Regardless of your thoughts on the existence of a higher power, the presence of fate cannot be underestimated. I’m not trying to engage in a conversation about the after life, but sometimes things happen that cannot go undocumented.
While sitting on the couch reminiscing about weeks past, a documentary following everyone’s favorite Degrassi superstar came on. “Better Than Enough” showed the struggles Drake endured while trying to transform himself from a mixtape demon into a billboard bloodsucker. His eloquent, soft-spoken demeanor can make even the biggest commitment phoebe melt into her previous unscathed self.
An hour of Drake wasn’t what I wanted but it was exactly what I needed. He briefly talks about how he’s constantly on the prowl for a woman to love deeply because he feels his mother and ultimate best friend was never treated right by a man. He’s no Weezy but damn that boy is smooth.
Now that he’s got the torch, lets see what he does with it.
In the post Chris Brown era the American music industry is drafting eligible recruits to fill the void that continues to plague the world of hip-hop and R&B. While interest temporarily surrounded such artists as KiD CuDi and Asher Roth, it would now seem that a Canadian has been chosen to save this musical genre. Raised in Ontario, by his Jewish mother and African American father, Aubrey Drake Graham was thrust into the spotlight at the vulnerable age of thirteen. It was then that Aubrey landed the lucrative role of the basketball star Jimmy Brooks on Canada’s hit television show Degrassi: The Next Generation. Throughout his eight-season run Aubrey was continually challenged by this role, having his character end up in a wheelchair after the fateful actions of a bullied classmate. However, while fame and fortune would be enough to quench the thirst of most adolescent boys, Aubrey yearned for more. Growing up with the musical influences of his father, a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis, Aubrey knew at a very young age where he wanted the direction of his career to go. While living in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Forest Hill in Toronto did present some obstacles, Aubrey invested his own earning to accomplish what many actors are unable to do, bridge the gap between two cultural industries.
The question must then be asked, what was it about the appeal of Aubrey that allowed him the opportunity to crossover from such vastly competitive cultural industries? While the music and television industries share similarities in the ways in which they operate towards their intended audiences, hostility often arises when artists initiate the transition from one to the other. Although they may gain success in terms of monetary revenue, actors frequently lose credibility when they add another talent to their repertoire. To avoid such conflict, Aubrey created two distinct personas’ that allowed him to immerse himself in the music he wished to create without being hindered by his association with the juvenile image of Degrassi. He did this by referring to himself as Drake, his middle name, when performing his music and keeping Aubrey strictly for film and television roles. He does this not to create a false representation of self but rather to grant him creative freedom. Unlike other artists, he understands that those watching him play Jimmy Brooks won’t necessarily understand his lyrics about his own life experiences apart from acting. By doing this he established two conflicting audiences, with one consisting of eleven to seventeen-year-old girls and the other one of hardcore hip hop fanatics.
Under his new persona, Drake released his first mix tape, Room for Improvement, in February of 2006 and distributed it free of charge through his Myspace page and official website. Although it garnered him little notoriety in the music business, what success did come from its exposure was used to propel the release of his second effort, Comeback Season, in 2007. His second attempt granted him much critical acclaim, an article in Rolling Stone magazine, and the opportunity to work with Lil’ Wayne, arguably one of the most influential entertainers in the music industry. Under the guidance and influence of Lil’ Wayne, Drake slowly began to establish himself as a frontrunner in the underground hip hop scene, as he continued to release mix tapes that included collaborations with Lil’ Wayne, Robin Thicke, and Kanye West. Drake’s networking not only established his credibility but also acquired him a dedicated online fan base, before he had even signed a record deal. Furthermore, it displayed Drake’s knowledge regarding the commercial aspects of the music industry, as he realized that the broader your foundation, the greater possibility one would have for success. This according to Yves Darbouze, CEO of the marketing firm pLot Multimedia, helped to create Drake’s “blue chip” marketability. After measuring the algorithms of positive vs. negative online comments, it was determined that Drake scored 78 percent, substantially higher than that of P.Diddy’s 48 to 58 percent. Apparently by associating himself with everyone in music industry, it makes it extremely difficult to hate on Drake.
