So, I’m not really going out on a limb when I say for the “Rapper Drake Fan”, Views was extremely underwhelming. 20 total tracks and I think he rapped on 10 for sure but I don’t know for sure.
I will say for me it was some great hip-hop moments on there. The title track “Views” is hard! It’s the reason I say, if Drake does put out an album with nothing but raps on it, the entire game will stand still. “U With Me?” is dope as he revamps the classic X record “How’s It Going Down?” and I’m dying to know what X thinks about the remake. “Weston Road Flows” is again why I need at least a 10 song rap album from Drake.
I don’t know who okayed the Pimp C vocals, but he needed to be on a harder song than that. Respect to his estate, but Pimp wouldn’t be rapping on a song like “Faithful”, EVER. Unless it was about Faithfully breaking these heauxs!
When “Keep The Family Close” came on, I wasn’t mad at it. Because that hook applies to my real life in a way I thought Drake and I would never connect. That song stays! He could have bookend with that and Hotline Bling with all the rap songs and hip-hop would have been a little happier with the final result.
We know Drake sings. That’s never going to change. However, we all keep the same faith that Drake is going to set specifically hip-hop on it’s ear with 1 album and I think we all got to come to grips with the harsh reality that he will never do that. That’s why we can’t logically give him “hip-hop classic” status for this album or any other album. Also, it’s obvious Drake doesn’t care about having a classic hip-hop album. We care about that more than he does.
Drake is doing R&B, Dance and Calypso on half this album. He wants to be genre-less and that’s not a bad thing; it’s a rap fan disappointed thing. Drake could have released two albums “Views” and “From The 6” on two different Friday’s and I think reception would have been different. I would have preferred that so I don’t have to skip so many songs in the middle.
Drake has made the bigger and better rap songs when compared to Kendrick and Cole. However, their the ones making the rap albums. Wale and Big Sean don’t have the audience reach of the other 3. All the above is why you can logically say all of them are in a dead heat for the top rap spot. Drake is the biggest star, but now I want to know how far he plans to remove himself from hip-hop after hearing this album.
This hip-hop era needs a classic rap album from it’s biggest star to level out the game and inspire more classic rap albums. It’s a shame it hasn’t happened yet.
BehindTheRhyme.com 
I do think that this has a few classic rap albums in “Good Kid Maad City” and “To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick is changing Hip Hop, but the majority of listeners don’t want to break down lyrics. Cole is putting out good music as well. The easier the lyrics are to follow, the more people you reach. The newspaper is written on an 8th grade reading level for a reason. “Views” is more of an R&B album to me. Drake has a few nice rap songs on there, but the bars weren’t all that tough. Very uninspired to rap this go round, and that’s cool. I would have rather him put out two albums like you suggested. He’s clearly not making music for everyone, he making the music Drake wants to hear, and I can respect that. Depending on where you are in life, you’re just not going to relate. I may not relate, but I can appreciate what the man is doing musically. In an industry where creativity is concealed, he’s doing what he wants to.
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