Drake

How much time is this nigga spending on the intro? Just enough, apparently. The introduction to Drake's third commercial outing, Nothing Was The Same, is a six minute prologue that flips a sample of Whitney Houston's “I Have Nothing” three different ways, and it rather effectively establishes the framework for the album’s overarching narrative: success changes everything.

“Tuscan Leather” is a sharp dissertation of sorts, succinctly summarizing the Toronto MC’s thoughts on all things relational in the aftermath of his second album, Take Care, being a commercial and critical smash. He's addressing everything from verbal shots to his relationship with his Cash Money family, and all observations are delivered with the crisp attention to detail we’ve come to expect from Aubrey Graham. “Bench players talking like starters, I hate it,” he spouts venomously (conceivably a shot fired at Pusha T) before adding, “Started from the bottom, now we here / Nigga we made it”. Drake has always had a flair for the dramatic—and it has always shown in the cinematic nature of his intros—but “Tuscan Leather” may be his cleanest and clearest open ever.

The song is supposedly named for a Tom Ford fragrance for men that smells like a kilo of coke (“Tom Ford Tuscan Leather smelling like a brick”), but I like to think it earned that name with its raw realism and its hard bars. “I’m tired of hearing who you checkin’ for now / Just give it time, we’ll see who’s still around a decade from now.” Only time will tell whether Drake’s music backs such claims. For now, stream “Tuscan Leather” below, and judge its timeliness for yourself. Drake’s Nothing Was The Same will be out September 24^th on Cash Money/Young Money/Republic.