What's being ignored here is Yasiin's exact wording: "Drake is pop to me." Those last two words are the important part. As I see it, what he's saying is, Drake is a part of the pop ecosystem in a way which, while he may still be a hip-hop artist, puts him in a slightly different conversation from a lot of hip-hop, and one which is more about the state of pop culture in and of itself. Hence his rhetorical question about empire: When we talk about Drake, we stop talking about hip-hop and start talking about stardom, and whether or not stardom of his type is truly sustainable, whether for him or *in general.*
I think that last part is him trying to soften his words. U must consider that in the last ten years especially the idea of pop has changed. Drake is pop 💯
@@th3in3rmountingflam3 You are correct. Pop music and as a genre had a particular sound but over the last 10 years has morphed to be what is listened to by the most people
I think you put this perfectly. When we talk Drake, we often stop talking about Hip-hop and start talking about stardom. Charts, impact on culture (outside of hip-hop culture lol), marketing etc. A lot of convos about Drake are more like convos about a socialite. Even his music content lives in an Internet meta-aware place.
Drake’s status at this point is he is a pop artist. He is a walking billboard. He provides the soundtrack of consumerism. Calling him a pop artist isn’t a diss, that’s what he is. The most important part of what Yasiin said that many people seem to have missed is: “Buying and selling, where’s the message I can use?” Where is the message? Where is the social commentary? What is the essence of Drake’s music? Is it just to keep the buying and selling and sales going? Sure Hip Hop is fun music but you always felt it was for those who had nothing and are counterculture and against the establishment that is just about materialism, exploiting disenfranchised people and making money.
The more I hear everyones opinion, the more I see how people missed Yasiin’s point. It was more directed towards capitalism and how artist aren’t speaking on what’s going on around us, geopolitically. Basically, we need a ‘What’s Going On’ type of album in todays climate
That & Drake changed & adopted popular waves to gain/maintain this level of superstardom while other Hip Hop artists who became Pop Culture Influences like a Kanye never made a dance record (Crank That, Its Goin Down) or snap record, or intentionally fished for a ringtone song to become Pop. Gold Digger was a big ringtone song but didn't sound like the Crunk & snap music of that time.
Nah. Its really not that deep, he was Gatekeeping and throwing shade at drake "likable" music, Drake is hip hop man. C’mon. Il give you that he tried to turn it to a capitalist critique at some point but nah.Disappointing from an Artist that should know way better
@SublimeMK If you know anything about Mos Def then you know it is that deep. He's been speaking about things like this on the luminaries podcast for the past couple years.
Not discussing the political ramifications of Yasins quote made this video fall flat to me. His point was much broader than the hip-hop as a genre conversation… it’s hip hop as a cultural touchstone and movement against the powers at be 🫡
Not mad at you guys at all for covering the music side of that interview. Big fan. I encourage everyone to listen to the part of the interview where Yasiin talks about Palestine, Congo, and Sudan. Powerful stuff.
Mos Def said so much more. I wish more people watched the full actual position he took. He said so much more and this little bit makes it seem like its a smaller concept.
Facts... Dude spoke to the collapse of American empire, complicity in on-going genocides... And we stuck on some commentary about Drake. And that's not shade at DEHH, I get that they might be trying to stay in a lane.... But we gotta do better....
@@Legbas_Ear and thats why he says drake isnt hip hop. He is saying hip hop is revolutionary, disruptive. Drake is the opposite. But yeah no one has really tied in WHY he says he isnt hip hop, they try to keep it to just the commercial music but its more.
@@Carlosbbbbb1 , to the point you were making about hip hop being radical, this might be a useful video to check out: ruclips.net/user/liveJfWfuqSfTZs?si=5EtHnC4Yv7r28QD0 The whole channel is dope, if you find your politics are similarly aligned to the folks featured, but some of Dr. Ball's reflections and dialogue about hip hop specifically, and media in general are worth digesting
On a unrelated note, just listened to Black on Both Sides for the first time last week, now I just bought the album on CD because it's now one of my all-time favorites now
Easily the best part of this whole thing. At least thousands and thousands of people who were not really familiar with Mos Def core discography, or his music at all, had to check him out cuz of this.
Drake said something about Mos Def first when he came out with his poetry book " can you do a article now where the baddest Instagram girls in the world reviews my poetry book and not the head of the Mos Def fan club " so Mos Def point was valid
I honestly think that when "Good Kid, Mad City" blew "Nothing Was The Same" out the water, Drake decided that he'd just focus on the charts instead of being the G.O.A.T in Hip-hop. The thing is that, in his heart of hearts, he still wants that G.O.A.T status. So hearing, Yasiin, an artist Drake is obviously influenced by, say this stung a little bit.
The question was lazy. Anything to invoke Drake. A click piece to garner views. This man has a whole career and we had to take it there. Show a little more respect for Bey.
That is what I feel as well! The interviewer wanted a soundbite to go viral and it did. I would have loved to hear Bey's thoughts on the culture and for that to go viral. It is not about defending Drake or Bey or whoever. It was lazy journalism
I do think Drake makes hip-hop, but y’all gotta cut it out with the idea that rapping automatically makes a song hip-hop. Rapping is just one element and it’s been around longer than hip-hop.
@@alang4190 nah, that’s not how it works. As diverse as hip-hop is, it’s still more than just rapping. That’s how it’s always been and how it always will be. All genres have distinct qualities.
Why didn't Yall ask yourselves the question, what is hip hop and what is it supposed to be? I noticed that myke said that hip hop would've died a long time ago with Yasin's attitude. I personally think yasin would be okay with that because at least it would die with integrity
Like imagine you create a genre of movie meant to help progress the mindset of young black individuals and then 10 years later people are make movies that DO NOT DO THAT and are saying it's in the same genre because it has similar characteristic or it derives from your work. You would want it to be classified as something different because the core principle has shifted
You got to watch whole interview. He defines Hip Hop in a unique way and the conversation is heavily cultural and political conversation. He got some push back on his possible contradictions. "The fall of Empire" are clues, also the white voice in target....politics of music..
@@DibsEquipped He’s talking about the end of the US empire but people don’t see it yet because they are shopping at Target buying throw away products listening to the latest Drake song. The whole thing is unsustainable and the US government foreign policy has destroyed its leadership position in the world add to that the country being 30 trillion plus in debt. Mos was saying all that but most are too dumb to recognise it and are more concerned with trivial bs than actually what’s going on in the real world!
