After some Twitter sparring with my boy who hyped me for IYRTITL to disappoint me

I decided to give this man Aubrey a chance.
I had low expectations for this, because he hasn't impressed lyrically in like 3 years and I always preferred his rap to his R&B. This is the first project where that's the opposite. Outside of Weston Road Flow and Views, he coasting on the few rap songs this album has, and of course its hard to take braggadocio Drake serious after Millergate, but he or whoever (ghost)wrote those 2 songs display why I and listeners lIke me prefered the Drake the MC overy Drake the crooner. Except he's no longer an MC.
I actually do think he's improved as R&B artist. The smoothness of this album is double edged sword because it serves it's purpose but it's very light, just like NWTS it's drowsy overall, but that album was bright as hell, this one is a little moodier so the production is more compelling to listen to.
Of course we know 20 songs is too damn long. Even if he's showcasing the side that he's actually improved on. Really any album over 16 tracks leaves lots of room for error.
U With Me*
Feel No Ways
Weston Road Flow*
Redemption
Controlla
Too Good
Summer's Over*
Views*
The asterisks are the top half of the standouts for me. 8 out of 20. If this was 12 or 13 tracks I think this album would be received differently, same thing I said about Take Care (which I hated on first listen and respected after). Despite the R&B side improvement, I'm not really compelled to revisit an album in which I'm only cool with 40% of it. I also called the direction of it 6 months ago which further detracts from its mystique. Cool album for the females, but the stans going "new Hov" and "2010s GOAT", in the context of hip-hop, GOTTA stop.
2.75 out of 5. If it was 13 tracks, it could've been probably as much as a 3.5, 12 forgettable records to 8 good ones screws things up. Within his 5 major projects post-SFG, it's smack in the middle...not as listenable as TML (I'm in the extreme minority on that album) nor as alluring as Take Care, but more committed sonically than NWTS and a better showcase of one of his dual talents than It's Too Late.
Will do numbers, but just doesn't match the near 2 year hype. But the hip-hop classic expectations are gone and I will actually appreciate Drake going forward if he lets the magic number 30 carry him into the R&B lane.