The Weekly Coos

Multiple delays, a lot of amassed hype, and a tour that stood out from conception to delivery on social media, so it makes sense that Drake would end up delivering something mostly forgettable and cringe. For All The Dogs (FATD) is many things, but when it’s all placed together, it’s just another Drake album without anything interesting to really say, and still delivering haphazard work that fans will eat up, and many will know that Drake can do better. FATD has things you’d expect from Drake, like introspections on life and relationships or typical and with the occasional apropos diss. Drake had his one moment (Back2Back), with a few sprinkled prior, and then forgettable moments. It comes together as this long, drawn-out, and drab mess that frankly carries some irony and an overall lack of motivation. You’d expect that after everything that has come and gone over the years, Drake would turn to keep it interesting like that sparse moment with Honestly Nevermind. And frankly, this isn’t up to snuff with the edginess and monstrous creativity behind IYRTITL; however, it is Drake, and there is some swagger, but it isn’t enough to make this worth the delays and hype.

FATD opens strong with “Virginia Beach” but quickly plummets and begins to wane in quality and effect to retain one’s attention. Like sure, there are some quality beats, and you can take something away from the slightly raw edginess coming from these angered Drake moments, but there isn’t enough consistency to even warrant taking the time and giving this a front-to-back listen more than one time. Yet, I would be remiss if I didn’t say there are songs I’ve genuinely thought were great. The opener, “Gently,” “All the Parties,” “Amen,” “Feat of Heights,” “Another Late Night,” and “Screw The World Interlude” are some that stood out to me, but it’s mainly the beats that kept me intrigued through multiple listens; however, it isn’t to say Drake is inherently boring and predictable (he usually can be, and is here), but he does take the time to at least deliver something potent, specifically with his new entry into the time stamp series; Drake and Conductor Williams don’t disappoint. Unfortunately, through the entire journey that Drake takes you on with FATD, there isn’t anything rewarding about it. 

The album carries some disses, which have been some of the most pronounced aspects of it post-release, but they aren’t its strong suits. Beginning with “Calling You Out,” Drake comes at Pusha T in the interlude – the spoken vocals prior see a female complain about not getting first class and having the same meal over and over again, and in a way taking jabs a Push’s pettiness and whininess; however, down the line, Drake disses an ex-girlfriend he dated back in June 2023 or Esperanza Spalding beating him at the Grammys 12 years ago, which in hindsight is so minimal it’s creating irony with what he is dissing Push about. As fans, you want something inspiring and fresh, and instead, Drake is handing you subtle jabs and disappointments. From the flows to the verses, Drake isn’t all together coming at peak form, and listening to “8 AM in Charlotte” should be enough to help anyone wane the balance scale between quality and not. It goes the same for the times Drake opts to sing instead of rap, though not as frequently it continuously unimpressed me, but not as much as the opening moments of “Gently” or the dull nature of “Slime You Out.” 

As I’ve noted earlier, some features outshine Drake, though seemingly not hard to do here, so when you get down to it, other reasons stem into why they do. In some cases, like with his singing, which is almost forgettable, you have him playing second fiddle. “Gently” opens with Drake singing in Spanish, and we’re not stranger to it, with his features on Romeo Santos’ second album and “MIA,” an early Bad Bunny collaboration –they have some natural flow to them, unlike “Gently,” which feels a tad bit forced. I’m a fan of Gently, but that opening is a little grating; the same goes for “Slime You Out,” where it feels tried and nothing new. Additionally, one can say the same for the choruses, which don’t have that wow factor that creates an imprint in our head like he used to do. The disappointments weigh heavier than the positives, and there are quite a few positives, like the beats and the synergy beholden between the layers. That isn’t to say all the beats are perfect, but at least they aren’t picked out of a producers’ dollar bin and feel intuitive to what Drake is aiming for, even when he whiffs heavy.

With nearly 62 production credits to its name, For All The Dogs makes it harder to quantify the differences between where the consistency lies. Some beats are fantastic, and some just relay typical nuances to the influences they inhabit. It branches out and tip-toes between trap, soulful rap, R&B, and other genres that just feel there. As much as I loved “Screw the World Interlude,” it doesn’t feel like it belongs and diverts from the sonic ethos of the album, yet the sampled DJ Screw freestyle is more memorable and iconic than 75%+ of Drake’s verses. I’m not here to harp on Drake, as he’s giving some effort, as noted by 40, Yatchy, and Bynx’s appearance on many of the production credits. Though sonically, there is some correlation between tracks, it still feels off-kilter, with 40 and Lil Yatchy’s presence being the predominant producers who you can tell has some relying semblance of identity. It allows for one to feel entrenched in the music, even in the slightest, if you’re a fan, despite knowing you’ve heard better. Unfortunately, there are two sets of standards set for Drake, and for some fans, they are lower than others. 

The trap or apropos rap or R&B-focused beats have potent quality amidst the plethora of complaining, redundancies, and pettiness coming from Drake. It further made it harder for me to take away much; however, I did enjoy the comparatively stripped-down “Amen,” the electro-rap flair of “IDGAF,” “Fear of Heights,” the smooth cadences of “Drew a Picasso,” similar to “Virginia Beach.” There are varying qualities; it’s just more groaning when what gets vocally heard overhead that makes it feel wasted, like with “Rich Baby Daddy,” where Sexyy Red, SZA, and Drake deliver substanceless verses – this further made me realize how wasted much of this is, especially with a lot of trite and boring moments collectively. I won’t front and say I was particularly excited to see what Drake wanted to convey with the album, especially as it sounded we were getting a hungrier, rap-driven Drake, and ultimately, I left disappointed. I know others will as well; for those who aren’t, I’d love to hear why this album is as good as others.