I can see why Drake got upset. I think Yasiin Bey took a light-hearted shot that is probably a fraction of his larger feeling. The second part of his thoughts seemed more important to him, this feeling that Drake's music doesn't have enough substance and may be overly accessible / not challenging enough. My guess is that a lot of artists types don't really enjoy art that might, in their view, pander to the lowest common denominator. Overall I still think Drake is a modern hip hop artist who can lean in to pop and R&B and now electronic/dance stuff.
Drake stans are funny. Losing their minds because another artist told the truth about charmin ultra soft drake. Now they're trying to put an asterisk on the genre.. "yeah.. but but but.. he's also THIS" It's cool.. he might have rapping skills and have some good hiphop tracks to y'all.. that doesnt take away that he's a pop artist.
Everything about this moment was correct, but I'll admit. I was just like "Do you think Drake is Hip-Hop?" Question. I just fold because it's like, we sitting there for a Yasiin interview and this young lady wants to talk about how she likes Drake?
He’s more pop than hip hop, most drake fans don’t listen or know much about rap/hip hop. Literally none of them even knew he was sneak dissing Kanye on sicko mode because drake makes his bars so digestible that it’s pop even though it rhymes.
And to top it off there’s nothing revolutionary or political about him to be hip hop. He stands for nothing because he wants to be appealed by everyone… that’s not hip hop to me
@@tariqwilliams8968 more hip hop than drake, he constantly pushes heavy ideas even though they are after Kanye west and the fact that he doesn’t really write or produce his music… but that’s not the point lol but yeah everyone wants to dress like him watch his documentaries, rage at his concerts in a cult like way… he’s more edm mixed with hip hop in a very Avant garde way… no one likes drakes interviews no one wants to dress like drake no one has serious conversations about his music anymore because it’s stale and safe
@@ghostgore2.0 you sound you just don’t like drake bro so ima let you have it but when Drake said YOLO the whole world was saying YOLO when Drake put a heart in his haircuts the whole world did that so let’s not be bias but you probably don’t know how to be objective when it comes to Drake so you got it 😂😂
Drake hasn’t made a decent album since IYRTITL. That’s a long time. Drake sucks these days. Even thought he doesn’t have the biggest catalogue ever, Mos if one of the greatest rappers of all time.
The point of Yasiin went over all of y’all head. He was referring to Drake and all of the artists currently influenced by him not putting any substance in their music outside of the typical talking points about capitalism and consumerism. The greater point of what he was talking about is being missed. Disappointed not one of y’all mentioned this at all. There are more parts of that interview that nobody is talking about that brings further clarification to that small segment about if Drake is Hip Hop. Drake has been quoted saying he’s a pop star, not a doctor anyway so I don’t understand why everyone is up in arms over Yasiin’s opinion.
The way I look at it is this…Aubrey Graham IS Hip-Hop. Drake is not. Aubrey appreciates Little Brother and all the underground hip hop stuff. Drake is not a reflection of the things that his true self likes. Simple.
im not even much a Drake fan but love his early beats even and rhyming. I think you are right about that but Drake ate that dude alive in becoming this huge star
Being able to rap does not make you hip hop. Appreciating music that's more authentic than the music he _chooses_ to make does not make him hip hop. If he appreciates underground stuff but only uses it to catch a trendy wave, that makes him, Aubrey Graham, a sellout.
Drake came up from the underground with rappers like Nickelus F rapping over MF DOOM and Kanye beats. He joined one of the most iconic hip hop labels in Young Money with Lil Wayne as his mentor. He’s dropped some of the biggest hits within the culture. He’s collaborated and helped put on several hip hop artists year after year. There’s no way Drake isn’t hip hop.
Hip hop is an art form. If someone doesn't actually contribute anything to the art (lyrics, melodies, production ect) then how is he hip hop? I think just calling him pop rap is fine
You know when Remy Ma said this about Doja Cat I got mad, because I heard her stuff before she went the pop route. It's his opinion and he ain't lying. I just wish we didn't have to bring Drake up at all when interviewing a legend like Yasiin. Why disrespect his legacy trying to get a sound bite asking him about another artist, framing it all in the negative? Lazy journalism, but I'm glad he answered it and didn't run from the question or dance around it.
I think what Yasiin is saying about the collapse of an empire and how everything is a product is much more important and interesting than his comments about Drake in particular, because Drake in particular is not interesting at all, just another product.
There have been instances where rappers have entered the pop scene at different times (50, Jay, Nelly, Luda, Kanye, Em), but for the most part, they are synonymous with Hip Hop. Drake is hip hop, but he’s had the most prominent pop appeal of any rapper in history due to the change of times in music and how it's consumed. His superpower is accessibility because whether I enjoy each album or not, he has something for somebody, which is why Mos’s mall analogy works.
Drake is definitely pop but its a slight stretch to say he isn't hip hop. He has a career of solid verses, rhymes, and flows its just not what he's known and credited for. Not as good as mos def but a skilled and competent rapper for sure
No, it's not a stretch because pop and hip hop are not the same thing. It can't be both. What y'all are calling hip hop is not that. What Drake does dilutes hip hop culture.
@@takejaylor3528 Tell me how it is one. Seems like average ass rapping to me and the same nothing subjects he always raps about. You come on now. I hope you got a better example than that. 😐
Well to be fair I work at in retail and I said “ uh oh they gone complain” when I heard Sicko mode come on. Two days later it was no longer playing. So it is shopping with an edge.
I think the likeable point is maybe my favorite point here. Making likeable art almost goes against the essence of creating art. It's cool when people like it, but once you're making it because you know they'll like it one way it loses something. That's maybe the core difference between pop rap and hip hop (imo) - hip hop in it's truest form goes against the grain and isn't seeking mainstream validation. Drake rides that line and it's almost unfair to some rappers to put them in the same category. I didn't take what he said as hate though - I think he was just being honest about how he felt.
