Why the Hip-Hop Community Isn't Fully Embracing Drake Anymore

The hip-hop landscape is shifting beneath Drake's feet. What happens when one of music's biggest commercial stars finds himself increasingly at odds with the culture that helped elevate him? This episode of Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blonde Intelligence pulls no punches as we dissect the fascinating tensions between Drake and the hip-hop community.

At the heart of this cultural conversation lies authenticity—that precious currency in hip-hop circles. Drake's tendency to "cosplay" different identities, switching accents and styles depending on who he's around, has many questioning his artistic core. We explore how this chameleon-like quality, while showcasing versatility, raises legitimate concerns about genuineness in a genre built on keeping it real.

The musical boundaries Drake crosses—blending pop, R&B and hip-hop—have broadened his appeal but alienated purists. As one critic memorably described it, Drake creates "target music"—something pleasant to shop to rather than art addressing real struggle. This perception stands in stark contrast to artists like Kendrick Lamar, who many believe has "annihilated Drake in every form of hip-hop." We examine how this competition plays out in an ecosystem where battles have historically operated without rules, and whether Drake's more emotional approach contradicts hip-hop's combative traditions.

Beyond the music itself, we tackle the thorny questions of cultural appropriation and collaboration. Does Drake elevate the artists he works with, or simply absorb their styles before moving on? Has he benefited from Black culture without properly acknowledging its origins? From Megan Thee Stallion to Rick Ross, we highlight the growing chorus of voices challenging Drake's place in the culture.

Ready for a thought-provoking deep dive into hip-hop's evolving landscape? Subscribe to Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blonde Intelligence on your favorite podcasting platform and join the conversation about authenticity, cultural ownership, and what it truly means to contribute to hip-hop culture.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Welcome to this week's Indie Artist Music Hustle
with Blind Intelligence.
I'm your host, ms Ronnie, whereI always seek to give you
exquisite, friendly repertoire.
This week I want to talk alittle bit about the hip-hop
culture.
The reason why I want to talkabout this is because of all the

(00:46):
moves, I would say, that Drakehas made in how the culture is
not necessarily, I guess, eatingup what he normally does, but
hip-hop culture has a rich anddiverse history that encompasses
a wide range of influences,styles and perspectives, and

(01:10):
just to even use Kendrick as oneof those examples, I remember
Joe Budden saying somethingabout how Kendrick annihilated
Drake in every form of hip-hop,every form of hip-hop.
One prominent figure in thisculture is Stray, a Canadian
artist that has gainedwidespread acclaim.

(01:31):
However, there are severalreasons why segments of the
hip-hop community may not fullyembrace Stray.
Firstly is authenticity, whichplays a critical role in hip-hop
.
Many artists in this genrepride themselves on their roots
and experiences.
Drake, while talented, is oftenperceived as being more
commercial and mainstream, whichcan lead to questions about his

(01:54):
authenticity.
Critics argue that hisbackground doesn't reflect the
struggles that many blackartists face, which can alienate
him from certain audiences.
Space, which can alienate himfrom certain audiences and I
think the cosplaying and thechanging the accents and
basically becoming whoeveryou're around is a part of

(02:18):
people not, I guess, embracingthe way that Drake comes across.
Secondly, the concept ofrealness is vital in hip-hop.
Many fans appreciate artistswho represent their community's
hardships and triumphs.

(02:45):
Drake's music often blendsvarious genres, including pop
and R&B, which some fans arguedilutes the essence of hip-hop.
This blending can create adivide between traditionalists
who value the genre's originsand those who appreciate
cross-genre experimentation.
Additionally, competition isfoundational as an aspect of
hip-hop, especially in battle.
Rap Artists are expected to befierce and unapologetic in their

(03:07):
lyrical prowess.
And just think about I can'teven remember his name Easy the
block or something, when he wasbattling the guy and the guy
Remy Ma, and how.
When she was questioned aboutit Afterwards, she was like you
know, in hip-hop battles.

(03:28):
That's just the way it is, andI think that Drake has watched
enough hip-hop battles to knowthat there are basically no
rules and you can't go and cryabout it once you didn't feel in
skin to knee.
Some view Drake's moreemotional and introspective
lyric as a departure from theaggressive and confrontational

(03:51):
nature traditionally associatedwith hip-hop.
This can lead to perceptionsthat he is not fully
participating in the competitivespirit of the culture, and they
always say remember, hip-hop isa sport.
Collaboration in hip-hop isoften about showcasing talent
and contributing to thecommunity.

(04:11):
While Drake has collaboratedwith many artists, some feel
that he primarily elevates hisown brand rather than uplifting
less mainstream voices.
This focus on self-promotionover community engagement can
create a rift between him andcertain segments of the hip-hop
community, and I think that'sone of the reasons why they call

(04:32):
it the ovo uh camp or boot campor whatever.
Um, I would say mainly becausethe word on the curve is many of
the artists that collaboratewith him that are not mainstream
already, that he basicallytakes from them, adopts their

(04:53):
style and then throws them away.
Allegedly, there are discussionsabout cultural appropriation in
the music industry.
Some believe that Drake, as anon-black artist, has benefited
from black culture withoutsignificantly giving back or
acknowledging its origin.
This can foster resentmentamong some hip-hop purists who

(05:15):
feel that the contributions ofblack artists are being
overlooked or exploited for morecommercial gain, and I think
that was what, um, I want to saywas most deaf was saying that
great music was target music,music that you could shop to,
and it didn't have like realsubstance and that's like the

(05:37):
true origin of hip-hop thatyou're going to talk about.
The struggle this is how youovercame.
This is what I'm going throughand I don't think people just
chanting give me a hugconstitutes that it's not made
of that same fiber.
In conclusion, the black hiphop community's mixed feelings

(06:00):
toward Drake can be attributedto concerns of authenticity, the
value of realness, competition,collaboration and cultural
appropriation.

(06:21):
While Drake has undoubtedly madesignificant contributions to
the music industry, theseunderlying tensions illustrate
the complexity of identitywithin the hip-hop culture, and
drake is not.
I mean, uh, kendrick is not thefirst one who's called drake.
How?
Neither was it um rick ross,because I remember in megan
estallion's song kiss, she saidum something about drake there
and people kind of overlooked itbecause of the situation with

(06:42):
Nicki.
But people need to go back andlisten to that.
She was calling his ass out too.
But that's all that I have foryou this week.
Remember, you can catch IndieArtist Music Hustle with Blonde
Intelligence on your favoritepodcasting platform.
You can catch us on socialmedia sometimes and you can get
your merch atwwwblonde-intelligencecom.

(07:05):
And I'll see you next week.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
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media and on RPENTradiocom.

(07:27):
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