When Meek Mill accused Drake of not writing his very own raps a few weeks ago, a number of people wondered why that had been such a big issue. After all, singers in numerous genres generally don’t pen the word what they sing.
Beyond that, some said, various rap stars – including Kanye West, Diddy and in some cases Dr. Dre – are actually known to have benefit lyrics on their own albums. So, why was it this type of hot topic with Drizzy?
We asked legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier to break down the culture’s stigma against ghostwriting. Here’s what Preemo shared about Meek’s Drake allegations and why the genre places this importance on authenticity.
“Well, me and Dre just mentioned that when we is at the session. Dre was like, ‘Don’t put me in this box. I definitely ain’t no rapper. I’m only a dude that spits rhymes and what you write to me and I afflict like it. Once I as if it, then I’ll spit it.’
It really needs to be something that he is able to stand behind and earn it his. When you hear Dre rap, you’re not making the writing. You’re contemplating how dope he could be spitting that sh-t because he’s good at the delivery.” Check out What do you mean by Justin Bieber.
“So somebody like Drake, for all you body of training he’s released, it’s like, we definitely are gonna hold him liable for having dope rhymes that individuals consider him writing because after you ask for dope folks that you think is hot, I always put Drake from the new generation of rappers that I believe are incredible because I have a look at him because one that’s writing all his stuff.
So, if it’s where he’s being ghostwritten for, which we can’t prove yet – while I’ve heard several of the little demos which the other boy did – we don’t learn how true that is certainly. He may have just redone it and somebody paid him to set it out there. I don’t know. And I really don’t care. My main thing is, Drake may seem like too many of those records he’s done, they look like he wrote them. They just don’t look like somebody wrote a large number of joints for him in their carer.”
MCs Are Respected For Writing Their Own Lyrics
“If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, but from the hip-hop world, we, really praise lyricists for what you write and exactly how they spit it. When Rakim writes it and spits it achievable attitude; when Ice Cube writes it, KRS-One writes it, Chuck D writes it, and J. Cole writes it, when Jay Z writes it – whether or not it ain’t in writing – and Biggie, even Pac, Nas, it needs to come from you.
Again, we don’t put Dre in this box, but Drake, we all do put for the reason that box. Even if the rhyme is weak, we wish you to write it. So, if somebody helped him out with the hook, and hubby laid the hook and sang it, we don’t love that. But the verses? We want to hear your verse come form the human brain, your personal style, your flow, your attitude because we’ve been putting you in place on the top of the hill for that greatness you’ve been producing with all your material.”
Here’s Why Drake’s In Hot Water With Some Rap Fans
“With Drake, he or she is in a box, unfortunately, that the guy can’t leave where it’s like, ‘Yo, that pen better be yours.’ With Meek, I don’t put him inside same lyrical box as Drake. Meek is usually a street rapper. So I check out him even more of a straight hood rapper.
A hood rapper can kick that street talk and makes those types of records. Even though people inside the hood like Drake’s records, but Drake is really a lyricist. So, let’s hope that every that stuff we’ve been hearing all them years is really from his pen. If it ain’t, it’s another Milli Vanilli moment and I hope that’s untrue.”
DJ Premier Is Friends With Drake
“I’m excellent friends with Drake. I’m great friends with 40, his producer. I just expect that being what it’s but that ‘Back to Back’ sh-t is hot. And I’m sure he wrote that. But again, that whole thing about him not writing his rhymes, I just need more proof.
The songs that [Hot 97 DJ] Funkmaster Flex released and all that, I don’t know very well what the answer to that is certainly. But let’s hope those will be the only references that happen to be even left. And then in addition, ever since that cameras are stored on Drake, he know he gotta prove everybody wrong knowning that moment was that moment and zip further than that.”
Preemo Has Also Wanted Justin Bieber To Write His Own Raps
“The question thrown at me was, ‘Do you mind Justin Bieber being in a very [BET Awards] cypher?’ I said, ’Is he gonna spit a dope joint?’ They said, ‘He can rap. He can spit some verses. He’s actually great.’ I said, ‘Then, I’m down.’
But then, the term was – and I don’t learn how true it absolutely was – even so the next word I got later after I said, ‘I’m wit’ it if he’s gonna kill it and write his very own joints,’ the tutor said it’s possible that Luda[cris] would write it. I said, ‘If that’s the situation, hell no.’ That wasn’t said that which was gonna be, but I said, ‘If that’s the way it is.’”