I think you guys missed what Yasiin Bey was REALLY saying. He’s looking at “pop music” as music that is catering to the viewer to garner sales. Hiphop songs can be pop, look at black eyed peas. Mos Def is simply saying the ESSENCE of hiphop is an outlet for black people to voice their problems. The police, the government, mental health etc. whether Yasiin’s definition of hiphop is correct is up to you guys to decide, but you didn’t even notice it to make that distinction.
@@jodystar773Beezy got the most hip hop knowledge out the whole group and produces alot of the music u hear on DEHH wtf u talking bout. Rods takes are super whack tho to be fair
@kazzykaioken8873 I don't watch them like that, so you might be right. But when I do watch, beezy barely talks & rod just says the same thing over & over. While he waits to debate whatever Mike says, lol
Drake doesn't say anything in his music that has any depth or weight, he's just a walking billboard. I totally agree, its just a product. People wait for the next drake album where he says nothing, then forget about it, then wait on the next one. He's soulless, and that video of him hanging around that 11 year old rapper... gross dude all around
Just because YOU need to be preached to in music and taught like a little school girl doesn’t mean all music needs to be that way.. people listen to music for different purposes.. mine isn’t to be bored out of my brain
The level of cap in the video ia ridiculous... Just because hes considered a rapper does not make him hip hop for hip hop is a culture..not a genre and drake just doesn't embody the culture because you never see him interacting or communicating with the streets as opposed to the elites at the top. Even if were talking about subject manner drake mainly talks bitches and luxury.
Drake is not hiphop or at least not core. He's the embodiment of capitalism in hiphop. It's maximum crossover appeal to the point where you don't know if he's a rapper or not. He's definitely pop hiphop and it's not an issue but he's an actor portraying an R&B artist that has some fire verses. He's a great artist but there's definitely separation between the elements that J Cole uses and what elements that Drake uses.
You don't need to RAP to be Hip Hop. we have singers that have been a part of our Hip Hop Culture, Total, Mary J, Mariah, SWV, Aaliyah, Jodeci, Nate Dogg, Dru Hill, Erykah. They were straight up singers that were very much a part of Hip Hop culture. Drake is pop rap.
The fact that Drake had to use an old Method Man clip instead of responding himself proves that Drake doesn't really know what Hip Hop culture is. Drake is "Pop" not Hip Hop. Hip Hop is disruptive art. Drake conforms and represents corporate interests.
Drake would’ve looked worse doing a visual response explaining why he’s hip hop lol, he’s just saying there’s different lanes in rap and he’s not in mos’ lane. I’m sure if you asked mos back in 2000 who’d more hip hop between Nas and Jay z who do you think he’d think 😂
Pop doesn’t have a sound nor is bound to a specific genre of music. It literally means what it says which is music that is popular. There was time when Jazz was pop music and Rock n Roll plus certain soul music. Hip Hop has been a pop music for a while now and it is now in the beginning stages of decline in terms of the demand for it by casual listeners of the genre.
I listen to every Drake album when it comes out, they aren't very good to me overall but every one of his albums have a few bangers on them. "Stories about my brother" straight heat to me. Drake is McDonald's it's ok every once in awhile
From that clip, Mos Def was clear on what he said. Hip Hop is about delivering a message, from the roots to the fruits. His conception of hip hop is about the message. Drakes message is whats typically found in Pop and RnB
I think y’all missed the point of what Yasiin Bey was truly getting at. It’s not even really about whether or not Drake is hip-hop or pop (he’s pop though, come on) but more so about how commercialized and sanitized Drake’s music is. Hip-hop has been completely incorporated into US imperialism and is used to further spread the ideas and values of the US ruling capitalist class. Before hip-hop truly became this popular, hip-hop spoke truth to power and was used to organize and galvanize people against the status quo and bring to light the exploitation and racism under the capitalist-imperialist system. And now we’re seeing this US empire crumbling around the world as its arrogance and hubris is catching up to it with its non stop wars against those of the global majority. You got the US/NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, trying to war with China, funding the Zionist entity’s genocide against Palestinians, and now bombing Yemen with the British because they are trying to stop this genocide. It’s more about how we’re seeing the collapse of US empire and this commercialized music isn’t going mean anything when the empire falls and we need to be organizing with each other for socialism.
Is Drake hip hop, NO HE IS NOT. Does Drake know, respect and want to be respected by hip hop, YES. But most of his music is a mixed bag which very rarely leans to hip hop, more R&B/pop and other styles/genres that he jumps on to act like he started that wave.
I feel like a lot of the reactions to what Mos said are based on a follow up question that didn’t happen. If she would have asked him if he is saying that Drake is not rapping, I don’t he would have confirmed it. He literally explained what he meant by saying he is pop.
Yall missed the point. He was talking about more of what Drake represents while we are in what seem to be a very low point as far as humanity goes. Some people really want to forget and enjoy him that’s cool but for everyone else it’s kinda vapid.
