Her Loss

Drake and 21 Savage’s *Her Loss* is the culmination of a relationship that dates at least as far back as 2016, when the pair linked up for “Sneakin’.” Back then, 21 was a burgeoning Atlanta rapper with a lot of promise (and an association with producer of the moment Metro Boomin), while Drake was arguably the most impactful singer and MC in the world and the guy whose co-sign could be counted on to usher bubbling talents into proper rap stardom. Some eight years and three additional collaborations later, 21 Savage is most assuredly a bona fide rap star and Drake is still arguably the most impactful singer and MC in the world, but the 16 tracks that make up *Her Loss* reveal the pairing as somehow larger than the sum of its parts. It was likely *Honestly, Nevermind* standout “Jimmy Cooks” that inspired, or at the very least prioritized, *Her Loss*. The song was a stylistic outlier from that album’s house and techno-adjacent dance music thread, allowing Drake and Savage the chance to do what they’ve always enjoyed doing together: rail against entitled love interests, revel in the lifestyle they’ve earned, and, for 21 Savage specifically, remind listeners that his guns still do go off. *Her Loss* is much of the same, with the pair leaning into a shared disdain for less-accomplished artists (“On BS,” “Privileged Rappers,” “Broke Boys”), sharing their views on contemporary courtship (“Spin Bout U,” “Hours in Silence”), detailing what life as a superstar rapper entails (“Circo Loco,” “Pussy & Millions”), and, in one instance, rapping about how much they appreciate one another (“Treacherous Twins”). The love they profess for one another might at first play as eyebrow-raising, but to question it would be to willfully ignore the notion that laying down raps, like nearly anything else, is just that much more fun with your bestie in tow.

The album-length collaboration between the pop star of the North and the rap star of the South seems like a good match, but it turns into a drastically uneven project in almost every way.

The Toronto and Atlanta megastars show promise and flashes of brilliance, but can't stay out of their own way on the 16-track collaboration

Drake struggles to connect with 21 Savage as much as he does women on the duo's first full-length collab.

With joint album Her Loss, Drake and 21 Savage sound invigorated by each other, often slipping into appropriations of each other's styles and keeping things loose and experimental throughout the project.

If you've ever listened to Andre 3000 speak about making music, it becomes immediately apparent why Outkast would never work without Big Boi...

Drake and 21 Savage go back a long way. First linking up back in 2016 for ‘Sneakin’, Drake’s co-sign helped propel the Atlanta rapper to stardom. If we’re

'Her Loss' is, for all intents and purposes, a Drake album that just happens to feature 21 Savage. Read our review.