In late January --on the official OVO SOUND Radio --Drake let everyone know that this summer was going to be his. As the days are getting longer and the weather begins to warm up, the Toronto artist is sitting comfortably at the top of every chart, where he belongs. It's made undoubtedly clear that “Summer Sixteen” is officially underway. Coming off the recent release of his long-awaited album Views, Drake effortlessly drops a rap gem, just to get a couple things off his chest.
“4pm In Calabasas” is the most recent installment of Drake’s on-going “time and place” series, and not only reminds everyone why he is the biggest artist in hip-hop today, but makes a case for why he should be the most feared. Over three minutes and fifty-five seconds, Drake proves that he is in top form. The “golden child” smoothly flows over another, signature 40 beat, and tells us exactly where he's at --the top. It's true, “Mike never tried to rap like Pac” and “Pac never tried to sing like Mike”, but in this comparison, Drake subtlety explains why he is the only one able to achieve heights that even two of the greats were never able to reach. It's clear Drake is at an all time high, as he rightfully boasts about it in true Drake fashion. All the while asserting his dominance, and urging others to refrain from trying to tempt him, he delivers jabs aimed at Meek Mill, Joe Budden, and most importantly, Diddy. As arguably the most versatile artist in today’s field, Drake proves it with this track. He adopts Diddy’s very recognizable flow and melody, as well as a few of his catch phrases, just to mock one of Hip-Hop’s most powerful men --and in doing so, he creates the genre’s smoothest diss record, with incredible finesse.
We saw how calculated and deliberate Drake can be, with the stretch of songs that were birthed in the Meek Mill Era, but if there was ever any doubt in just how conniving this man was, “4pm In Calabasas” proves that Drake is a technician in his trade. Even the OG’s can't press him, “ha-ha-ha-ha”.
