OT: Hows everyone feeling about Drake these days?

[bballsparkin]

^^I'm sure lots of "rock stars" are creeps. he's just not that good. hehe

[720]

If someone made a diss song about me having an illegitimate daughter and I don’t have one, or made a summer hit about me calling me a pedophile and I’m not. I’d probably feel a certain way as well. I don’t know about suing companies over it but I’d try and do something.

Like maybe make a diss track about the guy that made the diss track? Sueing them seems like such a beta move in that particular cultural segment.

I voted I dont care because this has never been my genre and Drake has always been a cornball.

Drake released the last diss track of the battle. Kendrick didn’t respond because Not Like Us became huge and didn’t feel the need to after that. I agree with you though. I would have went the old school way and just kept it to music. But this is sorta unprecedented (like he straight up lied in that song and it didn’t bother anyone). I guess it’s like Nas vs Jay. Nas didn’t really have facts on his side while Jay did on his. People didn’t care and Nas won the battle.

[WiggOuts]

Growing up in the hip hop scene through the 90s and 00s in Canada was full of hate towards people that came from here. There weren't too many great artist but anytime some local person would try to make a name for themselves everyone would hate on them automatically, it was almost a toronto culture thing, I never understood it.

Fast forward a bit to Drake, this guy has legit been one the biggest most recognizable names in music for a long time. Like it or not, he made great music for a long time. Ask any American and they give him his flowers, he was lots of peoples favorite artist...but still, even reading this thread, people from Toronto hate on him. It almost seems people are afraid to admit they like him, especially now. Not everyone likes him and I get that but we gotta support our talent, this guy puts on for his city and has done more to represent where he's from than almost anyone.

He made a mistake getting into it with Kendrick, he had nothing to gain and plenty to lose. You never punch below your weight class and this is a textbook case of what can happen. In an industry that the US largely controls, a Canadian went up against an American, it would inevitably become an us vs them battle that would bring out the trolls from everywhere. When you saw certain people trying to involve themselves it made you realize it went beyond Kendrick and Drake

I still laugh at how Demar managed to get himself involved in all this which brought on some negative personal backlash

[tsherkin]

Like it or not, he made great music for a long time.

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

[dTox]

Like it or not, he made great music for a long time.

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

Nothing was the same was an amazing album

[WiggOuts]

Like it or not, he made great music for a long time.

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

Theres tons of artists out there who I think aren't that great, their music isn't for me. I can still respect the fact that other people may think they're amazing. Singing or playing instruments aren't the only aspect of the art, writing and production play a huge part and he's definitely top tier in those regards. He makes hits that have consistently climbed to the top of the charts and thats not a fluke.

I've never particularly been a Drake fan but he's had lots of songs over the years that were bangers. I think if you listen to music openly, which most people do, you can appreciate a catchy song regardless of the source, its the commercial appeal. Drake has tons of commercial appeal and that contributes big time to his success

[WiggOuts]

Mans flagship song repeats "started from the bottom now we here". Dude was a child actor, that's not the bottom. No one should be surprised he's been found out to be a joke and a fraud.

Lol how much do you think he made from being on that show? Degrassi was definitely a low budget production, I really don't think him being on that show for a little while somehow negates him "starting from the bottom" lol. I dont know all his background to dispute this but I do know he's from a single mother household, as am I, and times were definitely tuff because of it

[YogurtProducer]

like he straight up lied in that song and it didn’t bother anyone

I mean, we don't know if he lied. Just because it is not public info doesn't mean it was a lie.

[Dennis 37]

At this point Aubrey seems like a real life Slurms Mckenzie where the character of 'Drake' he's been playing for 15+ years has taken over whatever real person was once there. Like what Ric Flair became at some point where he couldn't seperate the gimmick from reality. But perpetually playing a young 20s lothario and making music catered to a teen audience doesn't quite work as well when you're nearing almost 40 now. That's probably where the disconnect comes in.

His R&B output was probably his best work but he had a lot of help from others in that department. But at least there's less shame in being ghost-written for in that genre compared to hip-hop. If he stuck mostly to that or showed any interest in growing as an artist instead of chasing the incel young males trying to portray some hard body he'd maybe be a bit more tolerable but I guess perhaps that's a reflection of who is checking for an act like that at this point.

I agree that pivoting back to acting would be a good move for him as the music thing is rapidly diminishing returns, though he'll always have a very loyal fanbase.

I saw the The Who in 1981. They looked old then and i can't believe people are still paying money to see them in their 80s. They played "My Generation" at that 1981 concert. The song refers to what was going on in the 1960s, two teenage generations in the past.

If one's music does not fit one's age, it is time to call it a day.

