Drake – HABIBTI (Album Review)

“HABIBTI” is a vibey R&B album that doesn’t evolve much (It’s gotta be a throwaway album, right?).

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TOP 5

5. Fortworth (Ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR)

Do you know what Drake doesn’t get enough credit for? Being funny as hell. I mean, his line about being somewhere that still has Confederate flags had me cracking up. What makes it even funnier is that it’s delivered over extra stripped-down, gentle instrumentation. I’m sorry, Drake, for laughing at your loneliness, big dog.

PARTYNEXTDOOR, who I thought was great on this track, especially with the gravitational pull of his verse, also drops some funny s**t about a bald chick he frames like a villain. Bro, as a whole, this song is funny af, to me.

4. Slap The City (Ft. Qendresa)

When Drake sounds like an effortless operator, locked into a relentless flow, he’s basically undefeated. That energy shows up on “Slap The City,” where he skates over Timbaland-like instrumentation with a smooth, almost instinctive confidence.

When the production switches, his aggression ticks up a notch. He starts stacking compliments and desire-driven lines toward the woman he’s focused on, while the same sound effects we heard in “Show Me A Good Time” magically appear.

The only real issue for me is the feature. I did not enjoy Qendresa’s vocal performance at all. Oh well.

3. Classic

I don’t know if I’ve ever said this about a Drake track, but I can easily hear five different R&B artists sliding into it instead. Think Keith Sweat, Gerald Levert, 4Batz. It has that very deliberate, old-school R&B structure built into it.

We’re talking classic ad-libs, soulful sampling, exaggerated passion, and a rhythm that feels engineered for slow dancing with someone wearing those tight pants you just instinctively grab onto like it’s muscle memory.

The best part, though, is the ending. No vocals, no extra verses. Just the sample and the beat locking into each other like a mean little tango. S**t is fire.

2. High Fives

“High Fives” is probably the most hyped track on this project. Drake leans into catchiness here, stretching his vocals out, repeating the words “hoe” and “p***y” a lot, and riding the bounce of the production with ease.

I can already see this going crazy at a girl’s birthday party where random dudes are creeping around the edges. The energy is undeniable; it just hits in that chaotic social setting.

My one issue with it is the length. There’s no real reason this needs to be 4:16.

1. WNBA

The best part about this project is the transition from “Rusty Intro” to “WNBA.” First off, “Rusty Intro” would’ve easily made my top 5 if it had just a bit more runtime. Secondly, there’s something about the taste it leaves behind that makes the slick energy of “WNBA” feel like the perfect chaser.

Beyond the transition, the synth work on both sides of “WNBA” stands out immediately. Additionally, Drake delivers his player talk with a level of focus that would make Will Smith nod in approval.

Lastly, I thought the way Drake threaded in Jersey Club elements alongside smoother, soulful vocal moments was handled really well. It creates this interesting shift in setting, like going from a quiet Uber ride to walking into an indoor pool party full of Tingz and black dudes who absolutely are not getting into the water.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. Rusty Intro (N/A)

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RGM GRADE

(63%)

So, HABIBTI is the soundtrack for women who swear they’re “so drunk” after two weak-ass club drinks. Cool, got it.

Look, if I end up being one of the few people willing to admit that $ome $exy $ongs 4 U wasn’t actually bad, I can live with that. As great a rapper as Drake is, his ear for R&B has always been elite, and that project showcased it well. The issue has never been Drake understanding vibes. It’s the execution.

HABIBTI absolutely nails the atmosphere. The production is slow-burning, R&B-heavy, and clearly designed for dim lighting, expensive perfume, and bedrooms turning into lava lamps. But performance-wise, Drake barely pushes himself here. Too many recycled melodies. Too many features that feel awkwardly jammed in. Too many lyrics that sound ripped from the same emotional word documents he’s been emailing us for years. And there were multiple moments where I caught myself thinking, “Yeah, I’m not trying to hear this s**t right now.”

Part of me genuinely thinks Drake was coasting through this album, possibly just trying to fulfill contract obligations and move on. Another part of me thinks this simply wasn’t made for nappy-headed negroes like myself, so maybe my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt so massive it would make Red Lobster shrimp taste flavorless.

Still, I can safely say I do not like this album. I’m not even sure I like a single song on it. Is that possible?

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