While Drake’s networking put him into direct contact with some of the music industries most successful hip hop artists, it’s his music that deserves the recognition. Unlike the 1990’s that experienced a true transformation in the way people viewed hip-hop, rap and R&B, with the comings of Tupac, Biggie Smalls, and Run DMC, the new millennium has witnessed a drought in true musical talent. It has been taken over by individuals who determine their success by means of gold chains, environmentally unfriendly automobiles and the size of their female entourage. Little attention has been paid to true lyricism and musical production. This is why many refer to Drake as the savior of hip-hop. He goes back to its roots and concentrates on what he says rather than what might possibility come out of it. He isn’t afraid to discuss the illusion of fame and fortune, he even goes as far as rapping about how his Rolls Royce Phantom was actually leased rather than bought in his song “Say What’s Real". His lyrics frequently refer to his absent father and what it’s like growing up bi racial in a country that values racial affiliation. Drake strays away from romanticizing the “thug” life, as he’s well affair of his more than privileged upbringing. Ultimately, he represents everything that is good about hip hop, and the feeling one gets when a brilliant individual, such as himself, is able to put together any set of words, about any subject matter, and make it feel as if they were born to rhyme. He straddles the line between overly sexualized versus eye candy and ignorant versus strategically cocky. Perhaps Drake is the only rapper who can make references to the television show “Boy Meets World” sound appropriate in a song about hip hop groupies. In essence, Drake demonstrates the confusion that comes along with being twenty-two years old and having the whole world in your grasps. Anyone can listen to his song “Brand New” and relate to the feeling of being insecure in a relationship and wanting to replace old memories with new ones. Drake is both the bad boy that you would never being home to meet your parents and the childhood neighbor you never forget. However, what is most important is that he makes this transition seem effortless, which only a true lyricist and musician could do.
With the digital release of his latest mix tape, So Far Gone, Drake has created a sensation perhaps never before seen in hip hop. While he was already well established with mix tape fanatics and Young money followers, the music label behind Lil’ Wayne, Drake was now being introduced to the luxuries of mainstream hip-hop. In the three years since the release of his first effort, Drake had yet to land a record deal. However, when So Far Gone was downloaded an upwards of 8,000 times in its first two hours of release, a bidding war of epic proportions began. When the mix tapes first single “Best I Ever Had” hit the airways, and was independently released on iTunes, Drake’s infectiousness became known to millions of individuals not just in Canada but also around the world. The track hit No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Track and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs charts and climaxed at No. 3 on the Hot 100. These numbers are even more substantial when one takes into the account the track’s availability online for free. From this hype, Drake landed what has been said to be the greatest record deal in the musical industry since the 1970’s. Under the agreement signed with Aspire/Young Money/Cash Money records and distributed through Universal, Drake received a 2 million dollar advance, ownership over the publishing rights of his songs and cedes only 25 percent of his music sales revenues to his label. This deal also shows his loyalty to mentor Lil’ Wayne, as he decided to stay with Young Money and began to build an empire with the individual who helped launch his career.
While Drake’s current position in hip-hop is unique to say the least, there has been great speculation regarding its legitimacy. If we were to compare his rise to fame with that of Jay-Z, arguably one of the greatest MC’s of all time, Drake’s struggle seems more like a Sesame Street episode than that of a hard fought battle. He has gained the status and celebrity that is generally associated with musical longevity, without even releasing a studio album. He hasn’t had to overcome poverty, gang violence or the struggle of having to sell records out of the backseat of your car. This is not to say that his talents aren’t worthy of such admiration or praise, it is merely stating that its going to be hard to produce an album that will be able to live up to all the hype. No matter how authentic his next album Thank Me Later is, Drake will continue to bare the burden of justifying his place in hip-hop. He will have to address his middle class upbringing in Canada, Jewish background, and the similarities that are found between his work and that of Kayne West. Can he accomplish this? Can he do what no other Canadian hip-hop artist has been able to do since Kardinal Official, who Drake ironically has a beef with? As of now, it looks promising. With potential collaborations with Rihanna and Dr. Dre, Drake has the potential to be a real threat in the industry, more so than he already is.
Drake is a triple threat, he sings, he acts and he writes lyrics that turns simple lines into life metaphors. His rise to greatness has already started, as its hard not to leave the house without hearing one of Drake’s infectious rhymes. While he has been breaking girls hearts since the ripe old age of thirteen, with his award-winning role of Jimmy Brooks, he has now reached a new level of success. His name is being grouped with some of the greatest musicians of this generation and millions are anticipating the release of his first studio album in the early months of 2010. Drake has changed the face of the music industry by bringing back artistic integrity and a true devotion to musical production. Although he has encountered obstacles along the way, such as his ethnic background and association with a PG television show, Drake is now seen as an actor and a musician rather than an actor-musician. While the hyphen may not mean much, in the world of hip hop it separates the legitimate players from those just passing through. As Canadians we should be proud that one of our own is finally being associated with some of today’s greatest music. We should be even more proud that he has decided to cherish women in his lyrics and write about real life experiences rather than exploit the benefits of his fame. To me, Drake is the one artist who I can count on. He puts me in the mood for any situation and knows exactly what to say and how to say it. I can proudly say that I am immersed within the Drakemania that has been taking over North America for the past six months and I am also a firm believer that Drake will save the future of hip-hop.
FYI: This was written in October 2009
