Drake is an artist who hits more often than he misses, so of course everyone was eager to hear Scorpion – but nothing increased the anticipation for the project more than his exchange of diss tracks with Pusha T. This exchange lead to Pusha T’s ‘The Story Of Adidon’, the diss track that silenced Drake for a while. For weeks, it was all people talked about. Drake saved it all for this album, though.
There are explicitly two sides on this album, side A is hip-hop and side B is R&B; it is clear that Aubrey wants to spit and address issues while singing about women and the life he lives.
‘Get you a man that can do both’: that man is Drake. The first part of this album is inspired by Pusha T, but Drake answers questions, throws in some extra subtle lines and with each bar he shows finesse and class. He approaches this album like a grown man, a mature man. He has also found a way to respond to every line on ‘The Story of Adidon’, making the situation clear, the haters remorseful, and the fans proud.
On the R&B side of the album, every song has smooth vocals and lyrics, although ‘Don’t Matter To Me’ and ‘After Dark’ are short of the energy that ‘Nice For What’ and ‘Ratchet Happy Birthday’ have.
After previous releases like More Life and Views, where he struggles to satisfy on most of the songs, a major concern on hearing about this project was whether Drake would be able to create a balance or improve on the sonic see-saw of hit songs and just-okay sounds. After listening to Scorpion, there’s no doubt that Drake is in his element. This is a revealing, thrilling album by an artist who took a very particular experience and used it to create a beautiful project.
