Drake is on autopilot on the fiery ‘Two Birds, One Stone.’

As of late, Drake has proven himself to be incredibly prolific.  After dropping a two mixtapes in 2015 (If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive), he released a new album in 2016 (Views).  It also seems, he has another ‘project’ on his hands, More Life.  After releasing “Fake Love” and “Sneakin’” initially, Drake dropped another joint, “Two Birds, One Stone.” Arguably, “Two Birds, One Stone” is the crème de la crème of the bunch.

https://youtu.be/R4AnsSa-n3k

“Two Birds, One Stone” opens with an enigmatic sound from the jump.  The distortion and sample create an unsettling vibe. Who handles the production duties? Kanye West & Drake associate Noah “40” Shebib.  Add excellent drum programming to the mix.  This is a typical feature of Drake records. This record is reminiscent to “Tuscan Leather” – as far as sound and vibe – from the MC’s third album, Nothing Was the Same.

There is no hook – it’s all straight rhymes from Drake.  Furthermore, there is no pop-rap on this particular record. This is a clear departure from much of his work. He Name checks the album in the first verse, first line:

“More time with family and friends, more life / more time to get it right / it’s only me, but I’m seeing four shadows in the light / my demons visit me every night / to the Most High, I’m forever indebted…” 

He references “more life” a couple of different times throughout.  Later, he references God, his parents (Stacy and Dennis), Meagan Good, Pam Grier, El Chapo, Lil Wayne (The Carter V), Stacy Adams (shoes), and more.

Notable Lyrics

A number of notable lyrics appear throughout the course of “Two Birds, One Stone.” Early on, Drake calls out the haters, and calls for freeing Lil Wayne’s The Carter V:

“Two birds, one stone, my aim is amazin’ / I need to start losing my shit on you n*ggas that’s hatin’ / too reserved, like I called ahead for me and my lady / free C5, how the f*ck we got the boss waiting?”

Later, he brags about the “affluent” rappers, making a devastatingly brilliant reference to 2% milk.

“F*ck the rap game, it’s all lies and it’s all filthy / two percent of us rich and the rest of these n*gga all milk it / got two of my n*ggas off with a ‘not guilty’ / gave back to the city and never said it if I didn’t live it.”

Finally, he takes shots at Pusha T, making reference to faux drug-dealing and El Chapo.

“But really it’s you with all the drug dealer stories / that’s gotta stop though / you made a couple chops and now you think you Chapo / if you ask me though, you ain’t lining the trunk with kilos / you bagging weed watching Pacino with all your n*ggas / like ‘this what we need to be on,’ but you never went live…”

Simply put, Drake is on fire.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, it’s a treat to hear Drake dropping fire sans singing.  “Two Birds, One Stone” is well conceived, particularly making the decision to drop a hook-less rap. It is well-produced – not overdone nor under-done.

Drake • More Life • Cash Money • Release: TBD

Photo Credit: Cash Money