Drake has managed to maintain a fan base for almost nine years. Over the course of three albums, three mixtapes, and a pair of EPs, Drake has become a mainstay staple in the hip-hop world. So when he released his latest project If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late on February 13, without prior notification to iTunes – Beyoncé style – the Internet blew up as people tried to get this project anyway they could.

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late Review

Outside of the unorthodox release, most people debated whether Drake’s new release is an album or a mix tape. Drake has called it a mixtape, but being that he charged a cool 13 bucks for it, iTunes has dubbed it an album. Artist’s opinion is always correct when it comes to these things, but mixtapes are usually free.

The album opens with “Legend,” essentially a brag track that samples Ginuwine’s “So Anxious.” Boldly saying if he dies “He’s a legend,” Drake sets the tone for the mixtape as a bold statement of his musical greatness. With the next track “Energy,” Drake makes it clear about his future in acting, there is none.

After releasing “6 God” along with two singles that didn’t make the mixtapes cut, Drake released three other tracks that reference his hometown of Toronto. “6 Man” sounds like it could’ve ended up at an industrial Goth concert, until he sings a rendition of Erykah Badu’s hook on The Roots “You Got Me.” This was very nice choice for fans of Badu – Drake is a huge fan, in addition to being very good friends with the singer.

“You & the 6,” a very heartfelt track dedicated not only to his mother, but to his city as well, provides us with his most personal track on the mixtape. Referencing his once strained relationship with his father in the second verse shows just how personal he made this song.

The last Toronto track is “Star67,” and it harkens back to a young Drake, utilizing phone metaphors to dictate leaving people behind and potentially dealing drugs as a teen in Toronto.

“6PM in New York,” which adds to the “Time in City” collection (“9AM in Dallas, “5AM in Toronto”), takes multiple shots at rapper Tyga and his publicized relationship with the underage Kylie Jenner. Tyga responded on twitter before quickly deleted the tweet, telling Drake to stop “sneak-dissing”.

Calling on PARTYNEXTDOOR twice, Travi$ Scott, and label mate Lil’ Wayne for features, Drake overshadows all three and makes it clear that he is in a lane of his own.

“Jungle” one of the last tracks on the album is, aside from “You & the 6,” the only “soft” track on the album. Playing to his “singing Drake phase,” Drake talks about a past relationship gone wrong in usual Drake fashion. The track is solid nonetheless.

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is a different project for Drake. Once labeled a “soft sensitive rapper,” Drake shuts down his detractors while still, for the most part, rapping about what he knows. The “stunt rap” songs can become tiresome over time, but it is still Drake, and this is another solid project from Aubrey from the 6.