Fans cried, recorded, shouted and danced the night away at rapper and musician Drake’s “It’s All A Blur” tour this past June through October. 

Drake made a fulfilling and long awaited comeback after the announcement of his first tour in five years with rapper 21Savage in April 2023. All 81 shows sold out. 

As a huge fan myself, I made sure to purchase my ticket to see him live at The Forum located in Inglewood, CA on Aug. 16. 

To call this a fun night would be an understatement. From the moment Drake stepped on stage to the moment the curtain closed, the arena was packed with super-fans ready to shout every word to his songs. 

Whenever Drake was on stage, he gave it his all; from giving inspirational speeches throughout the show to giving out a free Birkan bag to a girl in the crowd, Drake showed off his magnetic stage presence and ability to rev up his fans.  

He opened with a hologram of his younger self on a couch and took the audience on a journey from his early songs to his latest hits. Drake teamed up with rapper 21Savage for several songs, to the point where the concert became a duo. This was my first time seeing Drake live, and after this show I know it will not be the last.

Knowing how unstoppable Drake is, a lot of fans found themselves questioning if the “It’s All A Blur” tour was the only thing Drake was going to surprise audiences with. Their predictions turned out to be correct, because Drake, during one of his Vegas shows, announced he was going to release an album titled “For All The Dogs” on Oct. 6. 

His eighth studio album, “For All The Dogs” serves as his first solo album since 2022, which contains 23 tracks. It was also released as a deluxe version, “For All The Dogs Scary Hours.”

“For All The Dogs” has incredible, yet surprising, tones. On this album, artists like Bad Bunny, SZA, J. Cole, Snoop Dogg and Frank Ocean all make an appearance.

During my first time listening to the album, I thought it was a bit long and believed some songs weren’t necessary to tell the story of the album.

After listening and analyzing the album several times, however, my attitude towards it shifted.

I appreciated the dynamic between some of the features that you wouldn’t expect to be on the album, such as a recording by Frank Ocean that was sampled throughout the opening track. Meanwhile, “Gently” featuring Bad Bunny starts off very relaxed with Drake singing in Spanish, and eventually shifts to a Caribbean beat drop where Bad Bunny comes in. The song not only shined on its own, but also provided the contrast the album needed.

While I highly enjoyed the album as a whole, my top five songs were “Virginia Beach,” “You Broke My Heart,” “Polar Opposites,” “8am in Charlotte” and a ‘90s inspired track “Rich Baby Daddy” (feat. Sexyy Red & SZA). 

Drake has always been a loyal artist to his fans, willing and ready to bless them by releasing albums every one to two years. “For All The Dogs” was not only a really enjoyable album, but a long awaited one as well. It didn’t disappoint.

Getting to experience Drake live on tour for the first time in years was such a magical and unforgettable experience. I hope every fan can experience it one day.

For fans who fear this is his last comeback, I would assuage their fears. After all, perhaps Drake said it best: “Nah, I’m quittin’ again cause’ I started again.”

“It’s All A Blur” Tour: 9 /10

“For All The Dogs” Album: 7 /10