The world was waiting for one Drake album. Along came three.
The rapper’s dropped his anticipated solo record, Iceman, plus two more – Habibti and Maid of Honour – with 43 songs in total.
They include collaborations with artists including Central Cee, 21 Savage and PARTYNEXTDOOR.
They arethe first albums the Canadian has dropped since his beef with US rapper Kendrick Lamar escalated in 2024.
And, yes, he does bring it up on the new record.
So, is the “iceman” no longer “nice man”, as he raps?
Drake’s three new albums are a mixture of musical styles.
Iceman is more rap and hip-hop focused, Habibti leans more towards R&B, while Maid of Honour is dance music-inspired.
The big question about the heavily hyped new release was whether Drake would use his new music to reignite his bitter feud with Lamar.
He appears to take aim at his rival with some lyrics, accusing him of using his birthplace of Compton, Los Angeles as a backdrop for acts of charity, while escaping to a celebrity life elsewhere.
“Handin’ out turkeys on camera inside of your hood, then you go back to the hills,” he raps on one track.
And on Iceman album opener, Make Them Cry, it looks like Drake has given a glimpse into his feelings at the height of the rap beef.
“Tell us how it felt to meet the grim reaper / This album better have some big features / Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m all alone for my mental [health],” he raps.
Drake also appears to call out other rappers and stars who were seen to take Lamar’s side.
On one track, he appears to target LA Lakers basketballer LeBron James, who attended a Lamar gig when the beef was at its peak.
Most critics have yet to share reviews of Iceman and Drake’s two other new releases, but reports suggest that streaming services were hit with crashes and slowdowns as fans rushed to hear his new music.
When BBC Newsbeat speaks to music journalist and radio presenter Mary Mandefield about Drake’s new music, she’s still digesting the massive drop.
But she says there was never any doubt Drake would tackle the feud in some way.
“He’s a smart businessman, as well as a great musician,” she says.
“It would have been a massive miss to have three albums and not to mention Kendrick at all.”
Mandefield says fans have been waiting for Drake’s reaction to Lamar’s Not Like Us, the diss track he memorably performed at last year’s Superbowl half-time show.
While Lamar and Drake’s beef was rightly framed as a battle, both stars will have benefited, she says.
“It keeps people talking about it, it helps with streaming numbers,” she says.
“Externally it looks like beef, but on the whole, it helps both artists out.” (BBC News)
