As we speak, Drake’s the biggest name which Hip-Hop culture boasts. Everything he touches turns to gold. His latest effort If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late had no trouble with debuting at #1 during its week of release and selling over half a million copies, a feat which only a handful can accomplish in today’s climate. Every time we see his name on the blogs, we’re forced to click. For five years, he just hasn’t been able to lose.
That is, until now. “I took an L for the first time” he told Ernest Baker after a Coachella performance which left many unsatisfied and underwhelmed. Despite its brightest moments, the highlight of the set for many was a now infamous kiss of which the less is said, the better. Although he clearly gave his all on stage, it felt more like a high capacity Drake show than the headlining act of a weekend long festival. Perhaps it would have been the perfect set list for this year’s OVO Fest but bring together different genres of music and their respective fans and it’s understandable why some saw it as a lacklustre performance.
That brings us to the most recent (authorised) piece of music we’ve heard from the man himself. First, let’s go back to the Summer of 2013. When Migos was just another name in Rap with some hype behind it, Drake jumped on a record they had called ‘Versace’ and shone light on a flow that to this day, rappers use as a go-to style – so much so that Snoop Dogg recently stated that he doesn’t know “who is who when the record’s over”. Its impact was, is and always will be undeniable. That brings us to 2015. One of the newest names with buzz around it is Fetty Wap and after an incredibly successful run with ‘Trap Queen’, ‘My Way’ featuring Montana Buckz gains some attention within the Hip-Hop community. So, who better to take the track to the next level than Drizzy Drake… Right?
Believe it or not, it hasn’t been that simple. The official version was finally released after a low quality audio circulated the net for a few hours and for the second time in too short of a period, even some die-hard fans were disappointed. The biggest problem is that Drake’s verse, despite being an impressive vocal performance and packed with some clever lines (“they should call me James, ’cause I’m going hard in this b*tch”), doesn’t really add anything to the song. Whereas his spin on ‘Versace’ shook up the culture, this feels, to an extent, like it has already come and gone. It hasn’t become a moment.
And so, the argument gradually arises about whether Drake’s catalogue is purely what propelled him to his level of stardom or whether his name helped. “Drake” has become more than just the name of that rapper that sings. It’s a brand that has helped elevate him and his team ‘way up’ and the question we must inevitably ask is how much did the persona and appeal to the ladies help? When it’s all said and done, in ten years will our kids look back and ask us what it was like to live whilst the legacy was being made or wonder what all the hype was about? Maybe the novelty is wearing off.
Looking back at the greats in Hip-Hop, they all had their runs, they all had their moments. Whether it was a solid four or five years on top or a consecutive two or three albums which we now consider classic, every rapper who we look up to in 2015 has had a respectable amount of time where they were not to be f*cked with. Could Drake’s be coming to an end? We’re forced to bring our thoughts his upcoming album, Views From The 6. For a rapper who enjoys flooding the scene with music more often than he gets credit for, relatively little is known about direction of The Boy’s next project. What we know for sure is that it could either be his crowning or his downfall. Although he brags the rights to his own style which has birthed numerous new acts throughout the years, it could be getting a little repetitive.
Harsh? Hear me out. Coming off of three stellar Rap LPs, Kanye West released 808s & Heartbreak in 2008 which is, for better or for worse, an R&B album – a shift. When Tha Carter III impacted radio and did numbers like no-one could have imagined, putting Wayne at the height of his career, his next album was Rebirth – a shift. This is that time in Drake’s career. With Views, he’ll either shock and impress beyond what we can currently project or comprehend, proving that a couple of low points don’t define his artistry, or as hard as it may be to imagine, he’ll drop the ball. Even if he exceeds expectations yet again, can he continue and match the longevity of a Jay Z or Eminem? Who knows. We’ll all be here for the ride.
No pressure.
– by Akaash Sharma