I kind of hate that a lot of people and podcasts are talking about this topic and I can personally tell that NONE of them have actually watched the entire interview. There's so much more context surrounding his comments about Drake that have nothing to do with Drake personally. I don't know who the guy on the far left is... but where he's blowing this shit WAY out of proportion. Mos is not saying that Drake is the worst rapper and that he isn't hip hop. But this guy is implying that, that's what was said. He gotta chill. Lol Saying that Drake is a pop artist doesn't even have to do with whether he actually raps or not. If you watch the entire interview... I feel like what Mos was trying to get to was the simple fact that MOST of Drake's music falls directly in line with what this colonialism... free enterprise... consumerist... society of corporate concerns... would want consumers to listen to. Most of Drake's music doesn't challenge anybody to actually think about anything that is bigger than themselves. THAT'S the elephant in the room that somehow found a way to not be seen. When Yasiin says "Pop Artist"...I don't think he's talking about the sound or even the whether or not Drake raps. I think he's specifically speaking to the idea that Pop music is primarily about making catchy music with the sole purpose of being sold. Drake has been pretty vocal about wanting to have more number 1's than anybody in history... and the content of his music reflects that. The subject matter is full of a whole bunch of shit that Yasiin has absolutely no interest in. "Look at all these products... SO many SKUs!" lol He's speaking to the mindless consumer that walks through these malls shopping... and Drake's music passively being played in the background music of that scenario. It coincides with shopping. It coincides with what corporate interest, would much rather consumers listen to. He also goes on to speak about everything that is happening around the world as far as the Congo, Sudan, Gaza, etc.... and we HAVE to understand that this is the cloth that Yasiin is cut from. He specifically mentioned how what is happening in Palestine is in fact "par for the course for what they do." ...as in America. As in the colonialism, settler, conquer the world type of deal that this country was built on has always been willing to subject even children to war, all for the sake of their own power. That colonialist mindset attached to the buying and selling of products completely goes against everything that Mos stands for. He also spoke on how this country has always been good at building parking garages and slapping a mall on top of the same exact grounds that they fought wars on... then "...everybody just blindly goes their way". So this whole "shopping with an edge" thing has much more to do with the broader perspective that he's coming from. He sees Drake as the guy who falls directly in line with what this colonialist, corporate interests would want. Him and Drake are two COMPLETELY different people at the end of the day. So how many bitches you can pack in your phone like some sardines... how big your pool is... what your mansion costs... just doesn't concern Yasiin Bey. So when he says, "What happens when this thing collapses?" I think he's also speaking to the idea of this capitalist, colonialist society... breaking down as we speak. We're watching the levis break, figuratively, all around the world. Brexit... the war in Ukraine... Argentina's money collapse... rebellions all across the globe... and even in our own country... people are slowly starting to lose faith in the function of our economy AND our systems as a whole. I think Yasiin just feels like, we're living through a time where everybody's state of minds are changing and we're coming to these crossroads of having to really decide which road we are truly willing to walk through. All the while... Drake is just trying to make music that tops the charts and sell his music. I still don't feel like this is just a personal attack on Drake though. The interviewer just happened to ask him specifically about him... and tied in with who Yasiin is and what he stands for... he spoke from his heart pertaining to all these things.
I think it would be best to associate the genre to the album instead of the genre to the artist. If we say a movie director made a game, we then don't turn around and call the game a movie. I mean we kind of accept this already with producers in the music industry. They might start off there career doing one type of production like rap, edm, disco, pop but by the time they come up, they've done a whole bunch of different stuff across all those genere while still every now and then, they go back to their roots.
Y’all didn’t even watch the full clip, and yet y’all have full responses. I hate when people debate incomplete information, it just makes it irrelevant.
Why do artists have to be considered one thing and one thing only. Sometimes He is Pop, sometimes he is Rap, sometimes he is R&B, sometimes he is all of the above in one song or album. he released a house album, wasn't great but for an album he was a house artist. Let artists just be artists, not a genre.
Rap is not hip hop that’s the confusion same way being a singer doesn’t make you R&B same way being a athlete doesn’t make u a basketball player or working at a hospital make you a Doctor etc
Shopping with an edge took me out, lmao.
When you're music is being played in Target is does signal, what the powers at be think of you and if it aligns with them
That's a reference to him saying that Drake is capitalism's presence in hiphop. It's agreeable.
Gave me walmart vibes 😂😂
What's being ignored here is Yasiin's exact wording: "Drake is pop to me." Those last two words are the important part. As I see it, what he's saying is, Drake is a part of the pop ecosystem in a way which, while he may still be a hip-hop artist, puts him in a slightly different conversation from a lot of hip-hop, and one which is more about the state of pop culture in and of itself. Hence his rhetorical question about empire: When we talk about Drake, we stop talking about hip-hop and start talking about stardom, and whether or not stardom of his type is truly sustainable, whether for him or *in general.*
I think that last part is him trying to soften his words. U must consider that in the last ten years especially the idea of pop has changed. Drake is pop 💯
@@th3in3rmountingflam3 You are correct. Pop music and as a genre had a particular sound but over the last 10 years has morphed to be what is listened to by the most people
@@okdthefmv ppl forget “pop” is short for “popular”. So pop music conforms to what’s popular and what’s been popular the last 50 years???
I think you put this perfectly. When we talk Drake, we often stop talking about Hip-hop and start talking about stardom. Charts, impact on culture (outside of hip-hop culture lol), marketing etc. A lot of convos about Drake are more like convos about a socialite. Even his music content lives in an Internet meta-aware place.
It would’ve been nice to hear them discuss the rest of Yasiin’s quote regarding the crumbling of the culture.
Bcuz ppl r mainly reactionary and didn't see more clips.
My meds exactly
@TheSlim901 This!!!☝🏾
crumbling of EMPIRE.
Mos def said nothing wrong yet drake’s angels took offense
I would do the same for kanye
@@IntelligentInsights876Kanye doesn’t care about ya’ll….
@@dominiquesmith7680 You probably right
Aubrey’s Angels are always on patrol
I’m not even a Drake stan but what he said, wasn’t even true
Drake’s status at this point is he is a pop artist. He is a walking billboard. He provides the soundtrack of consumerism. Calling him a pop artist isn’t a diss, that’s what he is.
The most important part of what Yasiin said that many people seem to have missed is:
“Buying and selling, where’s the message I can use?”
Where is the message? Where is the social commentary? What is the essence of Drake’s music? Is it just to keep the buying and selling and sales going? Sure Hip Hop is fun music but you always felt it was for those who had nothing and are counterculture and against the establishment that is just about materialism, exploiting disenfranchised people and making money.
The more I hear everyones opinion, the more I see how people missed Yasiin’s point. It was more directed towards capitalism and how artist aren’t speaking on what’s going on around us, geopolitically.
Basically, we need a ‘What’s Going On’ type of album in todays climate
You hit it on the head. Drake's music is allowed to excel because it doesn't ruffle the people in power
Thank you!! Everyone's still sleep!
That & Drake changed & adopted popular waves to gain/maintain this level of superstardom while other Hip Hop artists who became Pop Culture Influences like a Kanye never made a dance record (Crank That, Its Goin Down) or snap record, or intentionally fished for a ringtone song to become Pop. Gold Digger was a big ringtone song but didn't sound like the Crunk & snap music of that time.
Nah. Its really not that deep, he was Gatekeeping and throwing shade at drake "likable" music, Drake is hip hop man. C’mon. Il give you that he tried to turn it to a capitalist critique at some point but nah.Disappointing from an Artist that should know way better
@SublimeMK If you know anything about Mos Def then you know it is that deep. He's been speaking about things like this on the luminaries podcast for the past couple years.
