"8AM in Charlotte" is a song by Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

. It was released through OVO Sound and

Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

as the second single from his eighth studio album, ''

For All the Dogs ''For All the Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released through OVO Sound and Republic Records on October 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, Party ...

'', on October 5, 2023, one day before the album was released. Drake wrote the song with producers Conductor Williams and Mario Luciano and additional producer Jason Wool, alongside L. Santi and Nichol Eskridge, due to it sampling "A Faithful Spirit", written by the latter. The song is a continuance of Drake's " imestampin ity series of tracks.

Music video

The song was released alongside a music video beginning with a skit starring Adonis, Drake's son. In the skit, Adonis details how he created the ''For All the Dogs'' cover. He explains that the drawn goat on the cover represents his father, a reference to the " Greatest of All Time" acronym. In the video, Drake raps alongside his son and his team.

Reception

"8AM in Charlotte" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the track's sampling and Conductor Williams producing the song, as well as Drake's improved lyricism. Writing for ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', Carl Lamarre said that he sought to win back the trust of fans with "8AM in Charlotte". Alexander Cole of ''

HotNewHipHop ''HotNewHipHop (HNHH)'' is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video serieses; ''How to Roll ...

'' praised Drake's "focused" rapping and "incredible bars". He also praised the "nice piano passage" and chopped vocal samples on the beat. '' XXL'' writer C. Vernon Coleman II also praised the track's piano background and choir samples. '' Complex'' writer Trace William Cohen also praised the song's "deep" lyrics. Writing for '' Clash'', Shahzaib Hussain stated that the track "sees

rake Rake may refer to: * Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct * Rake (theatre), the artificial slope of a theatre stage Science and technology * Rake receiver, a radio receiver * Rake (geology), the angle between a feature on a ...

unleash pointed missives over soft chords and a looped chipmunk choir." He concluded his review of the song as he noted that, " 8AM in Charlotte" isless about which rap rival he's throwing shots at, and more a personal dictum and a winding confessional about legacy: a reorienting of his priorities." '' Pitchfork''s Dylan Green stated that the track " epresentsthe stark tonal binary that's come to define Drake's music over the past decade." Writing for ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'', Mosi Reeves notes that the song is Drake's "latest entry in his time-stamped freestyles and perhaps his best display of orthodox rapping" on ''For All The Dogs''. He notes that the song has a "muffled, dreamlike quality that recalls Drake's most spellbinding songs." ''

''s Kyle Denis ranked the track at number six out of the 23 songs on Drake's ''

''. In his review, he noted that the track "is a worthy addition to Drake's timestamp songs collection that also honors Griselda's impact with soulful production." He finally stated that "with three meaty metaphor-packed verses that feature Drake standing staunchly in his rap bag, this, in many ways, is the proper return to 'old Drake' that he promised so many months ago."

Charts

References

{{Drake songs 2023 singles 2023 songs Drake (musician) songs Songs written by Drake (musician)