Some examples include: “My brother make your ace disappear like a sleight of hand” and “My brother put some holes in your top, you a Air Force.” Naturally, this might have some fans wondering whether Drake has an actual brother.
As far as public record goes, though, Drake has always been an only child — the sole son of Dennis Graham, a drummer from Memphis, and Sandra “Sandi” Graham, a Canadian teacher and florist. Drake was raised by Sandra in Toronto, spending summers with his father in Memphis.
Any references to a brother are most likely metaphorical; Drake refers to his close friends as his brothers to highlight their bond, strengthening the examples of having friends who’d do anything for you (including, apparently, shooting at people) by comparing their closeness to that of blood brotherhood. Of course, the violent threats are likely metaphorical and hyperbolic, as well.
The holiday season is supposed to be a time of peace and tranquility. However, Drake had other things in store. Today (November 17), the rapper gifted fans with new music. His latest album, For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition, is a spicy clapback at his biggest critics. So, did Drake diss Pusha T on Scary Hours 3?
According to the fans, the answer is yes. In the Alchemist-produced song “Wick Man,” Drake seemingly aims at his longtime rival. During the first verse, Drake raps, “Man, I remember n****s was jokin’ ’bout some tick, tick / And now that rapper broke as f*ck / That boy a statistic / Empty clips, yeah.” To drive home his point, the last line repeats throughout the track.
He continues in the second verse, saying, “Play ’bout the fact I was born a perfectionist / Still can’t even wrap my mind around the success of this / Point me to your boss, n****, you a receptionist,” seemingly as a shot at Kanye West.
Listeners believe Drake’s latest project is filled with other subliminal and direct jabs. Some of the other folks in his scope include Joe Budden. Hell, even Black Americans received a lyrical shot.
Spectators will be on the lookout for Pusha’s response. But last year, when asked how he feels about Drake continuously dissing him, Pusha replied, “It just lets me know how deep it hurt him.”
Listen to “Wick Man” above.
For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition is out now via OVO/Republic. Find more information here.
In Thursday morning’s (November 16) trailer announcing what he then referred to as Scary Hours 3and has since released asFor All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition, Drake said, “I did those songs in the last five days. I didn’t have one bar written down for those songs on the night that For All The Dogsdropped.” With that timeline established, all evidence suggests that Drake dissed Joe Budden, who slammed For All The Dogsupon its October 6 arrival.
About 50 seconds into the Scary Hours Edition track “Stories About My Brother,” Drake raps, “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition.”
Now, the backstory. Or, at least the latest chapter in the years-long Budden-Drake beef, which includes an accusation of liposuction in 2016 (as chronicled in full by Complex): Budden used an episode of The Joe Budden Podcast to roast Drake for “rappin’ for the children” with For All The Dogs. “Yo, dog, I had to look up how old this n**** was when I finished listening to the album,” he said (as per Billboard). “You are 36. Your birthday is in 20 days. I Googled that, too. You’re going to be 37 years old. Get the f*ck away from some of these younger n****s. And stop f*cking these 25-year-olds. […] I want to hear adult Drake rapping for adult people. […] He’s rapping for the kids, the streams, the accolades. He ain’t trying to rap for me. I accept that.”
Drake didn’t wait until “Stories About My Brother” to acknowledge Budden. He left a very long comment on DJ Akademiks’ Instagram clip of Budden’s podcast, as written below:
“@joebudden you have failed at music. You left it behind to do what you are doing in this clip cause this is what actually pays your bills. For any artist watching this just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success…a quitter give their opinion on how to achieve longevity…you switched careers cause the things that pop into your brain had you broke living cheque to cheque and the raps you write had 450 men showing up to your shows in dusty Enyce jeans to screw up their face to Mood Muzik 29 and pretend you are the goat…pls to any artist that’s doing what they feel is right don’t let these opinions affect your mindset after the fact…
This guy is the poster child of frustration and surrendering. You retired and we never hung up your jersey we don’t even remember your number. We know you for doing this…you withdrew from rap not cause you accomplished all you need to it’s cause it wasn’t working for you. I never want anybody in the generations to think that the whole ‘everybody’s entitled to their opinion’ is a real thing…this is a man projecting his own self hate and the fact I did and continue to do everything he wanted to do for himself. If you need it put in simpler terms I own a 767…he owns a modest house in the 973 and flies first class on special occasions.”
We thought that Drake was taking a break but apparently, that’s not the case. This week, the rapper announced that he was returning with the release of Scary Hours 3. The highly-anticipated third installment of the Scary Hours series has been as anticipated as For All The Dogs. However, the release of his latest studio album appeared to mark the end of an era, one that Drake said would result in his absence from the studio for a little bit. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
In the midst of criticism surrounding his latest album, which many initial naysayers retracted a month later, the rapper was evidently on a mission to ensure people that he still has bars. As a result, his production choices on For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition are vastly different from the majority of his latest project. Even with production from Lil Yachty and ovrkast, Drake aims for more soulful production with credits from The Alchemist (“Wick Man”) and Griselda’s go-to Conductor Williams (“Stories About My Brother”).” Drake previously linked with Conductor on “8 AM In Charlotte.” Additionally, he brings on frequent collaborators Boi-1da, FNZ, Fierce, Vinylz.
