Drake dares but doesn’t deliver in his latest 43-track triple-album release. Though ICEMAN remains a decent collection, HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR make this release an attempt to stream troll.
Drake is a great artist and an even better businessman. He’s played the game more meta than anyone else while proving that he still has the chops to do so. No matter which side of the Kendrick Lamar vs Drake beef you fall into, it is important to recognise what these artists have done for hip-hop in recent years. Though I’m reviewing an 18-track album called ICEMAN, a 3-album drop has taken place on the 15th of May, 2026. Along with HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR, Drake is either stream trolling us or showing us how versatile he is as an artist. It’s time to find out which.
The feud and famine
For those who don’t know, Kendrick and Drake have a history that goes back to the Buried Alive Interlude from Drake’s Take Care (2011). These two artists have enjoyed careers that are mutually exclusive of each other yet have crossed paths often. In 2013 Kendrick raps on Big Sean’s Control and seems to diss not just Drake but many other rappers as well. They have traded jabs throughout the years in multiple features. The only winner? The number of streams they are getting online.
ICEMAN’S first track is called Make Them Cry. Noah “40” Shabib has to be credited for the distinct sound of all three albums. Though Drake says 40 doesn’t care about his focus, it is evident he has built the foundation on which Drake’s verses stand. Using a soothing R&B background, Drake’s surgical verses get the push that they would deserve. He is being heard for the first time after the Not Like Us beef. It’s no surprise that it has already become the most streamed song in 24 hours in the world. Everyone wanted to know what he had to say. Within the first song, he’s said a lot.
The marketing stunt
From the perspective of a creative in marketing, I feel his campaign is one of the strongest in years. From using faux ice on his seat at the Toronto Raptors game at home to building a giant block of ice in the middle of the city, Drake definitely used his home advantage. There was a four-phase rollout designed for this album. From calling his critics and naysayers Pinocchios to leaning in on the ice theme for whatever releases had to come, Drake was prepared.
He created enough hype around the album through video, live activations, and hinting at this release for quite some time. Personally I felt that he has dealt with the sharpness of what ICEMAN has to offer with MAID OF HONOUR and HABIBTI. However, if you have to see this as a true music movement (which is what Drake wants you to see this as), it is important to realise that he has done more damage to his reputation than build on it.
A rapper that is hurting
He’s honest and meta for choosing to say he’s not just rapping but thinking of rebuttals. It’s this kind of hip-hop that made him popular in the first place. It’s what made Take Care an incredible album. He has already iced all his company out, and he knows that in this battle he is all alone. With zero chorus parts, all he uses this opening single for is counting, setting, and starting new scores. He wastes no time at all. In dust, he’s already calling out other rappers who have not given hits in years, not written verses, or had songs that have broken the mediocrity barrier.
Let’s go through this like a TV series. You are probably 3 songs into ICEMAN. Now we are going to visit HABIBTI. It’s honestly okay if you’re here to party; then Drake’s got the music for you. It becomes very evident very quickly that Drake has made sure HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR are made just to get out of his UMG contract. The sound is more like Noah Shabib’s work than Drake doing any of the heavy lifting on any of the songs. It is chock full of remixes and samples that create the so-called party vibe that Drake is going for. Though I started listening to this triple album release on Friday itself, I couldn’t wait to see what people were saying on social media.
ICEMAN keeps the roll steady
Including hardcore Drake fans, the audience seems to have realised that constant expectations have taken a toll on his writing. From predictable verse sections to relying on the beat overall, Drake has slowed his roll. By itself, ICEMAN is an above-average album and a good effort from this bestselling rapper. What he has ensured with this collection is buying himself a lot of media time and banter on social media. While Drake fans are expecting lethal bars and retorts to Kendrick’s previous statements, it is difficult not to assume that Drake leaned more into his party-vibe strengths than focused on writing hip-hop verses.
How far the feud extends
Drake comes from a very amazing legacy of musical artists, producers, drummers, and more. Rather than make music, he has got embroiled in not just a feud with another rapper, but also the streaming services on which he releases these albums. He has cut ties with long-time collaborators and called out LeBron (who seems to be having a tattoo of Drake on his arm) playing the game two-sided. Drake imagines himself as a field with multiple artists and forgets how talented he can be and make music that is true, vulnerable, and respectful of the origin and the state he has brought the art to. He has fans who want to appreciate him for his verse construction and his unique choice of phrases, and yet he falls short.
Three point-faded away
This review might seem harsh, as I can be viewed as a Kendrick fan. This isn’t exactly true. I really do respect what Drake has been able to do with his own style. We expect rap to be exuberant and self-effacing and depict pride. Here, however, whatever good songs Drake does have get muted due to the insufferable amount of loathing he has, not just for his enemies but for peers as well. All the mistakes he has made in the past are honest, and the ones his friends have made have made them enemies. All this artist needs to be doing is going back to the drawing board with what inspired him till his 2014 album and revisiting the spark he had.
I am not good with numbers, but this is a musician who’s outsold The Beatles and Michael Jackson. Kendrick Lamar and Drake will always be some of the biggest rappers the game has ever seen. Too bad that they are not like us:
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