Be Henney – Views from the Lemonade

There are giants among us; gladiators if you will, fighting to the death in the ring of pop culture and we are so fortunate to be able to witness this in real time.

Of course I’m speaking of the Canadian sensation and the newly crowned King of the lightskindids (read it how I typed it…stop being booshie) Drake, and the Queen B herself, Beyonce. Unless you’ve been living under a deeply submerged rock that doesn’t have wifi access, you’re well aware that both of these heavyweights have dropped albums in the last week or so and have been locked in dead heat to see who will come out on top. Spoiler alert, Drake came out on top. Well, that’s the end of that. Thanks for coming out, God bless and goodnight.

Did I lose any of you there? No? Good. Let’s continue, shall we. So, if you’re going simply by the numbers, it would seem that Drake has the better album. Not to take away from Beyonce, but Drake is quite the artist. With his melodic flows, quick witted metaphors, smooth yet hard hitting beats (oxy-moron, I know), and the ability to paint a story with words better than most other artist…people alive, he’s a formidable opponent on anyone’s stage. Let’s not forget, Drake also an appeal to both men and women. The way he decimates other rappers at will, over 40’s beats, is something that’s easy to bump in any system, whether it’s a suburban with 15’s in the back or your grandmother’s old Tercel with the brown cloth interior. And his sensitive side appeals to the ladies. We’ve all seen the hilarious memes. Given all that, it seems that this would’ve been no contest. But there’s a twist. I love hearing about ex’s from Texas as much as the next guy, but at some point, I want an album full of the old Drake (for the record, I honestly don’t remember the “old” Drake or what that even references because he’s been saying that since his 1st mixtape; but whatever THAT Drake was seems like it’ll work). This album was his “808’s and Heartbreaks” album. Artistically, it’s a stretch from the norm and I’m sure it’s what he wanted to do creatively. However, he took a risk on this one and with me, it didn’t pay off. First, he’s only got a few songs where he’s not singing the ENTIRE time. Nine (9), which is explained to be simply an upside down 6, gets me hooked with the beat, but the delivery is lackluster. He has a few punchlines, but nothing spectacular. Still Here, Grammy’s, and Pop Style are all notable tracks, and that’s about the gist of it. The remade verse for Pop Style makes the album, so that’s promising. It’s not purchase an entire album promising but it’s this is much better than I thought it would be promising. And quite honestly, it’s nothing more than a big tease. The rest of the album is Drake singing…and I use that term loosely.

Beyonce, on the other hand, is a singer (please don’t email me about how great a woman she is and how she’s more than a singer and she gives you life, etc…I get it…really I do). I expect her to sing on her album and she does. And not just that, but this album is, honestly, a much richer and in depth look at real life than Drake’s. If you don’t already know, Lemonade gives you a look at the woman’s perspective of infidelity through the eyes of Beyonce. It gives you the anger, the denial, the hurt, the misunderstanding; it gives you an adult look at the entire perspective. (disclaimer: fellas, if you’ve recently “stepped out” on your lady, you may feel some kind of way after listening to this album. you’ve been warned). “The feels” aside, Lemonade legitimately goes HARD. With producers such as The Weekend, The Dream, Kendrick Lamar, Soulja Boy (don’t act like you didn’t crank), and many more notables, it’s easy to see why this album’s beats keep you hooked. Hold Up, 6 Inch, Love Drought, All Night, and the list goes on. You can really play the entire album without skipping through any of it. Not for nothing, but Lemonade is such a masterpiece that Solange dressed up as “lemonade” for the Met Gala, in honor of her sister. I mean, she looked more like “granny’s peach tea” (google it), but hey, she gets an A for effort. Her heart was in the right place.  

I should say that I don’t dislike Drake’s album. It’s not a bad album by any stretch. I was just slightly disappointed. Once I listened to Beyonce’s  album, however, my pick was made. That said, I’m just some guy behind a computer banging on some keys. You might disagree. Both albums are up on wdkx.com right now, so you can check them both out and decide for yourself. Then, after you hear them, you’ll agree or you’ll be wrong. Your call. 

Written by Be Henney