Drake Ushers in ‘For All The Dogs’ with “8AM in Charlotte”

October 5, 2023 12:46 pm

We are now less than 12 hours away from the release of Drake‘s eighth solo album For All The Dogs, set to arrive at midnight ET on Friday (October 6). Although he had already put out the LP’s lead single “Slime You Out” on September 15, featuring SZA, the Toronto MC decided early this morning that his fans needed one more warm-up before the full project hits digital streaming platforms.

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Around 3 a.m. ET on Thursday (October 5), Drake released a new song and video titled “8AM in Charlotte” exclusively on Instagram. Lasting nearly six minutes, the track features production from Conductor Williams, a previously underground instrumentalist famed for his boom-bap sound and soul sample beats, evident on songs like “SIR BAUDELAIRE” by Tyler, The Creator (2021) as well as many of the hits from the catalog of Westside Gunn, a Buffalo, New York rapper who has been featured on recent albums by Kanye West and Travis Scott.

Much like the rest of Conductor Williams’ sonic contributions, “8AM in Charlotte” includes crisp piano-backed production, aided by heavenly looping harmonies. All throughout the For All The Dogs teaser, Drake throws in several interesting tidbits regarding his life in 2023, as well as the album’s conception.

The video starts off with the singer-rapper’s 5-year-old son Adonis Graham (who turns 6 next week) sitting at a table holding a crayon-marked sheet of printer paper. What makes this paper special, though, is that it includes the youthful dog animation from Adonis that Drake made for his impending LP. When speaking to his son about his doodles, Drake discovers that his son drew his “daddy” as a goat (G.O.A.T.), a common acronym used in hip-hop culture that refers to “greatest of all time.”

Bouncing off of this, Drake transitions into his eloquent, intensely determined raps, where he’s joined by Adonis and many of his other friends donning shirts that read “Hate Survivor.” Throughout his several verses, the now-36-year-old lyricist rhymes about tough conversations he has as a result of his cutthroat lifestyle, as well as making vibrant allusions to Lauryn Hill, Jordan Peele, Shania Twain, Orson Welles, and more.

I’m used to seein’ tears drop over enormous meals
The restaurant clears out faint echoes of Lauryn Hill
I say, “We gotta talk about us,” I feel like Jordan Peele
Could tell I’m gettin’ under your skin like a orange peel
‘Cause your words don’t match your actions like a foreign film
And now it’s silence in the Lamb’ like the horror film

Currently, as the album’s track list has yet to be revealed, it is unclear if “8AM in Charlotte” will land on the LP. However, on many of his previous albums, he’s included a litany of different time stamp-themed tracks. These include “6PM in New York” from If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015), “7am on Bridle Path” from Certified Lover Boy (2021) and, most recently, “3AM on Glenwood” with 21 Savage on Her Loss.

So, while we’ll have to wait to see what’s officially in store for the For All The Dogs track list, at least we can be sure that Drake is getting back to the basics with his newest work, whether that be precise raps or using familiar song titles.

Check out “8AM in Charlotte” below.