ALEX GILLIES
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
JACKSON POLLARD
STAFF WRITER
10/9/2023
Aubrey Drake Graham built a dream team of feature artists so impressive on For All the Dogs that any production style heard on any track of the album is supported tremendously by some of the best voices in mainstream hip-hop music.
There’s so much to want from any Drake project because of the ludicrous range brought by Teezo Touchdown, J.Cole’s insane lyricism, SZA’s impactful femininity and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s classic smooth tone. For All The Dogs quite literally has every version of Drake there is.
For All The Dogs feels like it was made to make everybody happy. There’s no way any Drake fan can listen to the full project and not hear at least two to three songs that they like. Not to mention, the feature performances are so good the focus isn’t even on Drake.
The sheer variety of sounds, vibes and emotions the album includes to experience is amazing. This album feels like it’s full of songs that could be singles on another album with a more focused theme.
The beginning third of the 23-track album fell on deaf ears with me other than J.Cole’s explosive feature. However, after Slime You Out, featuring SZA, the album takes on a quality of real life. Every beat sounds better and every lyric means more.
That “old Drake” feel that the hip-hop community asked for is super prevalent. The woman-blaming, money-loving, loyalty-over-everything Drake makes his presence known with tracks like Bahamas Promises and Tried Our Best. These tracks have the classic “I messed up but it’s your fault we didn’t work out anyway.”
Drake has absolutely mastered writing and the use of slow production over the years. Nobody makes themself sound like a true victim better than Drake which is what makes him so great. Attacking that negative emotion everybody can relate to is what makes his music so universal.
He truly understands the best way to connect with people is to remind them of hurt and then follow up with the super crazy confidence we all would have if we were stupid rich.
The final third of the album is highlighted by 8 a.m. in Charlotte and three tracks with beautifully chosen features chained together. Any Drake song title formatted “time in place” is bound to have some of the best writing on the project. 8 a.m. in Charlotte does not stray from this trend in the slightest bit.
This is followed by Gently, featuring Bad Bunny, which is just like every other Drake song featuring a Spanish-speaking artist. Drake speaks Spanish with his terrible accent and then lets the featured artist take over.
After Gently, comes Rich Baby Daddy, featuring SZA and Sexyy Red. Sexyy Red’s hook and SZA’s beautiful voice complement the super groovy production perfectly. It’s the most enjoyed song on the album to many.
This feature trilogy ends with Another Late Night, featuring Lil Yachty, whose consistently superb lyricism and unique sound give the song a much-needed boost.
For All The Dogs takes the absolute best Drake has to offer in every style he’s mastered and puts it all together in a 23-track, one-hour and 24-minute compilation. There’s something for everybody on For All The Dogs, and with how good the full project is, it shouldn’t be hard to find.
