Masuk Free Press

It’s been more than three months since rap artist Drake has teased his 8th studio album, For All The Dogs. This long-awaited album has been pushed back countless times, from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6. Multiple Fridays have been filled with fans staying awake until midnight in hopes of an early drop. After what seemed to be endless disappointment, the album is finally here. But does it live up to the hype?

For All The Dogs features many high profile artists such as SZA, J.Cole, 21 Savage, Lil Yatchy, Sexyy Red, PARTYNEXTDOOR and even included a sample from Frank Ocean. The album contained a stacked lineup, but many critics believe it was not as good as it was built up to be. Reviews online have gone as far as to say, “Waited 2 months for this album and now I’m distraught and in disbelief at how unrelentingly mid it was,”. 

Opinions at Masuk reflect this. Charlotte Pinto, a self-proclaimed diehard Drake fan, said, “I think the album was pushed back too long. There’s a few songs I like, but so far it’s not worth all the hype.” 

The features on this highly-anticipated album seemed to lead listeners to predicting For All The Dogs as a possible Album of The Year, in the running with Travis Scott’s UTOPIA. Drake went as far as to squash his long-lasting “beef” with artist SZA to create “Slime You Out”. This leading single debuted as #1 on Billboard’s Top 100, and has racked up a total of 54 million streams. 

In my opinion, the album carries some possible classics. “7969 Santa” incorporates an interlude from Snoop Dog, and the collaboration between J.Cole and Drake on “First Person Shooter” is unmatched. Drake’s statistics do not lie, and even with the controversy surrounding the release, the album is sure to break records and heal hearts.