[Basketball_Jones]

Rap battles and rap in general is over exaggerated braggadocio. I haven’t followed the scene in years, but there was this rap battle where dude actually hires a PD and starts revealing facts about the person he was battling like their occupation and income. He was shook lol. But otherwise 90 percent of it is lies or overselling the truth. Problem is the internet age blows everything way up these days so losing a battle now versus back then is like ten times worse. On the flip side it isn’t uncommon for people to just move on and forget with how quickly topics are swept under the rug. Doesn’t seem to be happening here though.

[Tha Cynic]

So checking some stats and looks like Drake is again the top streaming rap artist and 3rd overall behind Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny this year? He definitely comes off as insecure and a bit dorky, but hey, people have different personalities.

Seems like dude is doing fine - in fact rumours say Kendrick lost way more streams due to the bot purge while Drake stayed pretty similar?

And my favourite rapper is Nas so I know how mainstream vs “culture” works. That **** doesn’t matter lol. More people listen to Jay Z even though Nas is easily a better rapper. “Culture vulture” is really just Americans not being able to stand a Canadian being better than their rappers worldwide and from all indications Drake actually goes out of his way to help others in the industry.

Just listen to what you want and let others listen to what they want.

[tsherkin]

Theres tons of artists out there who I think aren't that great, their music isn't for me. I can still respect the fact that other people may think they're amazing.

That I get. I've been trying with Drake, and I just don't see it. Not due to genre, but due to him not seeming that remarkable next to his peers. Perhaps I just don't get it as much as the target audience, though; that's entirely possible. And I definitely hate his vocals, but perhaps the arrangements are worth more acknowledgement.

Singing or playing instruments aren't the only aspect of the art, writing and production play a huge part and he's definitely top tier in those regards. He makes hits that have consistently climbed to the top of the charts and thats not a fluke.

I wouldn't suggest he's a fluke. Music is very subjective, and how you grow up can heavily influence what you like. There's plenty of R+B, hip hop, house and other kinds of music which I have come to enjoy above and beyond my base genres, particularly since I started writing music. With him, it just doesn't click for me, but obviously lots of people like him.

I think if you listen to music openly, which most people do, you can appreciate a catchy song regardless of the source

Within some parameters. Him, I actively dislike listening to his singing voice, which obviously influences my opinion rather heavily. But I will listen to something other than Started from the Bottom again and try again with a view toward the production and what-not.

[CPT]

Theres tons of artists out there who I think aren't that great, their music isn't for me. I can still respect the fact that other people may think they're amazing.

That I get. I've been trying with Drake, and I just don't see it. Not due to genre, but due to him not seeming that remarkable next to his peers. Perhaps I just don't get it as much as the target audience, though; that's entirely possible. And I definitely hate his vocals, but perhaps the arrangements are worth more acknowledgement.

Singing or playing instruments aren't the only aspect of the art, writing and production play a huge part and he's definitely top tier in those regards. He makes hits that have consistently climbed to the top of the charts and thats not a fluke.

I wouldn't suggest he's a fluke. Music is very subjective, and how you grow up can heavily influence what you like. There's plenty of R+B, hip hop, house and other kinds of music which I have come to enjoy above and beyond my base genres, particularly since I started writing music. With him, it just doesn't click for me, but obviously lots of people like him.

I think if you listen to music openly, which most people do, you can appreciate a catchy song regardless of the source

Within some parameters. Him, I actively dislike listening to his singing voice, which obviously influences my opinion rather heavily. But I will listen to something other than Started from the Bottom again and try again with a view toward the production and what-not.

I can’t guarantee you will like it, as disliking the sound of his voice isn’t something you can do much about, but go all the way back to So Far Gone and/or Comeback Season if you can.

I think he was legitimately doing something different at that time. That R&B/hip-hop fusion sound and a vulnerability(?) not really seen much in hip-hop before that point. He was never the best technical lyricist, but I’d give him “clever” as a positive descriptor.

He did “change the game” in some ways before becoming (extremely) popular and eventually becoming kind of a parody of himself.

[deck]

I never cared for Drake's music, but I suppose that is a subjective thing.

Regarding him as some kind of ambassador for the Raptors, I felt that ship sailed in the past season where they had him on the broadcast, and all he could do was go on and on about how some girl sitting sideline was hot or something like that. I don't remember the specifics, but I recall thinking at the time it wasn't appropriate for a sports broadcast, and I am not even overly sensitive to that kind of thing.

[LoveMyRaps]

Definitely one of the greatest of all time.

Without a single doubt.

It's okay not to be a fan of his character and criticize him for some of his decisions outside of music, but it's ignorant to deny his greatness as a music artist. Numbers don't lie - the man's music is timeless.

Huge fan of his most recent project $$$4U as well.

[LoveMyRaps]

Even when I liked Drake a lot more, I always thought he was a cornball who made some good songs.

He’s cranked the cornball knob way up and the good songs knob way down.

