The Internet is ablaze from the realest snitch rapper’s comments on Twitter. Along with the funny comments about these allegations, the serious question posed:
Is Drake really using a ghostwriter? Who is Drakes ghostwriter? What the hell is a ghostwriter?
Well to answer these questions in order
1. No he is not using a ghostwriter. In order to be a ghostwriter you need to not be credited.
2. Drake’s alleged ghostwriter is Quentin Miller
3. A ghostwriter is a person who crafts lyrics, melodies, or parts of a song and is NOT credited. The reason they are usually not credited is to not take a stab at an artist’s creditability.
Now its time for a history lesson of the ghost writer debacle in hip-hop!
Why is this topic even an issue?
In hip-hop, machismo and ego reign supreme. Who has the most money, who gets the most bitches females, whose garage has the nicest cars, and whose chain is bigger have been the hottest topics in rhymes across the country. Hip-hop was built among this same principle early on but it related to something much bigger than material wealth…who had the best pen (and for you lame sucka emcees this means: Who writes the best rhymes). While material goods and fat asses have paraded onto the TV screen, airwaves, and verses alike, one thing remains constant: hip-hop is built upon the art of rhyming!
Having a ghostwriter is like Michael Jordan subbing out in the final seconds of a game to let Pippen shoot the free throws (maybe LeBron should use this tactic…). A ghost writer is a straight shot at your creditability as an hip-hop artist. You can no longer brad about being the illest rapper, because you didn’t even write your own rhymes!
The alleged 10 Bands ghostwriter reference track:
NOW
In every other genre in the world, there are co-writers on most records. Think of early soul and RNB, there were like 5 songs and everybody did their own rendition…and no one cared! The debate was who sung the classic better! Pop music has given birth to artist that are beautiful specimens who may or may not have someone writer every single song for them. The label then markets the artist as a product but they will not be able to proudly wear the title of artist unless they are a phenomenal vocalist with a God given talent of an incredibly smooth vocal range.
YET
Somehow in hip-hop we have this stigma about having no ghostwriters! It is funny because most hip-hop features a song that has melody wrote by one person, a feature or hook that really brings the record together, and most likely the featured artist did not write either of those parts. Kanye’s creative process has really opened the doors to bringing a meeting of the best minds to create the best product. Kanye’s creative process has challenged the status quo of those making ‘quality hip-hop music’ and the bar has been raised. More and more artist are switching their creative process from solo headphones, pen, and paper sessions to open studio environments with numerous producers and artist contributing to the creative process. This has helped hip-hop evolve lyrically, sonically, and creatively and I for one am stoked about this! As a basketball fan, having a Michael Jordan is great…for games and individual performances. But having a supporting cast is how you win titles, and push the sport to new heights.
With all this being said Drake has numerous writers credited on a lot of songs, as one should making music at the level he is making and the amount of melodies in his music. I have long since known that his creative process involves PartyNextDoor and Majid Jordan as I can hear PartyNextDoor melodies within some of his rap verses. This never upset me as a fan, it was clear from the sound that as Drake’s creative circle grew, so did the ceiling for how good his music could get. And to be a ghostwriter you must NOT receive credit for your work and it is very evident that Drake has credited Quentin Miller! Drake’s longtime producer, Noah ’40’ Shebib, offered probably the best response to this whole fiasco here.
The real question we need to be asking ourselves is Why is Meek Mill so sour? He has constiently claimed on wax that he is a real street guy and lives by the street code. I’m pretty sure in ‘real street guy’ 101 the first code is NO SNITCHING! Meek has obviously broke the cardinal rule and also Drake is a friend of his lady’s…which leads me to wonder if he is sour about something or experiencing some jealously? I am not a gossip writer so I won’t even entertain those thoughts but on a more serious note I wonder why Meek is ousting the hottest record on his album? The only times I have been asked if I have heard Meek’s album has quickly been followed with the question “have you head R.I.C.O. yet?
I am a fan of Meek, but this whole thing is crazy and seems like he is either sour over something or pulling the usual album promotion tactic of a good old fashioned social media beef (please don’t take that comment serious).
We can only wish rap music was what it used to be and this would fuel tracks filled with high powered bars to be released and not social media post being over analyzed on every gossip outlet out about Drakes ghostwriter.