Not discussing the political ramifications of Yasins quote made this video fall flat to me. His point was much broader than the hip-hop as a genre conversation… it’s hip hop as a cultural touchstone and movement against the powers at be 🫡
agreed. ''buyin sellin, what does the audience get, what lesson do they take'' paraphrasing him
Who gives a toss people don’t listen to litres like that.. the majority never has.. these guys aren’t teachers they’re musicians
It's so frustrating seeing all of these people miss the point.
YES
Not mad at you guys at all for covering the music side of that interview. Big fan.
I encourage everyone to listen to the part of the interview where Yasiin talks about Palestine, Congo, and Sudan. Powerful stuff.
Drake is like aggressive shopping or shopping with an edge. Like you're fighting with someone at Target over a 50 inch 4k TV on black Friday.
Hotling Bling
More like fighting over a pink Gucci bathrobe.
Makes sense why all the target tripod men uses his songs
It really is annoying to me that you get to "interview" this artist, and the thing digresses into a viral Drake moment
im so sick of drake being a constant topic for almost 15 years now
Mos Def said so much more. I wish more people watched the full actual position he took. He said so much more and this little bit makes it seem like its a smaller concept.
Facts... Dude spoke to the collapse of American empire, complicity in on-going genocides... And we stuck on some commentary about Drake.
And that's not shade at DEHH, I get that they might be trying to stay in a lane.... But we gotta do better....
@@Legbas_Ear and thats why he says drake isnt hip hop. He is saying hip hop is revolutionary, disruptive. Drake is the opposite. But yeah no one has really tied in WHY he says he isnt hip hop, they try to keep it to just the commercial music but its more.
Indeed
EXACTLY
@@Carlosbbbbb1 , to the point you were making about hip hop being radical, this might be a useful video to check out: ruclips.net/user/liveJfWfuqSfTZs?si=5EtHnC4Yv7r28QD0
The whole channel is dope, if you find your politics are similarly aligned to the folks featured, but some of Dr. Ball's reflections and dialogue about hip hop specifically, and media in general are worth digesting
On a unrelated note, just listened to Black on Both Sides for the first time last week, now I just bought the album on CD because it's now one of my all-time favorites now
Flawless project front to back
Easily the best part of this whole thing. At least thousands and thousands of people who were not really familiar with Mos Def core discography, or his music at all, had to check him out cuz of this.
I bought his tape back in 1999 and I haven’t stopped listening to it since
That’s wassup
Rod somehow never sees anything 🙄
Rod always got the worst takes
Like I always say:
Drake is an actor, acting like a rapper, and he’s a pretty good actor🤷♂️🤷♂️
People are in their feelings about this 😂😂😂 Drake even raps about buying things for chicks, so it's totally shopping music.
Like every Popular rapper
That doesn’t make it shopping music
@@jfraz1992 You're right, it's shopping with an edge.
Drake said something about Mos Def first when he came out with his poetry book " can you do a article now where the baddest Instagram girls in the world reviews my poetry book and not the head of the Mos Def fan club " so Mos Def point was valid
I honestly think that when "Good Kid, Mad City" blew "Nothing Was The Same" out the water, Drake decided that he'd just focus on the charts instead of being the G.O.A.T in Hip-hop. The thing is that, in his heart of hearts, he still wants that G.O.A.T status. So hearing, Yasiin, an artist Drake is obviously influenced by, say this stung a little bit.
The question was lazy. Anything to invoke Drake. A click piece to garner views. This man has a whole career and we had to take it there. Show a little more respect for Bey.
Exactly, they intentionally put the clip out and put the video on paywall, ironic considering what bey was trying to say
That is what I feel as well! The interviewer wanted a soundbite to go viral and it did. I would have loved to hear Bey's thoughts on the culture and for that to go viral. It is not about defending Drake or Bey or whoever. It was lazy journalism
I do think Drake makes hip-hop, but y’all gotta cut it out with the idea that rapping automatically makes a song hip-hop. Rapping is just one element and it’s been around longer than hip-hop.
rap evolved in a way so that today, in the US if you rap, that’s considered hiphop. regardless of its history
But how does that not qualify drake as a hiphop artist?
@@alang4190 nah, that’s not how it works. As diverse as hip-hop is, it’s still more than just rapping. That’s how it’s always been and how it always will be. All genres have distinct qualities.
@@njper123 I never said that. Literally all you had to do was read the first part of my comment. Do y’all ever read before replying?
Where would you draw the line between the two?
Why didn't Yall ask yourselves the question, what is hip hop and what is it supposed to be? I noticed that myke said that hip hop would've died a long time ago with Yasin's attitude. I personally think yasin would be okay with that because at least it would die with integrity
Like imagine you create a genre of movie meant to help progress the mindset of young black individuals and then 10 years later people are make movies that DO NOT DO THAT and are saying it's in the same genre because it has similar characteristic or it derives from your work. You would want it to be classified as something different because the core principle has shifted
You got to watch whole interview. He defines Hip Hop in a unique way and the conversation is heavily cultural and political conversation. He got some push back on his possible contradictions. "The fall of Empire" are clues, also the white voice in target....politics of music..
But a rapper with a Ghostwriters wtf happened?
When he said the Empire is collapsing it’s facts but no one picked up on it!
What does that mean?
@@DibsEquipped He’s talking about the end of the US empire but people don’t see it yet because they are shopping at Target buying throw away products listening to the latest Drake song. The whole thing is unsustainable and the US government foreign policy has destroyed its leadership position in the world add to that the country being 30 trillion plus in debt. Mos was saying all that but most are too dumb to recognise it and are more concerned with trivial bs than actually what’s going on in the real world!
I can see why Drake got upset. I think Yasiin Bey took a light-hearted shot that is probably a fraction of his larger feeling. The second part of his thoughts seemed more important to him, this feeling that Drake's music doesn't have enough substance and may be overly accessible / not challenging enough. My guess is that a lot of artists types don't really enjoy art that might, in their view, pander to the lowest common denominator.
Overall I still think Drake is a modern hip hop artist who can lean in to pop and R&B and now electronic/dance stuff.
Shopping music is the most accurate and hilarious way to describe Drake. Dude's a fuckin scrub
He’s the goat deal with it
Compatible with.........
....
..
