NPR

Drake Is Too Big To Fail. He Should Risk It All On 'Scorpion' Anyway

If Drake truly wants to take his career to the next level, he might try something unprecedented: conceding defeat.
As hip-hop has become the most listened-to genre, Drake is perhaps its last true crossover artist: at home in pop and rap, radio and streaming. He will release his latest album, <em>Scorpion</em>, on June 29.

It's a gray, overcast day and Drake seems lost in thought. The Toronto native haunts the grounds of an unknown waterfront estate in a pensive mood. Not yet ready to cede his spot on the throne, he rises from his resting place and pilots his Cadillac SUV to another undisclosed location, this one a recording studio. There, with nothing but the red glow from neon bulbs lighting his way, he stands alone before a microphone.

From , whose can also be heard in the 2018 sci-fi thriller , it's clear that hip-hop's golden boy has entered the darkest period of his career. Drake has spent years on top, amassing massive hits and setting unprecedented streaming records. Past challenges to his legitimacy have left him virtually unscathed, but this year is different: The rollout for his latest LP was hijacked in May

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