I’m pretty late here, but I find this necessary to still be talked about: last week Drake did a pretty extensive video with Allhiphop.com about various topics, some of which we’ve already heard about even before this blog began, ranging on topics from Rihanna to the Lil Kim/Nicki Minaj issue, yahdayah. What both peaks my interest all of a sudden while also showing that I’m pretty slow on picking up the indirect shit is one part of the interview where he discusses a rap style which has been picked up by quite a few rappers, inclusing just about every member of Young Money themselves:
AllHipHop.com: How much do Young Money artists bounce off each other? I noticed you have similar inflections and cadences or rhyme patterns. I noticed this one thing that Nicki said, “It’s going down. Basement.â€
Drake: Well, that flow has been killed by so many rappers. And, I never want to use that flow again in life. [Laughs] I wanted to take if off my album, because I was like, “I shut ‘em down. Onyx.†I hate the fact that that rhyme is still in there. To be honest, that flow, you can trace it back to like…I trace it back to Big Sean (artist on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music). That’s the first guy I heard utilize that flow throughout the duration of a verse. I’ll give him that credit. I think Kanye got it from him. Me and Wayne found a dope way to do it. I don’t want to sound cocky, but the best way its been used was on “Forever.†Those lines just all individually make so much sense. They’re all punchlines. Then a bunch of rappers started doing it and using the most terrible references in the world. I don’t want to offend somebody…I hate that rappers picked that flow up. I wish they had left that for people that know how to use it. [They go like] “It’s a parade! MACY’S!â€
So, what I learned from this excerpt are two things: 1) Big Sean was apparently the inventor of this variation of punchline, and 2) Ludacris is one individual that Drake feels sucked at pulling the flow off. Anyways, Illseed made a mention in his rumor blog that chances are there won’t be a response but I will say I am sure looking for ward to see how Ludacris feel about that statement…
Read the entire interview in it’s entirely, on Allhiphop.com.