... Shopping
Drake stans are funny. Losing their minds because another artist told the truth about charmin ultra soft drake. Now they're trying to put an asterisk on the genre.. "yeah.. but but but.. he's also THIS"
It's cool.. he might have rapping skills and have some good hiphop tracks to y'all.. that doesnt take away that he's a pop artist.
am i the only one who caught B saying "Mos Definitely" at 6:02
Mr.Bey told nothing but the truth, so help him god.
Myke the Kid C Town back again!!! 💯
What a chaotic way to start 2024 in Hip Hop with everything happening today and this and some other stuff I’m probably missing
I like how this is an evergreen statement you can say this at any point in January and February and be correct.
Everything about this moment was correct, but I'll admit. I was just like "Do you think Drake is Hip-Hop?" Question. I just fold because it's like, we sitting there for a Yasiin interview and this young lady wants to talk about how she likes Drake?
Yes to get numbers becsuse besides 50 dusty guys who’s checking for that in 2024?
RAPPING DOES NOT = HIPHOP
On my Spotify; if I play Yassin, Lupe, Black Thought, Aesop Rock, Rakim etc... You will NEVER see Spotify add Aubrey to that mix. EVER
"u think he was salty Fr Fr? 😮" - Beezy 430
He’s more pop than hip hop, most drake fans don’t listen or know much about rap/hip hop. Literally none of them even knew he was sneak dissing Kanye on sicko mode because drake makes his bars so digestible that it’s pop even though it rhymes.
We all knew that lmao 😂
And to top it off there’s nothing revolutionary or political about him to be hip hop. He stands for nothing because he wants to be appealed by everyone… that’s not hip hop to me
@@ghostgore2.0 so is Travis Scott hip hop ?
@@tariqwilliams8968 more hip hop than drake, he constantly pushes heavy ideas even though they are after Kanye west and the fact that he doesn’t really write or produce his music… but that’s not the point lol but yeah everyone wants to dress like him watch his documentaries, rage at his concerts in a cult like way… he’s more edm mixed with hip hop in a very Avant garde way… no one likes drakes interviews no one wants to dress like drake no one has serious conversations about his music anymore because it’s stale and safe
@@ghostgore2.0 you sound you just don’t like drake bro so ima let you have it but when Drake said YOLO the whole world was saying YOLO when Drake put a heart in his haircuts the whole world did that so let’s not be bias but you probably don’t know how to be objective when it comes to Drake so you got it 😂😂
SO MANY PRODUCTS. I LOVE THIS MALL.
Drake hasn’t made a decent album since IYRTITL. That’s a long time. Drake sucks these days. Even thought he doesn’t have the biggest catalogue ever, Mos if one of the greatest rappers of all time.
SIKE
Irrelevant rant.
This literally had nothing to do with the vid 😭
The point of Yasiin went over all of y’all head. He was referring to Drake and all of the artists currently influenced by him not putting any substance in their music outside of the typical talking points about capitalism and consumerism. The greater point of what he was talking about is being missed. Disappointed not one of y’all mentioned this at all. There are more parts of that interview that nobody is talking about that brings further clarification to that small segment about if Drake is Hip Hop. Drake has been quoted saying he’s a pop star, not a doctor anyway so I don’t understand why everyone is up in arms over Yasiin’s opinion.
The way I look at it is this…Aubrey Graham IS Hip-Hop. Drake is not. Aubrey appreciates Little Brother and all the underground hip hop stuff. Drake is not a reflection of the things that his true self likes. Simple.
You know what you might be right cuz his really old shit was lyrical.
im not even much a Drake fan but love his early beats even and rhyming. I think you are right about that but Drake ate that dude alive in becoming this huge star
@@avgriffin Every now and then I listen to Comeback Season and Room for Improvement just to remember what could've been.
Drake just dropped Scary Hours and was rapping his ass off tho
Being able to rap does not make you hip hop. Appreciating music that's more authentic than the music he _chooses_ to make does not make him hip hop. If he appreciates underground stuff but only uses it to catch a trendy wave, that makes him, Aubrey Graham, a sellout.
Drake came up from the underground with rappers like Nickelus F rapping over MF DOOM and Kanye beats. He joined one of the most iconic hip hop labels in Young Money with Lil Wayne as his mentor. He’s dropped some of the biggest hits within the culture. He’s collaborated and helped put on several hip hop artists year after year. There’s no way Drake isn’t hip hop.
Exactly
Hip hop is an art form. If someone doesn't actually contribute anything to the art (lyrics, melodies, production ect) then how is he hip hop? I think just calling him pop rap is fine
Drake has definitely contributed to Hip Hop. If that contribution is a positive one is debatable.
@@michaellacey7730 There's no such thing as a negative contribution. What he's doing is detracting from hip hop.
You know when Remy Ma said this about Doja Cat I got mad, because I heard her stuff before she went the pop route.
It's his opinion and he ain't lying. I just wish we didn't have to bring Drake up at all when interviewing a legend like Yasiin.
Why disrespect his legacy trying to get a sound bite asking him about another artist, framing it all in the negative?
Lazy journalism, but I'm glad he answered it and didn't run from the question or dance around it.
When you aim for the sensational over the insightful. That money can make you move in strange ways
I think what Yasiin is saying about the collapse of an empire and how everything is a product is much more important and interesting than his comments about Drake in particular, because Drake in particular is not interesting at all, just another product.
There have been instances where rappers have entered the pop scene at different times (50, Jay, Nelly, Luda, Kanye, Em), but for the most part, they are synonymous with Hip Hop. Drake is hip hop, but he’s had the most prominent pop appeal of any rapper in history due to the change of times in music and how it's consumed. His superpower is accessibility because whether I enjoy each album or not, he has something for somebody, which is why Mos’s mall analogy works.
Drake is definitely pop but its a slight stretch to say he isn't hip hop. He has a career of solid verses, rhymes, and flows its just not what he's known and credited for. Not as good as mos def but a skilled and competent rapper for sure
No, it's not a stretch because pop and hip hop are not the same thing. It can't be both. What y'all are calling hip hop is not that. What Drake does dilutes hip hop culture.
@@seanyoung9014so 5 am in Toronto isn’t a hip hop song? Come on now lol
@@takejaylor3528 Tell me how it is one. Seems like average ass rapping to me and the same nothing subjects he always raps about. You come on now. I hope you got a better example than that. 😐
@@seanyoung9014 So does Lil Wayne dilute hip hop? What about Lauryn Hill? Or Kanye? Or Future? Or Nicki Minaj?
