Drake has come a long way since his 2006 debut. And it’s safe to say that his Degrassi days haven’t hindered him at all. When you hear the Heartbreak Drake you’re hearing “The Boy” trying to get noticed. So Far Gone and Thank Me Later features that “Drizzy” making his presence felt while making sure not to step on anyone’s toes. It’s not until Nothing Was the Same when “The Boy” became “The Man” and Drake realized he was the ruler of his own lane. Two lines from this period best exemplify Drake’s realization.
“Give these niggas the look, the verse and even the hook/ that’s why every song sounds like Drake featuring Drake” – 5AM in Toronto
“Look, fuck all that ‘happy to be here’ shit that y’all want me on/ I’m the big homie they’ll still be tryna lil bro me, dawg.” –Pound Cake/ Paris Morton Music 2
He may be the big homie but what is it that makes the O.Gs not acknowledge this? It might be his content.
99% of rappers who are considered legends have been conscious in their lyrics. In some cases, it was their conscious content that made everyone pay attention. *Cough—N.W.A! Even rappers like Kanye who wasn’t brought up in a stereotypically rough environment knew what was going in the world and put it in his music. Drake has no excuse. And while it may not be a rappers duty to tackle social issues it’s peculiar that a megastar of Drake’s caliber is never even asked his thoughts on current events. If Ja Rule can get on Fox News and talk about Ferguson, can we at least get a tweet, Drake? Let me know if I’m wrong because I’ve never heard him speak up on any social issues. And spare me the fact that he’s Canadian. I’m pretty sure there’s more going on in Toronto than Scarborough and basketball. Some people prefer entertainers not use their power to speak out, fair enough.
Another thing that hinders Drake from joining the GOAT debate is a classic album.
His first mixtape, Room for Improvement came out in 2006, NWTS came out in 2013. Meaning it took seven years and six EPs for him to be the titan that he is now. Out of all the titles in his discography, none are heralded classics. There isn’t one album or mixtape that people who aren’t huge Drake fans can listen to from start to finish any day of the week. 20 years from now, how much weight will “Take Care” or “So Far Gone” hold? Who’s going to remember where they were when If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late came out? He doesn’t have one title that critics and rap fans will forever pin to his name. Biggie has Ready to Die. Nas has Illmatic. Jay has Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album. Kanye has all of his solo albums. Kendrick Lamar has good kid, m.A.A.d City.
In his defense, Drake doesn’t make classic albums; he makes hit records. Like most pop stars, Drake is very formulaic. We know what to expect from him by now. He’s either going to talk about past relationships, Canada or his wealth and status. His family and Memphis references are sprinkled in here and there. With that being said, he doesn’t necessarily experiment with sounds or themes. He sticks to what works—which is what a lot of artists do. He makes songs for hip hop heads (5AM in Toronto, Lord Knows), he makes club bangers (The Motto, Know Yourself) and he makes songs for the ladies (Marvin’s Room, Jungle).
Who knows, maybe Views From the 6 will invalidate this entire post. I wouldn’t mind if it did. My cousin once told me that people will soon get tired of Drake. Every star eventually fades. I can’t see him doing so anytime soon. Drake has been one of the biggest names in music for the past 5 years. His music has been the soundtrack for an entire generation. Is Drake one of the greats? I think so, but there’s are a few asterisks by his name.
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