The Singles Jukebox

If you had “Day 5” on the “When will The Singles Jukebox first feature Drake” sweep, congratulations, you win!

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[5.00]

Crystal Leww: Well, seems like these two have buried the hatchet. No surprise! It’s boring!
[5]

Thomas Inskeep: Of course it opens with Drake’s verse, because every Drake feature opens with him these days so that you hear it first when streaming and come back to it because DRAKE. But good God, this is the worst verse I’ve heard from him in years, and Meek follows it up reminding us that prior to his stay in prison, he wasn’t a very interesting rapper. This is going bad, alright, but not in the way they think.
[1]

Ryo Miyauchi: There’s not much going on lyrically to elevate this beyond a symbolic gesture after the series of events post-“Back to Back.” Meek Mill scribbles some leisure rhymes; other parts of Championships offered more memorable commentary. Drake, meanwhile, keeps “Going Bad” engaging with his catchy cadences by stretching and tightening them however he sees fit.
[5]

Nicholas Donohoue: I am all here for reconciliation of two rappers even if I have no idea why they were fighting years later. Apparently Drake had at least 3 dedicated diss tracks compared to Meek’s 1 which is hilariously on brand. Individually Drake sounds confused with the words he is saying, Meek seems happy that he got the career lift and friendship both on track. It’s a cute ditty, but the backstory is the only reason we’re here, let’s be real.
[5]

Edward Okulicz: I initially heard Meek’s line about “bands all on your head like Jason Terry” as “bands all on your head like dysentery.” This doesn’t make sense, but a) I don’t know anything about basketball, and b) in yet another rap track using old-timey cartoon piano and not much else, one must find points of interest where you can. Drake sounds like he’s savouring the beat more than Meek so ending the beef was probably kindness on his part.
[4]

Alfred Soto: God in heaven, Drake’s opening verse and pre-chorus surpass Meek’s in swag and imagination. He raps as if he’s pirouetting on every key of the piano sample; he raps as if he’s got something to prove; he raps as if he hadn’t “won” the 2015 beef. 
[6]

Julian Axelrod: Petty beef aside, these two make a lot of sense together: Meek’s gruff yelp is volatile enough to rough up Drake’s sound, but distinct enough to avoid getting sucked into Drizzy’s vulture-esque vortex. Their 2012 collab “Amen” is the banger time forgot, but “Going Bad” crystallizes their chemistry into something close to perfection. Wheezy’s drunken piano lurch turns The Nutcracker into a headknocker, while Drake’s run-on flow is just unpolished enough to feel exciting. But this is Meek’s song through and through. You can practically hear him bouncing off the walls of the studio, bobbing and weaving around the beat until he throws his hands up and bulldozes through. If this song ignites Drake’s feud with the Beatles, their 2021 teamup is gonna be fire.
[8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Wheezy’s piano chords are almost cartoonish in their incessant back-and-forth. Drake finds a way to change his flows and throw in some singing to make it seem like we’re in a funhouse. Meek Mill isn’t as lockstep with the beat, so it’s inherently less engaging. Even though Drake just repeats a verse to close out the song, it ends it on a high note.
[6]