Maps of Music

Scorpion (2018)

Where the lyrics of Scorpion take you, and where it was really made.

Drake's first double album was confirmed only two days before release, after a promotional billboard had hinted at the format.

Key places

NightBird, West Hollywood (2018)

Recording site NightBird (West Hollywood) — NightBird in West Hollywood is listed among the recording sites for Scorpion. The point uses city-center coordinates, so the exact building is not fixed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

S.O.T.A., Toronto (2018)

Recording site Phase One Audio Group — S.O.T.A. in Toronto is listed among the recording sites for Scorpion. The point uses city-center coordinates, so the exact building is not fixed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Studio 5020, Miami (2018)

Recording site The Hit Factory Criteria — Studio 5020 in Miami is listed among the recording sites for Scorpion. The point uses city-center coordinates, so the exact building is not fixed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Scorpion: fifth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake
• Released June 29, 2018 by Cash Money Records, Republic Records and Young Money Entertainment
• Double album of 25 tracks
• The first disc is primarily hip hop; the second disc has been described as R&B and pop
• Executive produced by Drake, frequent collaborator 40 and manager Oliver El-Khatib
• Guest appearances by Jay-Z and Ty Dolla Sign
• Posthumous appearances by Michael Jackson and Static Major

Background

• Drake announced the album on Instagram on April 16, 2018, and revealed the release date on June 14
• Confirmed as a double album two days before release, his first double album
• A promotional billboard had alluded to the format before the confirmation
• The rap side and the R&B side match the two genres Drake focuses on
• Before release, Drake entered a rivalry with rapper Pusha T
• After Pusha T released Daytona, Drake answered with the diss track Duppy Freestyle in May 2018
• Pusha T then released The Story of Adidon, alleging that Drake had a secret child
• Drake later admitted to having a son with French performer Sophie Brussaux
• Critics saw the album title Scorpion as a response to Drake's critics

Recording

• Recording-related sites listed in the source: NightBird (West Hollywood), S.O.T.A. (Toronto) and Studio 5020 (Miami)
• Production draws on twisted soul samples, ambient, quiet storm, R&B, pop, electronica and trap
• Lyrics return to themes common in Drake's catalogue: fame-related claustrophobia, relationship complications and his rise from underdog

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Disc 1

Disc 2

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Aubrey Drake Graham, born October 24, 1986 in Toronto, Ontario, is a Canadian rapper, singer and actor.
• Gained recognition as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008).
• Independently released mixtapes Room for Improvement (2006), Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009.
• Debut album Thank Me Later (2010) debuted atop the Billboard 200; followed by Take Care (2011), Nothing Was the Same (2013), Views (2016), Scorpion (2018), Certified Lover Boy (2021) and Iceman (2026).
• Views led the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks; "One Dance" became the first song to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify.
• Among the world's best-selling artists with over 170 million units sold; the highest-certified digital singles artist in the United States.
• Accolades include 5 Grammy Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 41 Billboard Music Awards, 2 Brit Awards and 3 Juno Awards.
• Founded OVO Sound, DreamCrew and the fragrance house Better World; became global ambassador of the Toronto Raptors in 2013.
• Known for feuds with Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar; the 2024 feud with Lamar is reported to have damaged his public image.

Reception

At release

• Received lukewarm reviews from critics, with praise for the quality of its tracks and criticism of its overall length
• Metacritic: average score 67 from 26 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews
• AnyDecentMusic?: 6.1 out of 10 based on critical consensus
• The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick: first side a sharply focused hip-hop album, second side a sensitive R&B side
• The Guardian's Alexis Petridis: frequently fantastic, but not quite enough strong material to support the running time
• Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood: beautifully rendered despite tiresome megalomania
• Now's Nick Flanagan: sides mostly introspective threats and neurotic boasting, well within his pocket
• The Independent's Roisin O'Connor: oddly erratic and ultimately messy
• Time's Andy Hutchins: mixed review, the split into Sides A and B yields two uneven suites of songs
• NME's Luke Morgan Britton: noted a lack of quality control and felt 25 tracks were unnecessary
• Pitchfork's Jamieson Cox: described it as a fascinating, flawed album
• The Hollywood Reporter's Jonny Coleman: negative review, praised the production from 32 producers
• The Washington Post's Chris Richards: called the album soggy
• AllMusic's Tim Sendra: a one-trick record stretched across 25 tracks
• The Irish Times' Dean Van Nguyen: described it as a painfully dull barrage of lifeless tunes

Records

• US Billboard 200 debut at number one with 732,000 album-equivalent units, including 160,000 pure album sales
• Biggest first week of the year at the time; eighth consecutive number-one entry for Drake
• US streaming record of 745.92 million streams in the first week
• Spotify one-day global album streams record of 132.45 million on the first day
• Apple Music single-day record of 170 million streams, breaking Drake's own More Life record
• UK Albums Chart debut at number one with 64,000 units, Drake's second UK number one
• Canada: 70,000 units in the opening week, Drake's eighth number one there
• Certified five times platinum by the RIAA as of January 2019
• Five Grammy nominations at the 2019 Grammys, including Album of the Year; God's Plan won Best Rap Song
• Second Top Billboard 200 Album award for Drake at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• On the first day of release, Scorpion broke Spotify's one-day global album streams record with 132.45 million streams.
• A series of billboards promoting the album surfaced in Toronto on June 22, and a trailer was released on June 26.
• Drake announced the album on Instagram on April 16, 2018, and revealed its release date on June 14.
• Two days before release, Scorpion was confirmed to be a double album after a promotional billboard alluded to the format.
• Spotify promotion drew some subscriber complaints, as Drake appeared in most of the service's editorial playlists.
• Drake's Pusha T rivalry began with the Duppy Freestyle diss track, answered by The Story of Adidon, which alleged a secret child.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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