Scary Hours 2 EP (Drake)
In the wake of Drake’s much anticipated sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy — Toronto’s finest blessed his cult following with the release of Scary Hours 2 EP on March 5, 2021. This project is the second installment of the Scary Hours series with the first debuting in 2018. The EP is composed of three songs titled “What’s Next,” “Wants and Needs,” and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.” The project showcases guest vocal appearances by artist Quadron, Lil Baby and Rick Ross.
The first song, “What’s Next,” debuted at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 and functions as the lead-single of the EP. The chorus utilizes lines from an unreleased song, “What a Time to be a Slime” featuring Young Thug. Producers Maneesh and Supah Mario are the primary architects of the track’s sound. Sonically, the production on “What’s Next” is comparable to the sounds of Generation X’s favorite arcade games such as Dig Dug, Galaga, and Pacman mixed with a traditional trap melody. Over a playful trap melody, Drake keys his audience in on the challenges associated with accruing elite level financial security and fame.
Song number two, “Wants and Needs,” is produced by Cardo, Dez Wright and Noah Shebib (widely known as “40”). On the track, Drake and Lil Baby trade verses, rapping about the phenomena of practicing both balance and moderation — in a life filled with wants and needs. Genius.com writes, “Between women, money, inner-circles, religion, and more, both rappers have to balance the importance of many things in life.”
What drew the most attention from this song was the last few bars of his verse saying, “Yeah, I probably should go link with Yeezy [Kanye West], I need me some Jesus … But soon as I started confessin’ my sins, he wouldn’t believe us.” These lines sent the internet into a frenzy and launched public debate amidst Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s public separation.While it is understandable that Drake grabbed headlines with seemingly veiled shots taken at artist Kanye West, many people felt that Lil Baby was the top-performer on this piece. Listening to Lil Baby’s performance was akin to reading your favorite author’s novella as there was not one letter, word, or sentence wasted in getting his point across that he is a central figure in the rap game. His most notable bar, “I’m not a G.O.A.T. [Greatest of All Time] but I fit the description,” put rap fans on notice that although Lil Baby is humbled enough not to anoint himself as the greatest, he is cognizant of the fact that his talent is unmatched.
The last song of Scary Hours 2, “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” is a nod to Rick Ross, a notable WingStop Franchisee and avid fan of the lemon-pepper flavor wing flavor. The track is produced by Austin Powerz, Fnz, Keanu Beats, and Boi-1da with guest vocals from Danish Duo Squadron and Miami area legend Rick Ross. The intro keys in strong feminine vocals from Avant R&B duo Quadron over a harp-filled, 808 drum trap-beat. During his first verse, Ross carefully recites lines detailing his high-end, luxurious lifestyle, while mentioning his growing wealth and multi-faceted financial interests.
Throughout the song’s second verse, Drake gives fans roughly four minutes of end-to-end rapping. For fans of traditional rap, this was the proverbial “Drake fix” they have been patiently waiting for: just raps and pure lyrical artistry. Drake starts his verse mentioning his rise from being dressed like Urkel as a youth — to now out earning Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes ($477 Billion contract) by more than a couple hundred million. Verse two continues as Drake gives the listeners insight on his unique experience of fatherhood from the perspective of a public figure. He raps, “Dropped him [Adonis Graham] off at school, big day for my lil man … Teacher-parent meetings, wives get googly eyed, regardless of what they husbands do to provide … asking if I know Beyonce and Nicki Minaj” … “Flooded French Immersion [his son’s school] with the secret service, it’s so obvious it defeats the purpose.” From these lines, listeners can assume that Drake’s presence is largely a distraction to both faculty and other parents, but this does not keep him [Drake] from fulfilling his duties as an active co-parent.
Scary Hours 2 EP is a relatively short listen totaling 12:33 minutes over three songs. The EP examines several competing themes such as: traditional and non-traditional intimate relationships, poverty and financial freedom, indulgence and moderation, as well as notoriety and success. Sonically, the project was crafted by a diverse cast of nine producers, that bring their own distinct styles and approach to music production. Because of this, I was pleased with the production value and the versatility in sound. In terms of recruiting talent, Drake chose to work with two artists he’s had prior success with. Drake and Lil Baby have combined to create four commercially successful records. For Drake and Rick Ross, this album brings their collaboration total to 13.
As a listener, I enjoyed hearing Lil Baby’s distinct Atlanta (Zone 4) flow and Ross’ propensity to stay on brand as a smooth storyteller from Dade County, Florida. Overall, I regard Scary Hours 2 as an above average body of work with a 6.5/10. While the project offered a litany of quotable lyrics, I would not say that the work was transcendent from anything in rap I’ve heard in the last few years. I am curious to see these records age in replay value this summer as COVID-19 restrictions loosen. In a typical year, listeners would experience these records outside – and I have to believe that plays a big role in how music is properly rated.
Scary Hours 2 EP project is available free of charge on Drake’s official YouTube page as well as on all streaming platforms with a subscription.
