Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
When it comes to hip-hop, Aubrey “Drake” Graham has seemingly done it all. He’s one of the biggest artists on the planet and rich beyond measure. He’s been mentioned on lists of GOAT rappers. He has so many accolades at this point that I can’t imagine they even matter anymore. He’s been in high-profile beefs with rappers deemed legit by the masses (Meek Mill, Pusha T, etc) and comes out relatively unscathed. He’s had his pen game (fairly) questioned after the release of “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” and the ensuing reference tracks leaked by whoever briefly turned Quentin Miller into a household name and then ran him into relative obscurity while Drake, indisputably, kept winning. He’s had one hell of a career.
But the one area I think Drake constantly comes up short is in the “respect’ of those he wants respect from arena. I don’t mean the masses or folks like me, who write thinkpieces about the state of hip-hop, etc. I’m speaking about “real hip-hop” artists who don’t seem to really care for Drake as a rapper. DMX’s famous rants about Drake probably sum up the feelings that many “real” rappers have about Drake. RIP to the Dog.
I put “real” and “real hip-hop” in quotes up there for a reason: As we’ve gotten further and further from the late ’90s and early aughts when there was a clear delineation between noncommercial rap and rappers making music to chase money, the concern about hip-hop losing its way and its essence has been ongoing. I’m not a person who gets caught up on that idea: Hip-hop has grown and expanded so much that I don’t even know what’s NOT hip-hop anymore. Hip-hop has influenced everything. I do think it allows for interesting conversations about hip-hop’s evolution as a musical art form; the culture is set, but how that…
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