Now before you start judging me and assume that I don't know what rap music is let me explain to you my background on the subject. I am from the Midwest and was born in 85, in my household we had Heavy D and LL Cool J playing all day. When I got older i was rocking my semi high top fade with the part while Kris Kross told me how to jump jump. The m-e-t-h-o-d man was on the radio and P Diddy was Puff Daddy. My god brother put me on Bad Boy and a little bit of Wu Tang. My cousin on the other hand show me how the West Side was the best side with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, E-40, Snoop Dogg, and of course 2 Pac. When I was in middle school I had an ear for the South. Outkast, UGK, 8ball & MJG, and of course Master P was the soundtracks to the older heads around the way. Also in the Midwest we had our own local legends like Twista, Bone Thugs, Do or Die, Psycho Drama, and Crucial Conflict. At the end of my Senior year of high school I was throwing up the Roc and was on Eminem side when Ja Rule stepped out of line and mention Hailey name in a song.
The New Generation
It is funny how a couple years in Hip Hop can change the game. Before I knew it rappers were turning into singers and using Auto Tune. My beloved Roc a Fella record family broke up and so called "gangsta" were wearing pink fur coats. If that wasn't enough all rappers talked about was their cars, houses, hoes, and bank rolls. In this drought of rap music I could only listen to certain rappers as follow: Kanye West, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z, and T.I. Rap music glorified the drug game mentality so much college students that wanted to be rappers lie about there academic background to be "Goon Affiliated". For a moment I was almost done with rap music and started listing to other genre. Then Jay-Z drop his single D.O.A. and had everyone in shock. It was a long time coming for someone to stand up and say "your jeans too tight". I mean for real who sags skinny jeans? Before I knew it a whole new generation of rappers slowly making their way to the forefront and I started listening.
The New Hope
The new faces of rap music that I happen to like all have one thing in common they are my age. Meaning they were born into hip hop. It sorta like old money vs new money. Old money are people being born into money, they know how money works. And that is my point, Drake knows how rap works. Now I will admit when I first heard about Drake I thought he was this Mickey Mouse rapper with his auto tune gimmick and it didn't help that he was a Canadian teen actor. But a friend of mine told me to listen to him one more time. When I played his song one more time and actually listen to his lyrics he was talking about his truth. In everyone of his songs he talk about lost love, his family, his drive to be successful, his fears, and his regrets. Not boats and hoes or how much blow he pushed. Now I am not dick riding, after listening to his debut album he still has a long way to go to be a legend. But like Obama health care bill its a step into the right direction. Now I am not placing all my chips on Drake but I am watching to see what he is going to do next. If you still think that Drake is still whack then see for yourself. I suggest you listen to his two mixtapes The Comeback Season and So Far Gone and post your comments. If you are too stubborn to give him a chance then congradulation you have just become one of those old "back in my day music was music" people.
Other suggestions
J. Cole - The Come up and The Warm up
B.o.B - The Adventure of Bobby Ray
Kid Cudi - A Kid name Cudi and Man on the Moon
