{shortcode-5c329929fb9e258f1dde0fea6652d63c177f3216}

For the first time in six months, Champagne Papi is back with “Scary Hours 2.” The sequel to his 2018 EP “Scary Hours,” this album offers a sneak peek into the rapper’s life during his brief hiatus, and more importantly, a preview of what’s in store for Drake as an artist.

Ending a long streak of dropping chart-topping singles, this EP consists of three distinct yet coherent songs: “What’s Next,” “Wants and Needs” featuring Lil Baby, and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” featuring Rick Ross. In between the complex beats and various flows, the bar-heavy verses dominate. Repetitive loop tracks and consistent 808s fade into the background, and the spotlight falls on Drake. There is nothing particularly outstanding about Drizzy as a rapper — his sound isn’t very defined or particularly unique — yet there is something intriguingly recognizable about the infamous way in which he switches his flows. In “Wants and Needs,” for example, Drake wastes no time on tags and goes right into the quick-paced first verse that’s intentionally off-beat, creating a dissonance like he’s purposely neglecting the background music to prioritize his rapping. In that same song, however, the chorus regresses into a slow and mellow tempo — the complete opposite of the spitfire opening lines. That fusion between the early Drake who would sing on his tracks and the new Drake who dives straight into the verse cements his status as an unmatched stylistic chameleon.

Across all three tracks, three main themes are at play: fame, family, and love.

“What’s Next” brings listeners up to speed on what the rapper has been up to. “They wanna know how I’ve been livin’ my day-to-day life,” muses Drake, mocking the ruthless press who “want [his] life exposеd”. At first, he seems to be doing just that, as he fills us in on all the resting, stretching, and sexing he did in the past year. Except that Drake doesn't actually reveal anything, rerunning the ambiguous “we'll see what's 'bout to happen next.” The rapper sums up his frustration in the chorus; “Man, how many times have I shown improvement?” he questions, discontent with the way his fame has outgrown the talent that should be the topic of conversation instead.

Drake keeps things vague to preserve the anonymity he craves, choosing to focus instead on other aspects of his extraordinary lifestyle he’s willing to share.

He lets the audience know that “a boss is a role that [he’s] grown into,” and that’s just “how life goes” in “What’s Next,” and that theme is carried through to “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.” “Godfather with a garden full of snakes,” raps Rick Ross, referencing the celebrated yet burdened life of the great Tupac in his line, “Makaveli, it’s All Eyez on Me.” Drake echoes that twofoldness of being one of the greats in the second verse: “How I'm so famous, gotta live where they hide the hills?” This sentiment parallels the infamy of “walkin’ around the Six like I invented it,” off the “Scary Hours” single “Diplomatic Immunity,” while also adding the more recently discovered caveat of the constant fear and betrayal that goes along with that feat.

Drake steadfastly barrels through the ins-and-outs of being at the top of his game, unsympathetic of his audience who probably won’t relate with the pressure that stems from being an international mogul, nor the sense of luxury that comes from “dockin' jet skis in the Florida Keys” with Weezy. Ironically enough, those extravagant details that he wishes to hide from the public are what end up capturing the listener’s attention the most. The serene melody sampled in the back, however, gives the track a romantic tint, easing the audience through these more abstract concepts.

While “airin’ my dirty laundry” might have been the topic of “Scary Hours,” “Scary Hours 2” sees Drake maturing into a better friend, father, and artist.

“Wants and Needs” shows Drake growing emotionally. It’s not that he’s abandoned his bachelor lifestyle, but that he is more self-aware about love being a want rather than a need. Although, like Lil Baby raps about in his verse, “YOLO” is still very much the motto; the lifestyle is not everything to Drizzy anymore. In place of that careless youthful ambition, thoughts like “Sins… M’s… Friends… Love” are more pressing on Drake’s mind as he reflects on how his achievements “look bigger through my son's eyes.” There is a subtle lyricality to the chorus which sounds reminiscent of early Drake albums like “Nothing Was the Same,” which may be intentional considering the fact that he directly calls out the current rap scene for sounding “like some mothafuckin' fire drills.”

In anticipation of his next album, “Certified Lover Boy,” “Scary Hours 2” attempts (somewhat successfully) to redirect the public’s attention from the minutiae of Champagne Papi’s mogul lifestyle to the more prominent values the rapper has set his sights on. In this transition, the audience can witness Drake grow and mature into that stronger and more self-aware artist who plans to return to the spotlight in the foreseeable future.

— Staff writer Alisa S. Regassa can be reached at alisa.regassa@thecrimson.com.