Drake and Meek Mill went from one of the most intense rap battles in hip-hop a few years ago to playing ping pong together and performing on stage. Meek even freestyled over Drake’s back to back during a Funk Flex interview, the same track that put a dent in Meek Mill’s credibility at the time. Who saw that coming?
However, there’s an elephant in the room regarding Drake’s legacy at this point of his career which all stems from the infamous battle between the two rappers.
Hip-hop casual fans and purists are going to have to agree to disagree on this one
BUT
This infamous tweet from Meek Mill back in 2015
“Stop comparing Drake to me too…. He don’t write his own raps! That’s why he isn’t tweet my album because we found out!”
May have done more damage to Drake’s legacy than we actually think.
HOW???
Has this slowed down Drakes momentum?
NO
Has this slowed down Drakes money?
F**K NO
Has this affected his fan base?
Aubrey and the three Migos Tour just finished! DUH>?
Is Drake Top 10 dead or alive?
Erm!!!
This is where things get tricky for Aubrey!
As the hip-hop community, fans and the media are well aware that Drake and Meek decided to put their differences aside, focus on the music and restore their friendship, the question still stands as to whether Drake is eligible to rank as a TOP 10 MC in hip-hop culture amongst his peers and in today’s era.
Following the tweet from Meek came the whole Quentin Miller saga, a reference track which gave evidence that Drake used “assistance” when it came to writing his music.
A SIN when it comes to the art of MC’ing.
Although Drake hasn’t lost much since then, however, his pen game is now in question and to truly be a TOP MC amongst others with a ghostwriter in question doesn’t sit right with many.
Here’s a breakdown as to how Drakes Legacy has been affected
Drake is an entertainer
How does being a great entertainer hurt your legacy?Well, it doesn’t in all honesty, but in Drakes case, the attention has shifted from being ranked top mc to a great entertainer.
Take fellow hip-hop rapper Styles P for example, self-proclaimed hardest MC. He goes on to further emphasize the point which is, Drake is a star and his star likeness is similar to puff and Kanye.
What does that mean?
It means there’s no secret Kanye or Puffy have writers help them write music. I mean puffy said it himself “don’t worry if I write rhymes I write checks”
Therefore within hip-hop culture they weren’t regarded or considered in the running for best MC. Something we believe Drake wanted which hurts the rapper’s legacy. Not destroy! But hurts it a little. Let’s be clear about that.
Drake is a great entertainer and he has shown and proved this with his seamless ability to rap and sing, showcase diverse rap styles whilst still being unique. However, many will agree that entertainers with writing help should be seen just as that, Entertainers! And separate lists should be made for them.
Critiquing Rights Removed
Pusha T’s gone too far? Rap Purists disagree
Drake spoke about his rap battle with Pusha T on HBO’s the show with Lebron and Maverick. Referencing the part of the battle where Pusha T attacks 40’s Multiple sclerosis condition, as going too far and saying things should stay within limits – a frustrated Drake goes on to say
“There are fucking rules to this shit.”
Rap fans have become accustomed to hearing disrespectful lyrics over the years during a rap battle with neither rapper being able to dictate what the other can say especially one with a ghostwriter.
Are there rules in a rap battle? Styles P believes there aren’t.
After the show was aired Styles P shared his thoughts on this and disagreed with Drake.
“How does a guy who had a ghost-writer say what’s the rules to a rap battle”
Styles P is making reference to the back & forth battle Drake was involved in with Pusha T another MC considered to be a hip-hop purist with great skill and lyrical ability.
Some may argue but this comment from Styles P goes to show Drake shouldn’t be able to dictate or critique the dos and don’ts within hip-hop culture which again proves some brownie points have been removed from him due to his new tainted image as the biggest entertainer with a ghostwriter. Evidence that years after the battle with Meek still affect Drake’s legacy as he shouldn’t be allowed this privilege. A privilege no other rapper within a battle has had.
2 Headed Monster
Third and lastly artists such as Kendrick Lamar and J Cole still continue to be considered the holy grail of top-class MC’s and the benchmark within this new day of rap. Prior to the ghost-writing allegations the phrase “3 headed monster” referred to Kendrick, Drake and Cole’s dominance of the culture. This can now be argued and debated about.
Can we still use the term “3 headed monster” with this new evidence against him? A purist might ask.
To contextualize this argument, had these ghost-writing claims came out in the 90’s it would have been much harder for Drake to navigate and succeed in hip-hop, however in 2018 with a generation constantly thirsting for new music and with attention spans close to zero, it’s easy to assume casual fans don’t care much about this and even purists have put behind them.
There’s no doubt Drake’s accomplishments in hip-hop are remarkable which include topping the list as the artist with the most streams in 2018, multiple awards, successful album and tour. These are accolades that can’t be taken away from the Canadian rapper who has more than proved he belongs in hip hop, just not as one of the best MC’s but as one of best entertainers. Meek and Drake may have made up but the effects of the feud still live on whether fans notice or not.
Do you think this hurts Drake’s Legacy? Comment below
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