Mos Def decided to set off a nuke spontaneously at Drake during a podcast, which immediately polarized fans of both artists. Although Mos Def makes a fair and infectiously comical point about Drake’s music being “pop” and inspiration for “shopping,” he has SKUs in other buckets of life that make him the perfect candidate for a pop pass.
Sports Anthem Gawd
Drake’s music is a pantheon of sports alliterations, allegiances, and homage.
“Kobe ’bout to lose a hundred fifty Ms / Kobe my nia, I hate it had to be him / B*h, you wasn’t with me shootin’ in the gym.” Replete with a Rick Ross ad lib echoing Drakes’s gym sentiments, Rick Ross’ “Stay Schemin’” is a universal gesture of hurt that any man would feel if they were in Kobe Bryant’s shoes.
The opening intro sequence of the sports agency and football lifestyle show “Ballers” is Drake spitting his verse from “Right Above It,” and, frankly, there is no better substitute. The song drops you right in the middle of all the wealth, athleticism, sizzle, and glamour that defines South Florida.
With Kevin Durant serving as an A&R of Drake’s last album, “For All The Dogs,” the Toronto native is looking like the bridge for Durant and possibly others to dip their toe in music production at a high level. For the sports references, the evolution of sports relationships, and general quotables, Drake gets a pass.
P.S. DMX already gave a strong take on this, so the congregation already heard the gospel.
Range
Exhibit B for Drake’s pop pass is a no-brainer: Range
Interestingly, Mos Def had this obvious take on Drake when what is readily more apparent is his range. Mos Def is a range master as an actor, part-time hook singer, and MC. However, claiming Drake is limited to his commercially viable hits is a mistake. Without a doubt, Drake is an MC. Look no further than songs like “5 AM in Toronto,” “Tuscan Leather,” or “O To 100” where he spits:
“I been Steph Curry with the shot / Been cookin’ with the sauce, Chef Curry with the pot, boy / 360 with the wrist, boy.”
Floss mode on swole while pairing sports references effortlessly.
Collaborations
Face it, folks, Drake is the collab king. From the newest breaking artists to seasoned vets, Drake raps with all of them. Adding Sexxy Red to his song, “Rich Baby Daddy,” or jumping on Migos’ “Versace” is par for the course in his catalog. Each one is memorable and becomes an anthem for a season. It is what it is.
Respect
Drake has no problem shouting out his OG’s and those who inspired him from afar. From Wu-Tang to Dipset, Drake has always shown love, and again, he constantly reaches out to the new generation for features. Drake is as much for anyone who loves rap as he is for those who only follow his commercial hits.
Commercialization, Baby
Mos Def pointed to the elephant in the room so to address it. Commercialization is as much an asset as it is a perceived detriment to the purity of the art form. Drake is showing artists how to become very successful, which is to be aligned with every audience, literally the definition of pop culture. There will always be a tradeoff with any immense success, and for Mos Def, Drake is now music for “shopping.”
However, the SKUs Drake has in the universe are only inspiration, and he deserves a pop pass for amplifying the culture as much as Mos Def feels he is cannibalizing it.