@@seanyoung9014 nah you definitely a biased drake hater lol
Pop Man Pop Man 😂
Well to be fair I work at in retail and I said “ uh oh they gone complain” when I heard Sicko mode come on. Two days later it was no longer playing. So it is shopping with an edge.
The indictment on Drake is even his biggest fans understood exactly what Mos Def said abt him being POP.
I think the likeable point is maybe my favorite point here. Making likeable art almost goes against the essence of creating art. It's cool when people like it, but once you're making it because you know they'll like it one way it loses something.
That's maybe the core difference between pop rap and hip hop (imo) - hip hop in it's truest form goes against the grain and isn't seeking mainstream validation. Drake rides that line and it's almost unfair to some rappers to put them in the same category.
I didn't take what he said as hate though - I think he was just being honest about how he felt.
I think you guys missed what Yasiin Bey was REALLY saying. He’s looking at “pop music” as music that is catering to the viewer to garner sales. Hiphop songs can be pop, look at black eyed peas. Mos Def is simply saying the ESSENCE of hiphop is an outlet for black people to voice their problems. The police, the government, mental health etc. whether Yasiin’s definition of hiphop is correct is up to you guys to decide, but you didn’t even notice it to make that distinction.
9:25 Rod was the one who confused myke and then lied about it and put the blame on him 😂😂
Yeah he did 😂 lowkey remove rod & beezy cause they add nothing to these convos. Weak Links
@@jodystar773fuck outta here . Beezy and Rod are the guys
@@jodystar773Beezy got the most hip hop knowledge out the whole group and produces alot of the music u hear on DEHH wtf u talking bout. Rods takes are super whack tho to be fair
@kazzykaioken8873 I don't watch them like that, so you might be right. But when I do watch, beezy barely talks & rod just says the same thing over & over. While he waits to debate whatever Mike says, lol
Drake doesn't say anything in his music that has any depth or weight, he's just a walking billboard. I totally agree, its just a product. People wait for the next drake album where he says nothing, then forget about it, then wait on the next one. He's soulless, and that video of him hanging around that 11 year old rapper... gross dude all around
Just because YOU need to be preached to in music and taught like a little school girl doesn’t mean all music needs to be that way.. people listen to music for different purposes.. mine isn’t to be bored out of my brain
Lil Wayne doesn't say shit in his music either, he's a punch line master but I reckon you would still consider him hip hop, right?
I read more than every artist I listen to. Why do I need that from rappers?
@@AshBashSneakersactually yes, I want to hear something profound. I listen to Pop if I wanna party. Hip Hop was lost when it leaked out of NYC
@@cartierjoe hip hop only got better when it leaked out of NYC
Hip-hop is more than rap. It is also B-boying, DJ and graff art.
Drank is a pop rapper, pop rap is an emerging genre.
Emerging since the late 80s.
The level of cap in the video ia ridiculous... Just because hes considered a rapper does not make him hip hop for hip hop is a culture..not a genre and drake just doesn't embody the culture because you never see him interacting or communicating with the streets as opposed to the elites at the top. Even if were talking about subject manner drake mainly talks bitches and luxury.
HELL YEAH, living for dead end content. Couldn’t wait to hear yall talk about this lol
Drake is not hiphop or at least not core. He's the embodiment of capitalism in hiphop. It's maximum crossover appeal to the point where you don't know if he's a rapper or not. He's definitely pop hiphop and it's not an issue but he's an actor portraying an R&B artist that has some fire verses. He's a great artist but there's definitely separation between the elements that J Cole uses and what elements that Drake uses.
You don't need to RAP to be Hip Hop. we have singers that have been a part of our Hip Hop Culture, Total, Mary J, Mariah, SWV, Aaliyah, Jodeci, Nate Dogg, Dru Hill, Erykah. They were straight up singers that were very much a part of Hip Hop culture. Drake is pop rap.
He could have left it alone when she said "We're going to move on..." But he wanted to put a few more pounds on that beast with the comedy 😂
Drake is HipHop but removed of any of the critical counter culture elements.
That's called rap. The difference between a homecooked meal and a microwave burrito.
Does Aubrey have a "Rewind, Stan, I Gave You Power, Follow The Leader, Mural etc?" Don't worry, I'll wait 🤷
Didn’t that last point Myke brought up what actually happened with Lupe a while back lol
great gowns
The fact that Drake had to use an old Method Man clip instead of responding himself proves that Drake doesn't really know what Hip Hop culture is. Drake is "Pop" not Hip Hop. Hip Hop is disruptive art. Drake conforms and represents corporate interests.
Drake clearly said umi says is in relation to him too
Drake would’ve looked worse doing a visual response explaining why he’s hip hop lol, he’s just saying there’s different lanes in rap and he’s not in mos’ lane. I’m sure if you asked mos back in 2000 who’d more hip hop between Nas and Jay z who do you think he’d think 😂
Im not invested in this, but drake could've done Anything, ANYTHING and it would've been both good and bad. just keep it moving man
Mom tried to crossover, he wasn't good enough.
Drake hasn't responded to Pusha T. Wtf. And a direct shot no subliminal. Eithers.
Myke killed me with the "Tims wearing, hoodies in the summer ahh rap fans" XD
Pop doesn’t have a sound nor is bound to a specific genre of music. It literally means what it says which is music that is popular. There was time when Jazz was pop music and Rock n Roll plus certain soul music.
Hip Hop has been a pop music for a while now and it is now in the beginning stages of decline in terms of the demand for it by casual listeners of the genre.
Exactly. Jazz was pop music from the 1920s - 1940s due to its pinnacle.
yasiin is basically saying what fd signifier said not very long ago. and he is 100% right. drake symbolizes the end of rap as we know it.
It's funny because Mos made "Umi Says" which I've definitely heard at Target before 😂
Content of the music
Has drake made something like Umi says
It is funny that the one song where Mos wasn’t rapping was played in Target 20 years later. Hilarious even.
He didn't make it for Target though.
