More Life, More Track References

Drake recently came out with a new playlist (yes, he's calling it a playlist) called More Life and it has, ironically, given me less of a life as it consumes my free time. However, after listening to album-wait, sorry, it's a playlist not an album-on repeat for the past week, I have had the chance to put together some thoughts. And, since not all of you might be in to that sort of thing, I figured I could compare some of these songs (just to clarify, are they still called songs if they are on a playlist?) to some track type things to help y'all truly understand my feelings. Comparing to tracks to track if you will (and I will ... right now).

Free Smoke
First time I heard this song, I was walking over to the basketball court by my house to shoot some hoops and man was I hyped. Almost as hype as when I listen to the song hype. Later on, I played one on one against a 10 year old kid. And I won. So yeah. So in that way it's kind of like the 4x8 at a traditional dual meet. Gets you hyped up from the jump for a great meet of running.

A couple quick questions about this song. First of all, do you think he actually bets $20,000 with Steph Curry and Kevin Durant for jump shots? Because that seems like a really easy way for Drake to lose a ton of money. Just google Drake+Kentucky+Air Ball. Second, how does the number he drunk texts J Lo with already bounce back? How many new phones with new numbers to famous people buy? How do they keep in touch with their friends? The old friends won't have the new number and we all know how Drake and co feel about new friends.

No Long Talk
This song made me hatch an interesting idea. So Drake is always ready to jump on the bandwagon of the hot new team (see "Free Smoke" and his references to the Warriors). He also calls himself a "sixer" in this song. So if the Sixers get good (sorry, I should say when the Sixers get good because, you know, Hinkie is a genius and all that good stuff) Drake is going to definitely make songs about us. And that gets me excited.

As for the song itself, it's pretty solid, but is kinda like another heat of the 4x8 after you just saw the fast heat run. Like it's still a pretty awesome race, but I'm not quite as hype anymore.

Passion Fruit
Excluding the weird cut in from the DJ, this song is totally my jam. Like I try not to exaggerate, but this may be the greatest song I've ever walked around New York City to. And that includes Empire State of Mind. Pay it no mind Hov.

This song is so smooth and so pleasant to the ear that it reminds of Matt Centrowitz just easily coasting along at 50 second pace for the last 400 meters of an Olympic Final. And much like Centrowitz, it's probably not the first song you would pick for a Gold Medal, but heck I'm completely OK with it getting one.

Jorja Interlude
This is what we call an Interlude. What's an Interlude? When I googled it looking for the correct definition, they put in a reference to theatre intermissions so it's clearly a word that the rappers of the world transformed for their own needs. Every time I think "Interlude" I just think of "Buried Alive" by Kendrick Lamar, AKA the greatest interlude I've ever heard, and how that was a song that didn't feature Drake at all but was on Drake's album.

This Interlude actually does feature Drake to be fair, but the value of this interlude is reminding us the importance of listening to this playlist in order. It flows so smoothly you can't even tell when it changes from one song to the next. So you need to listen to this playlist in order when you list. It's like if you are picking a meet order you run the mile before the 800. Never the other way around. Never. 

Get It Together
This song really grabbed my attenion. Not necessarily because of it's strength as a song, but more so because I thought I accidentally pulled down the edited version of the album. Then I remembered I just listened to Drake say a more offensive version of gardening tools and was like, nope, I think I'm good.

But what's cool about this song is the spotlight really gets stolen from Drizzy. Jorja Smith kills it out there. It's like when you are watching a slow section and they do awesome and then you are wondering, man can they hold on to win the whole meet? And the fast heat doesn't bring quite enough "A" game. Point Jorja.

Madiba Riddim
There's been a meme going around on Twitter that says something like "White Dudes googling Mabida Riddim after listening to More Life". Well I am that Meme. I've googled everything from Blem to Mabida Riddim to Philadelphia Love Run.

I may not understand what any of this means, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate the coolness of it and such. Much like field events or the short sprints.

Blem 

I'm still not 100% what Blem means, but I do know it sounds a lot like the noise I try to make when someone asks me a question right after a finish an 800. 

4422
Believe it or not, this song is not about someone running a 44.22 400 meters. Despite the fact that is a world class time that anyone would be glad to write a song about witnessing.

I came to this playlist looking for Drake, so as much as I appreciate and respect a 44.22 400 from Sampha (who is more of a Isaac Makwala type), I'd rather see the GOAT Wayde Van Niekerk. You know?

Gyalchester

Now we are back to getting fired up. That's kinda where I live. I'm a man who, contrary to looking at me or looking at my idea of "fun", likes to get hype. And nothing says "this song will get you ready for a 4 mile tempo run" than a hype man in the background saying random stuff/making random noises.

If I'm comparing this to a track related thing ... I don't really know what to tell you. But I will say, Drake says "Wait for the Kicker" in this song, which I can only assume is a reference to Robby Andrews. He probably thinks we shouldn't take a nap on Robby this spring for the World Championships.

Also for the next six minutes I will be trying to memorize the line "I know I said top five, but I'm top two And I'm not two and I got one, Thought you had one, but it's not one." So please don't ask me to do any math or other number related things.

Skepta Interlude

This is another Interlude. There's a lot of songs on this playlist. Just like I can't touch on every event from every event ...

