The Drake Dilemma: is it time for women to move on?

Last week, Drake dropped the “scary hours” extended version of his latest album, “For All The Dogs”. Some believe that this move is in direct response to mixed reviews received by the critics, but I gather that Drake is a big mon who does exactly what he pleases, when he pleases.

Like many other women who are fans of his art, I’ve grappled with the idea of letting go. Letting go of the hopes for an album that really resonates with me, one that I can play front to back, where I can extract fire captions, *sigh*. It’s evident that his music has fallen out of alignment with countless listeners and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I believe that the tension is so palpable for one main reason: our poorly adjusted expectations. Issues arise when artist performance/content falls short of our expectations. We need to revisit our expectations.

One of the most common pieces of feedback when "For All The Dogs" first debuted was the lack of growth; a “grown man” mindset. Fans wanted to hear about his experience with fatherhood and hopes for romance, but instead we got Rihanna subs, anti-feminist slander and blatant flippancy. In the extended version, Drake simply doubles down. His stance, outlook, and demeanor are crystal clear.

Is this extreme self awareness or simply self destruction?

This guy seems to know exactly who he is; currently. However self awareness generally embodies some form of accountability.

Self destructive behaviours are easy to adopt, and highly visible, but he’s Drake which means he’d have to do some real foul shit for his career and stardom to actually take a hit.

Muddy waters. Unclear answers.

With all of that being said, I’m about to shoot him some major bail and issue an appropriate verdict, all in the same breath. Because life is a contradiction.

Follow me.

*cocks head to the right*

Against popular belief, Drake has in fact grown since his earlier projects. Growth and development aren’t always forward, upwards, or for the better. Our experiences guide the path of our growth. Our willingness to move forward, make difficult decisions, and exercise discernment are directly related to our controllable life circumstances. The content of his music has changed because the context of his relationships have changed (with women, in particular). Let’s not for a moment assume that it is easy to read the intentions of the people who come into your life when you’re a global superstar. Dating is not the same. Building true relationships is not the same. Being on the constant defense cannot be good for the soul. All of those things do not absolve his role, though… and THIS is where accountability comes in.

If I go to Popeyes and complain that they only have chicken, what in the actual fuck am I doing? And then I make a diss track about chicken, and preface it by saying “if the shoe fits”, Of course the world is going to look at me like I’m a maniac. The same applies here. I’d like to believe that Drake has some level of agency when it comes to the women he engages with, and that over the years he’s picked up some vital skills in vetting out the trash. Baby, it’s about application of those skills, choose wisely.

Onto the sentencing:

Drake. Sir, you don’t have much time left in this pocket. I remain hopeful that redemption will soon make its way (preferably in musical form). Surely, with time taken away and spent with loved ones, impactful growth will occur. We really wanna embrace this new guy, but we just don’t know how.

For those of you who are drawn to 2011-2016 Drake, and constantly find yourself replaying songs like "One Dance", "Take Care", and "Nice For What", I sentence you to embrace one young Jack Harlow.

I stand firm in my verdict and confidently await a favourable outcome for all parties.