Drake – Certified Lover Boy

Written By: Jane Reardon

On September 3, 2021 Drake proved himself once again with his new album Certified Lover Boy. The 34-year-old rap artist shows his perfection at variety in this album with the ideal mix of R&B and hip hop.

Certified Lover Boy has 21 tracks filled with emotion and depth that Drake knows how to portray best. He allows his vocals to shine on “N 2 Deep ft. Future” where he sings, and Future takes the lead on rapping. Vice Versa in “No Friends In The Industry” he displays his ability of great flow while rapping. The features on this album included Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, and more. These features suit the album and complement each song they are on extremely well.

From start to end the album has unique tracks in which no two sound the same. There is a great balance of upbeat music and slow relaxed music. We see new beats and vocal expressions, while still getting the Drake we know and love. Certified Lover Boy is a perfect combination of all of Aubrey’s previous album eras.

He has multiple samples in this album with the most popular being “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred (1991). “Way to Sexy ft. Future” opens with the original 1991 sample and quickly turns into a catchy hip hop song. More songs sampled on the album include “Navajo” by Masego (2017) and “Daddy’s Home” by Montell Jordan (1995).

Overall, this album is another hit just as expected. It includes all the exciting elements of hip hop while still feeling personal and from the heart.

Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite tracks: “TSU”, “N 2 Deep”, and “Love all (with Jay-Z)”