Portland
People say Drake isn't relatable, but, I mean, what's more relatable than a 5s with a cracked screen? Great question. Answer is nothing.

I'm a fan of the first verse from this song when Drake gets after it, but I feel like after that the rabbit drops out and the race falls off record pace and then I'm just mentally moving on to the next time somebody gets out hard.

In other news, "Michael Jordan with the Tennis Shoes" needs to be explained to me. To be fair, I also didn't understand "The Ceiling is the Roof" so I mean I just may not be smart enough.

Sacrifices
This is the song where everyone says "like" a lot. It's sorta like the popular girls in your 4th period English Class.

To be honest, there's one line in this song which pretty much sets the tone for how I will live my life the rest of time: "It's a marathon not a sprint, but I still gotta win the race." Just imagine someone saying that to you just like out there in normal life. I would have like fallen to the ground with pure impressed-ness.

This song reminds me of a workout with 3 sets of 300s. The first set is like Drake's verse and it's not too bad, you're feeling pretty good with smooth form. Then slowly things starting getting harder and harder and your brain gets more scrambled and more confused, making things harder to understand as you go.

Which reminds me, 2 Chainz is still a thing? Is it still cool to like him ironically even after all these years or do people, like, legitimately find his rapping enjoyable?

Nothings into Somethings
I think this song proves that Drake and I are really good friends. You may not have realized it, but the person who he is upset about not telling him they got engaged is me. He's upset I didn't wait on him. But it's OK, he will get an invitation since he wants one so bad.

I feel like there's something I'm forgetting to do here ...

Teenage Fever
I know this is a Drake song, but this song just makes me want to listen to old J Lo songs. Dude, I'm not ashamed to admit that J Lo has some hits. Love Don't Cost a Thing? That's a motto I can live by and it doesn't even from Drake's song "The Motto" ironically. So basically, this song is like when you do strides after an easy day. It's like, yeah, I understand their value and all that stuff, but it just makes me want to race a 4x4.

KMT
Holy crap things just got turned the eff up. We have a smooth song and everything is going all chill and then we switch over to KMT. It's like going from the 3200 to the 4x4. It's like doing a hill workout and then jogging back to school, thinking you are just doing a cool down and then coach says "OK, now we are doing a 2400 all out."

Also can I just point out that Giggs is a scary dude. Like that's what really turns up the intensity of this song even more. Like he just kinda seems creepy. Like I've had nightmares about that man. Like one second Drake has this nice little ode to J Lo and the next second this guy is all up in my ear drums talking about Christmas gifts and such.

Lose You
The most important thing you need to know about this song is that Lebron tweeted the chorus back in January. That just goes to show you that Lebron is one heck of a powerful man.

Lines you need to know: "How you forget to fill up with gas on the road to riches?" and "But you're mindful of it all when your mind full of it all"

Goodness. I know Drake isn't quite the empirical lyrical genius of, say, Marshall, but he has some artfully delivered, thought provoking word bombs. It's like watching the throwers 4x1 in a way. You forget that these boys can do more than just throw a ball. 

Can't Have Everything
What does Drake have against Sheraton? I thought the Sheraton was a pretty solid hotel. It just seems unfair is all.

If we ignore the cheesesteak diss (dang it, Meek, why did this have to happen to our city), then we can agree that this is a solid song with some nice casual flow. It's pretty much like a Sunday Long Run where you just go out, get in a nice rhythm and bang out 12 miles. Then maybe you stop at the official bank of Drake: Bank of America.

Glow 

Ye is in the building! This one blindsided me. It's like when you are preparing to watch a relay and think the school is throwing out a B squad and then all of a sudden, Cheserek is on the anchor. And then you just have to start singing about how you feel like you are glowing.

Since Way Back
40 is the Greg Popovitch of the music industry. He just knows how to use the pieces he's been given and turn them into money. Like you can't do much wrong as long as you have 40 working. Sure Greg had Tim Duncan for a while and that certainly helps, but I think we can all agree this extends beyond Timmy Drake. Sure it's not a running reference, but insert some other track coach and it works just fine.

Also, back to back duets? Drake is nothing if not innovative.

Fake Love

Fake Love has already made it into The Running Diaries. I think it's clear how I feel about it.

Ice Melts
We are getting to the end of the playlist and, after listening for hours on end, it was tough to really formulate an intelligent opinion about this bad boy. It's kind of like the mid season slog when you just start to get tired and practice is just a typical, average distance run. Then you go home and your parents are like, "Hey, how was practice?" and you say, "Fine" and they say, "That's it?" And you're like, "Look Young Thug just doesn't inspire a lot of emotion in me OK?" and they are like, "Oh-well-", and you say, "Drake is from Canada dang it! When did he become Jamaican? And when will he go back to Houston Drake? I like Houston Drake!"

Do Not Disturb

This song wasn't too notable other than the fact that Drake claims he is taking the summer off and we won't see him until 2018. What?! That's like a runner pulling out of an entire track season just because it's not a championship year! C'mon man! We can't afford to have a lame US Championships!

Will I be lost without Drake? Of course. But can the guy who puts out songs every like 2 weeks really go 9 months without a single interjection? Wait, you think he could? Well how do we stop him? Guys? This is a serious problem! Guys?