Production of More Life was handled by a variety of record producers, including 40, Frank Dukes, Boi-1da, Murda Beatz, T-Minus, Nineteen85, and Kanye West, among others.

An ensemble of guest vocalists also appear, including West, Young Thug, Giggs, Skepta, Quavo, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Jorja Smith, Sampha, and PartyNextDoor.

The songs on the mixtape feature a broad range of genres, including R&B, dancehall, grime, trap and Afrobeats.

Supported by the singles "Fake Love", "Passionfruit", "Free Smoke", "Portland", and "Glow", More Life received generally positive reviews and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 505,000 album-equivalent units.

Following the project's announcement, Drake described More Life as "a body of work [he's] creating to bridge the gap between [any] major releases".

[4] He further commented on the project during an interview with Complex, detailing his intention to "[create] a playlist to give you a collection of songs that become the soundtrack to your life".

[6] More Life borrows its name from a Jamaican slang phrase to wish someone well, popularized by dancehall artist Vybz Kartel,[7] whom Drake has called one of his "biggest inspirations" for his own dancehall-inflected sound.

[10] More Life has been characterized as hip hop,[1] R&B,[1][2] and dancehall[3] with elements of grime,[11] trap,[12] Afrobeats,[13] and pop.

[15] The original version of the cover art released in October 2016 on Drake's Instagram did not feature the black border or subtitle.

[26] The song features guest appearances from American rappers Quavo and Travis Scott, while the production was handled by Murda Beatz, with co-production by Cubeatz.

[28] Dan Weiss of Consequence said, "The singing and melodies are massaged with a care unheard in the prior Drake discography; this album flows as improbably as The Life of Pablo, with more assured lyrics and smoother sequencing, to offset the lack of a certifiable genius at the helm".

[39] David Turner of The Guardian said, "Even if the album lacks the humor of the Views songs "9" or "Childs Play"—no line here bests "Why you gotta fight with me at Cheesecake / You know I love to go there"—the breadth of styles recalls his 2012–2015 SoundCloud that found space for both Fetty Wap and James Blake remixes".

[36] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said, "More Life is his finest longform collection in years, cheerfully indulgent at 22 tracks and 82 minutes, a masterful tour of all the grooves in his head, from U.K. grime ("No Long Talk") to Caribbean dancehall ("Blem") to South African house ("Get It Together") to Earth, Wind & Fire ("Glow").

[40] Kitty Empire of The Observer said, "By definition, More Life has sprawl in-built, so judicious use of the skip function is required, but this is high-quality filler".

[52] On the chart dated April 8, More Life topped the US Billboard 200 and set a streaming record, earning 505,000 album-equivalent units, of which 226,000 were pure sales.