A Drake's progress: why the rapper has something to mope about
|
Version 0 of 1. On Thursday Drake unexpectedly released his new mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Considering it seems to lack much in the way of big singles, some have dismissed it, or even described it as more “sad boy ennui” from a man who perfected the art form. His recent short film Jungle (which will also appear on the album as a shorter track) has been dismissed by some as a “sulkfest”. After all, say critics, considering he’s basically the most famous rapper out right now, with money, cars and the love of Canucks from coast to coast, what could he have to be brooding about? Plenty, which is why Drake has never been more interesting. He’s caught in the middle of numerous battles right now, and has reason to worry about becoming collateral damage. Most prominent is the beef between Cash Money label co-owner Baby and Lil Wayne, Drake’s label boss at Young Money (a subsidiary of Cash Money). Though they were once kin, Wayne wants desperately out from under Baby’s control, and has sued for $51m, asking to take Drake and Nicki Minaj as well. Related: Lil Wayne reportedly sues record label Cash Money for $51m Until recently it wasn’t clear how Drake felt about all of this, but If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late pretty much confirms that he’s on Team Weezy. Star67 begins with a clip from Wayne complaining about the rap game, and then Drake raps: “Brand new Beretta/ Can’t wait to let it go/ Walk up in my label like ‘Where the check, though?’ / Yeah I said it, wouldn’t dap you with the left, ho.” Baby has been criticized for underpayment for years, from nearly every prominent artist he’s worked with, so Drake’s frustrations are not surprising. But considering that Baby has him tied up under contract, as he does with Wayne, it remains to be seen if either artist will get satisfaction. But Baby isn’t the only top-level hip-hop executive that Drake is facing down. At a Miami Beach nightclub in December Diddy punched Drake, reportedly upset that he’d used a Boi-1da beat he’d previously been in possession of for 0 to 100/ The Catch Up, which became a hit. On Used To, Drake raps: “Man, you couldn’t have hated that/ Let’s be real, nigga, you couldn’t have made it that.” Meanwhile, last week, Houston rap mogul J Prince released a “courtesy call”, threatening people including Diddy and Baby. Prince is the founder of Rap-a-Lot Records, famous for acts like the Geto Boys, and his son Jas Prince is credited with discovering Drake. In the message J Prince warned Diddy of potential physical retribution, and strongly suggested Cash Money’s Baby and Slim Williams pay Drake “every penny due”. Lest anyone laugh these off as idle threats, these are serious men who have been accused of violent acts. Diddy has been accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur (most notably in former LAPD detective Greg Kading’s Murder Rap). Prince, meanwhile, has been the subject of assault allegations and a lengthy DEA investigation that began in the 80s, though he was not convicted in either case. Despite being at the center of these potentially deadly situations, Drake is undeterred, and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late takes aim at seemingly everyone he has a problem with, which also includes rappers Tyga, Kanye and Kendrick Lamar, and even his mum. The constant criticism of Drake is that he’s soft and he’s only rapping for the ladies, and while the new release has its share of ballads and lovelorn subject matter, it’s hard to make those claims anymore. At times he’s downright brazen on the mixtape, which is what makes it so compelling. Sure, he’s narcissistic, and that’s the main charge against his inward-looking new 14-minute film, Jungle, which features him driving around Toronto and visiting what looks like the world’s most depressing strip club. Sure, it’s downright Kanyeezyian in its style and its focus on the rapper, and it’s not exactly action packed. The edgiest thing Drake does is drive without a seatbelt. But it’s nonetheless a perfect encapsulation of him at a crucial moment in his career. “Shit’s just crazy. The whole energy out here is just changing, you know. It’s getting dark quick,” he narrates, in a moment reminiscent of The Sopranos’ scene where Tony and his brother-in-law Bobby ponder the end. “It feels like anybody’s a target, you just don’t know where it’s going to come from.” Yes, he’s sullen. Yes, he’s worried. Yes, he’s moody. But you would be too. Drake’s human, and never more so than in this new work. If he were still lamenting having to choose between models, or bottles of expensive wine, that would be one thing. But this could be life and death, even if it’s still bound to make his core fans randy. |