Drake’s ‘Views’ Album Listens Like ‘Take Care 2.0’
Drake’s second-best album – ‘Views.’ Many would argue that ‘Nothing Was the Same’ or ‘If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late’ are closer runner-ups but, in my opinion, the lyricism present in ‘Views’ is unmatched, even against himself. Drake recently stated in his ‘Rap Radar’ interview with Elliott Wilson and Brian B.Dot Miller that ‘Nothing Was the Same’ is his favorite album due to its concise yet impactful nature. I agree; that project is solid but ‘Views’ touched me in a different way; I felt these records on a personal level. – He opens the album with “Keep the Family Close,” where he raps, “All of my "let's just be friends" are friends I don't have any more /Guess it's what they say you need family for / 'Cause I can't depend on you anymore / Always saw you for what you could have been / Ever since you met me like when Chrysler made that one car / That looked just like a Bentley I / Always saw you for what you could have been…” He’s simultaneously detailing the thoughts of a love lost while remembering the evolution he saw buried beneath her work-in-progress exterior. He’s insulting and complimenting her at the same time – genius - or he could be reminiscing on the loss of a friend, either way, he fuses simplicity with complexity. It’s like he’s plainly stating his truths, but he does so in a way that’s still dense. He goes on to rap, “I always saw you for what you could've been / And even when it's business with you it's personal again / I knew you before you made ends meet / And now we're meeting our end,” again simplistic complexity. Drake wins because he raps as if he’s not even trying but merely having conversations over production. When artists start merely conversing over 808’s and hi-hats again, Drizzy will have some true competitors. He’s a storyteller first and foremost and that’s why he wins.