The rapper announced the 6-pack project in the wee hours of Nov. 16th with a dramatic trailer filmed at the Roy Thomson Theatre in Toronto. In the clip, the rapper explained his inspiration behind releasing Scary Hours 3, despite announcing that he’d be taking a break from the studio for atleast a year. “I’ll say this to you I’m not… I feel no need to appease anybody. I feel so confident about the body of work I just dropped that I know I can go and disappear for whatever… six months, a year… two years,” he said.
“You know, ultimately it’s coming to me in a way that I haven’t experienced since If You’re Reading This [It’s Too Late] where it’s just kind of like I feel like I’m on drugs,” he continued. “I feel like I’m in that mental state without doing anything. Who am I to fight it?” He then shares some facts, saying the new songs were written in the past five days and that he did not have “one bar written” for the follow-up to 2021’s Scary Hours 2 EP when he released his most recent album, For All the Dogs, a month ago. “It’s not like I’m picking up from some unfinished s–t. You know, this is just happening on its own. And who am I to fight it?” Check out the production credits below via HHNM.
For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition Production Credits
1. Red Button Production: Lil Yachty, ovrkast. 2. Stories About My Brother Production: Conductor Williams 3. The Shoe Fits Production: Lil Yachty, ovrkast. 4. Wick Man Production: The Alchemist 5. Evil Ways Production: Boi-1da, FNZ, Fierce, Vinylz 6. You Broke My Heart Production: FNZ, Vinylz
It’s Scary Hours, once again. Drake came through with the third installment of his EP series, For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition, this morning, a little over a month after the release of For All The Dogs. Recorded in the days following his latest studio album, Drake appeared to have a chip on his shoulder with old feuds weighing on his mind. Drizzy addresses his issues with Kanye West, Pusha T, and Joe Budden, whose criticism of For All The Dogs earned an angry DM from the Canadian rapper, across the 6-song release.
Although the last time Ye spoke on Drake, it was more or less on a positive note, “Red Button” begins with the Canadian artist airing out his grievances regarding what he believes to be a fake friendship. “Every time you need me for a boost, I never hesitated/ Every time that Yeezy called a truce, he had my head inflated,” he raps. “Thinkin’ we gon’ finally peace it up and get to levitatin’/ Realize that everything premeditated.”
However, Drake continues to fire at Kanye on “Stories About My Brothers,” referencing the Chicago artist’s recent barefooted outings. Additionally, he appears to reference Kanye’s verse on ScHoolboy Q’s “THat part,” where he compares himself to Kobe Bryant, as HipHopDX notes. “I can’t wait for the day that you choose to retire your stuff/ Taking off the sneakers ’cause you tired of tying ’em up/ That one day you wake up and tell ’em, ‘Enough is enough’/ That’s how you gon’ find out you not Kobe Bryant to us [laughs]/ Man, you not Kobe Bryant to us… at all,” he says.
Elsewhere in the song, he goes in on Joe Budden. “Imagine us getting our validation from an ex-musician searching for recognition/ Same story every time, they heckle in repetition/ I’m top of the mountain, these n***as still down at base camp, they planning they expedition.” Although we could expect Drake to fire at both Joe Budden and Ye, he took an unexpected shot at a 6ix9ine. “Y’all the type to catch a charge, head to the deposition/ And act like the rapper named after the sex position.”
Ever since Drake threw in the towel during his lyrical war against Pusha T, he’s attempted to revive the beef, presumably to redeem himself in some capacity. However, Push has said time after time that he had no interest in entertaining that feud again. Nonetheless, Drake took aim at Pusha T on “Wick Man,” rapping, “Man, I remember n***as was joking ’bout some tick, tick/ And now that rapper broke as fuck, that boy a statistic,” referencing Pusha T’s cruel diss toward Noah “40” Shebib on “The Story Of Adidon.”
Here in 2023, Taylor Swift has been truly inescapable, whether it was via her two new Taylor’s Version albums (Speak Now and 1989), her smash-hit The Eras Tour and accompanying theatrical concert film, or her getting to know Travis Kelce a whole lot better. Now, she’s popping up on albums she’s not even on.
Drake, who himself has also had a massive year, just dropped For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition today and he gives Swift a shout-out on Red Button. During the song’s opening verse, he raps, “Taylor Swift the only n**** that I ever rated / Only one could make me drop the album just a little later / Rest of y’all, I treat you like you never made it.”
The lyric is all praise for Swift, with Drake showing his respect for her impact and success by suggesting he’d push back an album release if she had a project coming out the same week, in order to avoid competition with her and give himself a better chance at chart success.
Meanwhile, just a few lines later, he also shares some less glowing thoughts about Kanye West: “Every time you need me for a boost, I never hesitated / Every time that Yeezy called a truce, he had my head inflated / Thinkin’ we gon’ finally peace it up and get to levitatin’ / Realize that everything premeditated.”
For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition is out now via OVO/Republic.
