Do not be scared, for Drake is back in “Scary Hours 2.” Rap’s most iconic artist hinted at new music on his Instagram, and a day later, on March 5, 2021, he released a three-song sequel to one of his most famous albums, “Scary Hours.” The original album included the 11-time platinum song, “God’s Plan,” which won Drake his fourth Grammy. He called his new sequel “Scary Hours 2.” Drake’s release consisted of three songs called “What’s Next,” “Wants and Needs” and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.”

The first song of the bunch was a bit of a disappointment. Everybody expected “What’s Next” to be a hit, but it was outshined by the other two songs. The muffled and fuzzy beat really does not match Drake’s usual style. It sounded like a cut song from Playboi Carti’s recent album, “Whole lot of Red,” but with Drake’s voice on it. It also used the word “ok” too often, and talked way too much about his Virgil Abloh watch.

By far the most Drake-sounding song was “Wants and Needs.” Its beat was instrumental and melodic, but still had a loud bass that contrasted really well. Drake laid lots of smooth and laidback verses that are similar to his older music. This track had a feature with Lil Baby, and there was an instant increase in the hype when he started rapping. His verses had fast and intricate flows with cool word choice. This was a real classic.

“Come with a classic, they come around years later and say it’s a sleeper,”

The last song of the three was “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.” To start the song, Drake used sample audio of Rick Ross, which is actually an entire verse. After the sample, Drake comes in with more meaningful verses. This was a nice change from the usual bragging and boasting. His lyrics were about his personal success and he refers a lot to his roots. This was a good song to put at the end of the three because it leaves the listener in a positive mood.

Overall, the new music was intriguing. All three songs had different vibes and flows. “What’s Next” had an upbeat flow, “Wants and Needs” had a melodic vibe and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” had a sentimental and motivational style. Drake is an icon, and it is always good to hear new music from him. Although they weren’t his best songs, they are still really good. If I had to give it a number score, I would give it a six out of 10.