Here is what I said before:
Hate him or love him, Drake’s level of talent is undeniable. He has taken hiphop and r&b and found a way to seamlessly merge the two into one person. Sure, we had LL Cool J and Ja Rule before him, but in most cases the aforementioned had established artists singing the hooks for them. Drake basically said fuck that I'm going take singing classes, sing on the hooks myself, and pay myself for that. Ridiculed by many at first, everyone from Future to Fetty Wap have followed suit. Thing is, Drake can spit and his lyrics and music are relatable, making it easy to like the guy. He is probably the most fearless MC when it comes to just being himself and following his own lane. Our opinions on his personality don’t seem to matter much as he is corny and he doesn’t express any regrets on the issue. People act like Drake’s music doesn’t bump, but with 4 platinum records on his hands I know the woman aren’t the only ones listening to his shit. At this point in his career, he is quickly earning his spot amongst the hip hop kings.
Here is how I feel now:
Ah man. Much has changed with the self-proclaimed 6 God as of late. In the last couple years we have seen Drizzy take several losses, and the fans barely even batted an eye. He has successfully avoided every jab thrown his way as if he was inspired by the late great Muhammed Ali. Drake’s character behind the scenes has been called into question several times by former associates and industry peers alike, but the OVO boss remains unscathed. Even leaked reference tracks and ghostwriting accusations are no match for his wave. In the 80’s & 90’s having a ghostwriter was an unforgivable sin, with authenticity being an integral component to ones image. In today’s scene, as long as you make a hot song lack of authenticity is a forgivable offense. For me though, ghostwriting allegations strip away the teflon protection leaving an artist vulnerable and exposed. Does Drake make good music, absolutely. I don’t think anyone can deny that without being labeled a hater. Does Drake deserve to be in anyone’s top 10? Well, it’s tricky. When I think of Drake now, I compare him to the likes of Dr. Dre or Puff. Sure, they make hits…but we all know they don’t write their own stuff…and no one is going to put them in their top 5 MC list. These guys are moguls, more worried about writing checks for your favorite rapper instead of actually being your favorite rapper. I see Drake switching into that same lane, and it really doesn’t matter how many times Tory Lanez and Joe Budden diss him because Drake is going to choose who he engages with and how that engagement is going to go. Ask Meek Mill about that. At this point, however, Drake is more of an entertainer than a MC. A couple years back, no one could tell me that Drake wasn’t on his way to rap royalty, but now I am struggling to even give him a spot because I believe dude is too busy making money to write raps. Business over artistry. Nothing wrong with that. For me, Drake has to be moved back a few spots to #5 though.
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