*By Max Godnick* Music's streaming era has generated more than a few [apocalyptic headlines] (https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2018/03/10/album-dead/) about the death of the traditional album. Apparently Drake isn't reading them. The rapper dropped "Scorpion," a 25-song double album, late Thursday night in a move that aims to prove it's possible to balance both quality and quantity. The nearly 90-minute supersized collection is a rarity in today's music landscape, but it's standard practice for the artist born Aubrey Graham. "Drake has put out basically 25 songs almost every year of his career," said Insanul Ahmed, the executive editor of the digital platform Genius, best known for its annotated lyric explanations, in an interview with Cheddar on Friday. In 2012, Drake released the 18-track "Take Care," which he quickly followed with three more bonus songs, and then another three guest-feature singles in that same year. While "Scorpion" is his fifth full-length album, the artist's discography is packed with ancillary mixtapes, playlists, and EP's. "That's what Drake is, he just loves to make music," said Ahmed. It's been a mixed year for the Canadian superstar. He found himself at the wrong end of Pusha-T's ["The Story of Adidon,"] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmwOMtkDxtk) a brutal diss track that claimed Drake is "Hiding a child." While Drake does not directly reference the attacks on his new album, he [seems to confirm](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-kid-is-mine-drake-confirms-child-rumors-on-new-album) that he does indeed have a son in the lyrics of the song, ["March 14."] (https://genius.com/Drake-march-14-lyrics) Personal issues aside, 2018 is one of Drake's most commercially successful years yet. He sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 15 consecutive weeks, the fifth longest streak in the publication's history. Now, "Scorpion" will be one of the first albums to test the magazine's [new ranking system] (https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8427967/billboard-changes-streaming-weighting-hot-100-billboard-200) which places additional weight on paid-subscription streams in favor of free ones. If anyone can evolve with the times, though, Ahmed argues it's the man behind "Scorpion." "Drake is too big to fail," he said. For the full segment, [click here.]( https://cheddar.com/videos/drake-drops-25-song-album-scorpion)

Share:
More In Culture
On the Scene: Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous attractions in New York City but there's a lot more to this landmark than one may think. Rafael Abreu, vice president of marketing with Statue City Cruises, spoke with Cheddar News to discuss the park's operations and Park Ranger Laurel Brierly also joined from inside the statue's famed crown to talk about visiting the landmark.
An Inside Look at DIBS Beauty With Co-Founder Jeff Lee
Jeff Lee, CEO and co-founder of the DIBS Beauty brand, which is a finalist in the CEW Beauty Awards' make-up tools category, spoke with Cheddar News to discuss his background, career, and success in fashion -- and eventually working with baseball great Alex Rodriguez and influencer Courtney Shields -- after a career as a corporate lawyer.
Load More