Mainstream RnB juggernaut Drake comes back with the release of Scary Hours 2, a sequel to 2018’s Scary Hours, an EP that had one of Drake’s biggest hits to date, Gods Plan, and forecasted the direction he would be moving in on his Scorpion project later that year. Scary Hours 2 comes to us after the pushback of his much anticipated ‘Certified Lover Boy’ album, which was set for a January release but was postponed due to a leg injury. 

‘Scary hours 2’ is just 3 songs and 12 minutes in length, but it packs a punch. All-killer-no-filler is the game of this EP, starting with What’s Next, a straightforward bass-knocking banger with synths that feel super ‘Whole Lotta Red’ inspired. Drakes twist on this style is full of super catchy flows, an earworm hook, and a ton of quotes, everything that makes a Drake song great. 

The following Wants and Needs starts a kind of worrying, with Drake delivering super bland lyrics and flowing very awkwardly over a super spacey beat, but picks up shortly after the beat drop, with fun quotes and references to Kanye. The hook feels very ‘Nothing was the Same’ and is sweet while it’s on. The real stunner on this track, however, is Lil Baby. As someone who’s usually not a fan of Lil Baby’s music, his voice, tone, and tight-knit flows add to the hit-factor of this song. 

The final track, Lemon Pepper Freestyle features an intro from Rick Ross, whose husky voice and bouncy delivery add a lot to the gospel-infused beat. The following verse from Drake is impressive, with on-point storytelling and relatively interesting flows, with a sense of structure and build that I don’t often find in a Drake song. Despite this, the barebones instrumental and Drake’s monotone cadence get somewhat tiresome by the end of this 6-minute song, though it is really important to note that I was able to sit through a six-minute Drake song without being bored to tears. 

All in all, Scary Hours 2 is an impressive EP from Drake, and shows some serious improvements in songwriting and focus over both ‘Scorpion’ and ‘Views’. Drake is in rare form here, with some of his best hooks, beat choices, and rapping to date. Hopefully, Drake continues to show off his talents, and can deliver us a focused, no filler album with ‘Certified Lover Boy’.