I think he miscalculated the beef, in that usually a high profile beef will kind of just be a financial win even if you lose, but the way he lost seems to actually have cost him money. A lawsuit is about the weakest thing I can imagine, but it’s not out of character. His fans will probably double down and support it. It might even just be another move to grab attention. Our society is very stupid and rewards dumb things, so it could even be the right move.

Well...... if you're using bots to drag your numbers up, you've blatantly cheated in a rap battle and deserve to be called out for it.

Drake has every right to sue. Kendrick's numbers have fallen off a cliff. Spotify has actively been removing bots from their platform since this issue was brought to light by Drake a few months ago.

Read on Twitter

[LoveMyRaps]

Like it or not, he made great music for a long time.

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

Lol this is such a nonsensical and ignorant comment.

Music is subjective, and the fact of the matter is, he's been the most streamed artist for over a decade and has by far the largest fanbase.

His music has shattered numerous records and he's often regarded as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Most diamond certifications, tied for most #1s with MJ, most streamed artist on spotify globally, etc.

You don't get these accolades from not making quality music.

[Clay Davis]

Like it or not, he made great music for a long time.

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

Theres tons of artists out there who I think aren't that great, their music isn't for me. I can still respect the fact that other people may think they're amazing. Singing or playing instruments aren't the only aspect of the art, writing and production play a huge part and he's definitely top tier in those regards. He makes hits that have consistently climbed to the top of the charts and thats not a fluke.

I've never particularly been a Drake fan but he's had lots of songs over the years that were bangers. I think if you listen to music openly, which most people do, you can appreciate a catchy song regardless of the source, its the commercial appeal. Drake has tons of commercial appeal and that contributes big time to his success

I don't know I think his music just generally sucks. Like it's not good. Very formulaic. Generally low musical rizz. And okay a lot of people like him. I'm supposed to think he's good because apparently other people do? Well maybe those other people have the same feeling. If the best argument for me to think he's a good musician (rather than merely being a popular one) is that other people perceive his quality, all I have to do is apply that same logic to them: maybe they just like him because he's popular and attribute quality to his music as an explanation for why he's popular. It's an illustration of the just world fallacy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_fallacy)-- people see nonsense and assume there's a reason for it because the alternative is to admit we live in a vapid stupid world that's irrational and prone to trends driven by foppery and whim.

I also don't see a reason to support him just because he's from here. I listen to music with my ears, not for social considerations. Unless they rap about Hakka food. DRIZZY... DRIZZLY LRIZZY....

[Clay Davis]

Like it or not, he made great music for a long time.

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

Lol this is such a nonsensical and ignorant comment.

Music is subjective, and the fact of the matter is, he's been the most streamed artist for over a decade and has by far the largest fanbase.

His music has shattered numerous records and he's often regarded as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Most diamond certifications, tied for most #1s with MJ, most streamed artist on spotify globally, etc.

You don't get these accolades from not making quality music.

Why not? That's like saying Labubu's are high quality toys because they're very popular. People like crowds and following them: they'll follow something just because it's popular. This is like saying Taylor Swift is a better musical talent than J.S. Bach because more people listen to any of her major hits in a month than the Chaconne. I do not think POPULARITY necessarily indicates MUSICAL RIZZ.

[LoveMyRaps]

Has he?

He's definitely been successful, but success and quality of music do not always go together and there isn't anything especially incredible about his work. I understand that virtuosity isn't a focus in genre, but like, he really isn't a good singer and his work doesn't stand out at all relative to his peers.

Lol this is such a nonsensical and ignorant comment.

Music is subjective, and the fact of the matter is, he's been the most streamed artist for over a decade and has by far the largest fanbase.

His music has shattered numerous records and he's often regarded as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Most diamond certifications, tied for most #1s with MJ, most streamed artist on spotify globally, etc.

You don't get these accolades from not making quality music.

Why not? That's like saying Labubu's are high quality toys because they're very popular. People like crowds and following them: they'll follow something just because it's popular. This is like saying Taylor Swift is a better musical talent than J.S. Bach because more people listen to any of her major hits in a month than the Chaconne. I do not think POPULARITY necessarily indicates MUSICAL RIZZ.

Terrible analogy.
Labubu is today’s hot trend that is here today and will be gone tomorrow. Just like fidget spinners, Pokémon GO, etc.

Drake’s music is timeless and tends to age well.
The fact that his music from 14 years ago continues to chart speaks volumes. His longevity and success cannot be denied.

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Funny thing is I wasn’t a big Drake fan until maybe 4-5 years ago. I realized his music grows on you overtime and you get addicted to it. He has made hits with several different sounds which showcases his versatility and musical talent.


I’m not here to argue that he’s the greatest musical talent there is. There are several hip hop artists I would argue are more talented than him. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t make quality music and isn’t in a league of his own as well.