Street Cred

About a year ago, I wrote an article about the new blood of Hip Hop with Drake being the focus. I stated then that in the beginning, I was unsure of where he was coming from, but had changed my mind. My stance has not changed as this cat has been consistent; So much, that on Christmas I tweeted that I was on a 24 hour Tequila diet in reference to “Money to Blow” which, in my opinion, Baby should have never been allowed in the vicinity of the studio when that was being recorded. Sorry, I’m a fan of the classic Baby and Manny Fresh combination. Those two used to compete to be the most outlandish with the overindulgence which made for great entertainment. Who speaks of stepping out with a pair of dinosaur boots with a matching coat? The answer is no one but those two which is off subject, but has a remote place in this article as I am speaking about the Cash Money Camp. I lost the "How U Luv That" CD twice and bought it three times just to listen to those cats.

Before my digression, I was speaking of how the guy has the knack of saying fly shit which is what you do when you are an MC. Now we all know as one has success and rides their wave of success and “does them” there is always sideline chatter to the contrary. I am one to speak my opinion which is just that, my opinion and I do not discourage anyone from discussing their opinion unless their only purpose is to pour salt. Just like others, when I heard Drake was on the Nick TV show, in my head I thought “now what is this guy about”, and unfairly and unnecessarily doubting his street sense, as if it is going to make a difference if it would qualify him to make good music. As silly as it sounds, that is a real topic of criticism about a guy that admits that he knew he couldn’t come with a hard core image and doesn’t reference the tough guy-isms in his songs that people tend to believe is real lyricism because it wouldn’t work. I could hear less of the singing but women buy albums so hum away, I guess. Again, the guy just says fly shit and he’s good at it. Of course there’s braggadocio in the rhymes, but that is Hip Hop. Not to say that I don’t appreciate my fair share of tough guy antics, because there’s nothing like a round of “Lay it Down” by Eightball and MJG or “Dump” by 50 and Jadakiss in the morning; but the You Tube rap battles with guys describing how there bullets will do a ridiculous amount of damage to “ya mans and them” doesn’t assist me in my decision on who is actually the best as much as it decides who should move to Hollywood to be a screenplay writer.

There have been interviews where there were references to Drake being corny or Will Smith-ish, or not being from the streets. Don’t misunderstand me, I get it but, I personally don’t understand what being heavy in the streets has to do with the music you make if that life is not your subject matter. Hip Hop does reflect the realities of ghetto life, but there are countless factors that will decide if that will make it to the music. People decide not to incriminate themselves and others and choose not to tell those stories, and some chose to do so. Some choose to leave the past in the past, and some decide to tell the story to steer others away from the life. Many MC’s have the story to tell, but have a gift to rhyme about being the best on the mic and some are just not street. There are extremely hood people that make little mention of their real street status as well as people that didn’t live in the hood but have strong hood ties. There is a common misconception that you HAVE to be from the “hood” to spit rhymes. Yes, it started in the hood, but the realistic qualities within the music and culture has allowed it to grow. In that growth, it was received by some that are more fortunate than others and they have had their turn to share their realities. I really don’t give a damn where your upbringings are from as long as the artist stays in their lane, that shit is dope, and your message isn’t false. Drake’s reality is that he made money, had a lot of time to think of good shit to say and it worked for him. The “he ain’t hood” gibberish is an overrated topic of discussion because again, it doesn’t determine if it’s dope or not. It is a device of hate that should be locked away without a key to release it. This isn’t a pro Drake session, he just happens to be a good example of one that has been a victim if player-hate-ish acts committed by some who may well be otherwise player rule abiding individuals, so we can consider this a pro “let people do them” session. Follow me on Twiiter or Facebook using the links above and remember TELL SOMEBODY!