When people argue about who the best rapper-duo is whenever they make a song together, the answer is commonly Drake and 21 Savage. The two have combined for numerous hits, and many have said that they “simply don’t miss” when they rap together. When the two officially announced their collaboration on Her Loss, the rap world went crazy, and it quickly became one of the most hyped-up and awaited albums of the year.
The announcement of the album was surprising, as one week before the album’s original release date, the rappers released the music video for “Jimmy Cooks,” a hit song they made together that was on Drake’s most recent solo album, Honestly, Nevermind, a project he released this June. The video had the two rapping in front of a screen, and midway through the video, the screen displayed a picture reading: “Her Loss, Album by Drake and 21 Savage, October 28, 2022.”
The news spread quickly throughout the world. However, when a producer of the album caught COVID, the release date was delayed by a week to November 4. The highly-anticipated album seemed certain to draw in so many listeners that another popular artist, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, postponed his album, which he intended to release on the same date.
The album itself consists of 16 songs, of which four are Drake solo songs and one is a 21 Savage solo song. The album only had one feature, coming from Travis Scott. While many songs feel Drake-dominated, 21 does shine through at some point in every track. 21 is known for his features on others’ songs, and he summoned the same energy he’s had in other features.
In my opinion, the album is a masterpiece and lived up to the hype. Given that these are two of my favorite artists, my reaction will hardly surprise the reader. But truthfully, there isn’t a song that’s a “skip” (a song that you don’t like from the start, so you skip it during the first listen), and every song has good moments, lyrics, beats, and the whole project really reels the listener in. I think that the album will end up being a classic, as both artists are timeless and incredibly popular.
My favorite song was “Circo Loco,” the eighth track. The flow stands out on it because it’s more of an upbeat and fast song than most others on the album. The beat and production are also incredible, sampling Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
“some of the best Drake and 21 yet”
Gabe Tanen (‘25) was also super excited for the album. “To keep it realistic,” he said, he was expecting “some of the best Drake and 21 yet,” before the album was even released. Now, he feels that “the album definitely lived up to the expectations. It was a different type of rap-style 21, different from his old era of trap music, which surprised me but didn’t disappoint.” He went on to say, “I really like ‘On BS.’ I’m a fan of the beat, and it was the closest we got to the ‘trap-era’ 21, which is my favorite style of his music, but I definitely also like the new stuff from him.”
"It was far from perfect and definitely not as good as many are saying. It has some good songs, but nothing that stands out too much"
Bennett O’Reilly (‘25) expressed a different perspective. He said that he liked the album overall, but also stated that “it was far from perfect and definitely not as good as many are saying. It has some good songs, but nothing that stands out too much. Also, many of the songs sound too similar to each other.” Bennett also had lower expectations for the album, as he thought that Drake’s last two projects, Honestly, Nevermind and Certified Lover Boy were underwhelming. “The album is by no means a bust,” he said, “but people are acting like it’s the best thing ever, when in reality, it isn’t.”
Whatever one’s personal opinion of the album is, Drake and 21 Savage have undeniably solidified themselves as one of the top duos that rap has ever seen. On top of the countless hits, they now have an album, which might dominate the charts for weeks, and maybe even years to come. While the album has all the potential to become a modern classic, only time will tell what its legacy will be.