Evil Ways
Featuring J. Cole
"Evil Ways" reunites Drake with J. Cole on the For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition (recorded November 11–16, 2023; released November 17, 2023), arriving roughly a month after the parent album's chart-topping Drake/Cole single 'First Person Shooter.' Per Wikipedia's credits table it is produced by Vinylz, Boi-1da, FnZ and Fierce. Critics treated it as a direct continuation of that pairing: HotNewHipHop called it a 'spiritual successor' to 'First Person Shooter,' Complex named it the best song on the Scary Hours Edition, and Clash described it as the edition's 'most transparent moment,' with Drake and Cole continuing their 'fraternal repartee.' HipHopDX was more critical of its wordplay. In hindsight the pairing is frequently revisited alongside how consequential the Drake/Cole/Kendrick dynamic became in 2024. Treatment here stays at the theme level with no lyric reproduction.
Sources & verification
Citations below were matched specifically to "Evil Ways" and Scary Hours 3. Drake Universe catalogs songs by album placement, verified collaborators, producers, samples, and themes, and avoids unsupported lyric-level claims.
- Wikipedia — For All the Dogs (incl. Scary Hours Edition)Wikipedia · 2023-11-17 — Scary Hours Edition release date (Nov 17, 2023), six-track listing, per-track producer/sample credits, and reception (Clash 6/10, HipHopDX 2.7/5, The Independent) used for Scary Hours 3 ground truth.
- Wikipedia — Evil Ways (Drake song)Wikipedia · 2023-11-17 — Evil Ways credits (Vinylz, Boi-1da, FnZ, Fierce), recording dates, chart peaks, and critical reception (HotNewHipHop, Complex, Clash, HipHopDX).
