Drake’s ninth studio album Iceman arrives with the kind of scale only he could turn into a midnight release event. After months of cryptic livestreams, frozen Toronto installations, and online speculation, the 18-track project finally landed on May 15 alongside two surprise companion albums, instantly dominating streaming platforms and reigniting debate around Drake’s place in modern rap.
From the opening seconds of “Make Them Cry,” Drake sounds locked into confrontation mode. Heavy bass, skeletal drums, and icy synth textures frame some of his sharpest rapping since Her Loss. Unlike the more playlist-friendly direction of Certified Lover Boy or the genre-hopping experiments on Honestly, Nevermind, Iceman largely commits to rap-first storytelling.
“Ran to Atlanta” quickly emerges as one of the album’s undeniable standouts. Reuniting with Future always unlocks a different energy in Drake, and that chemistry still feels effortless 15 years after “Tony Montana.”
Elsewhere, the album finds surprising new textures. “Dust” and “Whisper My Name” push into lo-fi territory, layering distorted vocal effects, washed-out samples, and minimalist percussion into something more experimental than Drake typically attempts on his core solo albums.
Another highlight arrives with “2 Hard 4 The Radio,” where Drake fuses pounding rap production with club-ready rhythms. The beat constantly mutates, shifting from aggressive 808s into dance-inspired percussion patterns that recall fragments of Honestly, Nevermind without fully revisiting house music territory.
At 18 tracks, Iceman still occasionally drifts into familiar Drake habits. Certain songs stretch longer than necessary, and a few hooks prioritize atmosphere over memorability. Yet the album succeeds because it sounds committed to a singular mood rather than algorithmic versatility.
Scroll down to see InMusic’s full ranking of the best songs from Drake’s Iceman.
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