Drake is one of the most dynamic and versatile rappers in today's music. He can easily switch from sweet lullabies to Young Money-infused nonsense to dance encouraged beats. His music can vary from easy listening to head banging jams, and he is unapologetic in his gentle, romantic composure. Drake isn't just about the girls or the money and fame. He is introspective, insightful and at his core, a soft lover.
Drake doesn't have to be the star of the show. He is often happy enjoying from the sidelines and gives credit where credit is due. Drake has made his place known in rap music, but with that being said, Drake isn't progressing as an artist.
Views from the 6 with all of it's luxurious Instagram posts and anticipation, offered us more of the same. Drake crooning about a girl who won't love him the way he wants her to, more talk of all of these enemies and more talks of coming from the bottom. An overall disappointment that didn't match the hype. This isn't to say that Views isn't a good album, it is, but it's not great.
What happened to "Last name: Ever, First name: Greatest"? Because that's not the Drake that Views brought us. And what it boils down to is Drizzy's hesitation to go there.
"Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman."
"If Nike ain't have Drizzy man they wouldn't have nothin."
And nothing from Drizzy in return? Nothing? Because if there was one thing I was looking forward to in Views, it was some clapback to Kanye, someone Drake is friends with. Still, nothing ever came, why?
We all know that Drake has no problem answering, as he was quick to get "Charged Up" the moment Meek Mill accused him of not writing his own lyrics.
There's no argument that Drake has some stake in Kanye West's song, "Facts," as the entire song is a play on Drake's song with Future. While "Facts" at its core is about Nike and how the brand has treated Kanye in the past, the song is also very much about Drake. Nike would be nowhere without Drake, but Nike's need for Drake is a result of Kanye refusing to work with them. And even furthermore, Kanye is doing a whole lot better without Nike.
Nike's relationship with Drake didn't stop the Adidas Yeezy's from selling out. Kanye compliments Drake by saying he makes Nike something, but it's a backhanded compliment because Kanye also highlights that Nike's affiliation with Drake hasn't stopped the success of the Yeezys. Despite the compliment, if that's what we want to call it, Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy still jumps over Jumpman.
And Drake says nothing. Not even as much as a line in support of Nike. So Adidas and Kanye win by default.
Some would argue that Drake knows his place in the industry, where Kanye is at the top of the food chain. And if there is one thing we know about Drake, it's that when he respects people, he gives them his respect no matter what. Even his battle with Meek Mill managed to give compliment to Nicki Minaj, while simultaneously ripping apart her man.
Undoubtedly one of the most popular lines of "Back to Back" beloved by fans was "Is that a world tour or your girl tour?" a line that brings down Meek Mill while highlighting the success of Nicki, a female rapper doing better than her partner in an area typically dominated by men. It points to the fact that Nicki has a world tour and that without Nicki, Meek would be doing nothing, as he is her opener.
Meek was a problem Drizzy was comfortable handling, but when it comes to truly getting in the game, he hides away from saying anything. Even Wiz Khalifa had the nerve to answer Kanye when Yeezy attacked him online, so why is Drake so hesitant to go there?
To earn the most respect in rap music you have to be willing to go there. You have to get real. Kanye isn't afraid to tell Nike they treat their employees like slaves. Nicki isn't afraid to talk about her abortion or let Lil Kim know that she is no longer needed in the industry. Kendrick isn't afraid to talk about his hesitation in Black Lives Matter, while still telling us we're gonna be alright. Jay-Z isn't afraid to talk about his marriage or his old days hustling.
None of the most respected, talented and high up artists in the industry are afraid to say something. Drake is. And ultimately that's what stops good rappers from becoming great rappers. In a genre where the majority are still only talking about money and women, there's only a handful of rappers still willing to get political, to get deep about their lives and make comment about what's going on in the world.
Drake has attempted to do this, but he never truly gets there. Talking about not being able to afford pizza because you only had pennies isn't enough. I'm a poor college student, I can't afford pizza, Drake, I pay for my drinks in quarters sometimes. But that's hardly what the bottom looks like. Show me what your life actually looks like and not just the pretty parts. Not just the views.
I didn't want a view from the 6, I wanted Drake to take me into the six, and he didn't. If Drake wants to progress as an artist and become part of the elite, he needs to get real with us.
