If you’re reviewing this… It’s too late

As high-profile artists continue to release surprise albums, Drake has decided to continue the trend. Following in the footsteps of fellow greats like Beyonce, Madonna, and Miguel, Drake released “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” over iTunes with next to no hype. Fans seemed to enjoy this pleasant surprise, as the album racked up over 500,000 sales in it’s first week. But is this album simply Drake following in the footsteps of those in situations similar to his, or is there more to it?

 

 

Well, simply put, the answer is “yes.” It’s no secret that Birdman’s empire, Cash Money Records, is beginning to unravel before him. As the label’s former champion, Lil Wayne, publicly criticizes the label on social media, blaming it for delays in album releases, it’s becoming painfully clear to the public that the house YMCMB built is beginning to be the house that YMCMB tore down. Drake makes no attempt to hide his disdain for the label, either, referencing the label failing to pay him album royalties twice, both in Star67 (“Walk up in my label like, ‘Where the check though?’ / Yeah I said it.”) and in No Tellin’ (“Envelopes coming in the mail, let her open them / Hoping for a check again, ain’t no telling.”)

 

 

As Drake plainly admits in Energy, he’s got “a lot of enemies,” and it’s apparent that Drake intends to swap blows with them. From referencing the physical altercation he got into with fellow artist Diddy over ownership of the beat 0 to 100/The Catch Up (“Real quick man, you couldn’t have hated that / Let’s be real, you couldn’t have made it that”) to Tyga’s insulting of him in a Vibe magazine feature (“You need to act your age and not your girl’s age”), each track in “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” seems to have Drake on the offensive, and it’s clear that it’s by Drake’s design. But it appears as if the album itself is an attack on Cash Money Records.

 

 

When Drake signed onto Cash Money Records, he signed a contract, saying that he would be required to release four studio albums under the label. The first was the critically-acclaimed “Thank Me Later”, which was quickly followed by “Take Care”, then “Nothing Was The Same.” “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” is, as far as the courts are concerned, the fourth studio album by Drake released under Cash Money Records, which means Drake has completed the contract and is now free to go elsewhere. With this info, one has to wonder: where did this latest album come from? As previously mentioned, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” was released almost completely by surprise, with only a fifteen-minute short film posted on Twitter by Drake a few hours before the album’s release.

 

 

Ultimately, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” isn’t so much an album as it is a cleverly disguised track dump. While most tracks are ultimately forgettable, barring some notable exceptions such as 10 Bands and Preach, they aren’t the main focus of this album. The main focus of this album is the internal drama surrounding it, from the verbal uppercuts Drake delivers to his foes on nearly ever track, to the overarching drama between Drake and Cash Money Records. While this album might not be considered Drake’s best work, fans will look to this period in his carer and likely see it as a turning point. Expect to see a new and improved Drake, as his Birdman-shaped shackles are finally off.

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