That’s actually pretty cool, I couldn’t imagine my local targets playing that . All I ever hear is Taylor Swift
i dont know man target is pretty hip hop
Yasine is completely right
That style isnt advertising because y'all let the wrong dude into hip hop and dictate where the culture goes.
I like Drake, I still clown him. If someone wanted to clown Drake they could grab the intro to disc 2 from wu tang forever. "R&b rapping and bullshit"
I listen to every Drake album when it comes out, they aren't very good to me overall but every one of his albums have a few bangers on them. "Stories about my brother" straight heat to me. Drake is McDonald's it's ok every once in awhile
Modest what was that accent? 5:30 🤣
From that clip, Mos Def was clear on what he said. Hip Hop is about delivering a message, from the roots to the fruits. His conception of hip hop is about the message. Drakes message is whats typically found in Pop and RnB
Lil Wayne isn't hip hop if shit is about delivering a message
@@Pat48310 i have a strong feeling youve never listened to a whole wayne album straight through
@@helpoj I have, he's the king of punchlines, not delivering a "message"
@@Pat48310 yeah so bars and a message is the benchmark.
Drake has neither
@@helpoj casual
I can't remember who, but someone also mentioned that Drake had mentioned mos def in an Instagram comment mocking him
I think y’all missed the point of what Yasiin Bey was truly getting at. It’s not even really about whether or not Drake is hip-hop or pop (he’s pop though, come on) but more so about how commercialized and sanitized Drake’s music is.
Hip-hop has been completely incorporated into US imperialism and is used to further spread the ideas and values of the US ruling capitalist class.
Before hip-hop truly became this popular, hip-hop spoke truth to power and was used to organize and galvanize people against the status quo and bring to light the exploitation and racism under the capitalist-imperialist system. And now we’re seeing this US empire crumbling around the world as its arrogance and hubris is catching up to it with its non stop wars against those of the global majority. You got the US/NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, trying to war with China, funding the Zionist entity’s genocide against Palestinians, and now bombing Yemen with the British because they are trying to stop this genocide.
It’s more about how we’re seeing the collapse of US empire and this commercialized music isn’t going mean anything when the empire falls and we need to be organizing with each other for socialism.
Is Drake hip hop, NO HE IS NOT. Does Drake know, respect and want to be respected by hip hop, YES. But most of his music is a mixed bag which very rarely leans to hip hop, more R&B/pop and other styles/genres that he jumps on to act like he started that wave.
Drake is the guy at the top, so homie has to learn how to take these hits.
I feel like a lot of the reactions to what Mos said are based on a follow up question that didn’t happen. If she would have asked him if he is saying that Drake is not rapping, I don’t he would have confirmed it. He literally explained what he meant by saying he is pop.
Yasiin Bey is also a very conscious rapper so that may color his opinion..
Yall missed the point. He was talking about more of what Drake represents while we are in what seem to be a very low point as far as humanity goes. Some people really want to forget and enjoy him that’s cool but for everyone else it’s kinda vapid.
Have you guys heard of Ren? He may be a white boy from the UK but he is absurdly good. His song Hi Ren is a MASTERPIECE.
I think what Yassin meant by Drake is pop is that his music lacks any message, he’s just ballin in his tracks for the most part
I kind of hate that a lot of people and podcasts are talking about this topic and I can personally tell that NONE of them have actually watched the entire interview. There's so much more context surrounding his comments about Drake that have nothing to do with Drake personally. I don't know who the guy on the far left is... but where he's blowing this shit WAY out of proportion. Mos is not saying that Drake is the worst rapper and that he isn't hip hop. But this guy is implying that, that's what was said. He gotta chill. Lol Saying that Drake is a pop artist doesn't even have to do with whether he actually raps or not. If you watch the entire interview... I feel like what Mos was trying to get to was the simple fact that MOST of Drake's music falls directly in line with what this colonialism... free enterprise... consumerist... society of corporate concerns... would want consumers to listen to. Most of Drake's music doesn't challenge anybody to actually think about anything that is bigger than themselves. THAT'S the elephant in the room that somehow found a way to not be seen. When Yasiin says "Pop Artist"...I don't think he's talking about the sound or even the whether or not Drake raps. I think he's specifically speaking to the idea that Pop music is primarily about making catchy music with the sole purpose of being sold. Drake has been pretty vocal about wanting to have more number 1's than anybody in history... and the content of his music reflects that. The subject matter is full of a whole bunch of shit that Yasiin has absolutely no interest in. "Look at all these products... SO many SKUs!" lol He's speaking to the mindless consumer that walks through these malls shopping... and Drake's music passively being played in the background music of that scenario. It coincides with shopping. It coincides with what corporate interest, would much rather consumers listen to. He also goes on to speak about everything that is happening around the world as far as the Congo, Sudan, Gaza, etc.... and we HAVE to understand that this is the cloth that Yasiin is cut from. He specifically mentioned how what is happening in Palestine is in fact "par for the course for what they do." ...as in America. As in the colonialism, settler, conquer the world type of deal that this country was built on has always been willing to subject even children to war, all for the sake of their own power. That colonialist mindset attached to the buying and selling of products completely goes against everything that Mos stands for. He also spoke on how this country has always been good at building parking garages and slapping a mall on top of the same exact grounds that they fought wars on... then "...everybody just blindly goes their way". So this whole "shopping with an edge" thing has much more to do with the broader perspective that he's coming from. He sees Drake as the guy who falls directly in line with what this colonialist, corporate interests would want.
Him and Drake are two COMPLETELY different people at the end of the day. So how many bitches you can pack in your phone like some sardines... how big your pool is... what your mansion costs... just doesn't concern Yasiin Bey. So when he says, "What happens when this thing collapses?" I think he's also speaking to the idea of this capitalist, colonialist society... breaking down as we speak. We're watching the levis break, figuratively, all around the world. Brexit... the war in Ukraine... Argentina's money collapse... rebellions all across the globe... and even in our own country... people are slowly starting to lose faith in the function of our economy AND our systems as a whole. I think Yasiin just feels like, we're living through a time where everybody's state of minds are changing and we're coming to these crossroads of having to really decide which road we are truly willing to walk through. All the while... Drake is just trying to make music that tops the charts and sell his music. I still don't feel like this is just a personal attack on Drake though. The interviewer just happened to ask him specifically about him... and tied in with who Yasiin is and what he stands for... he spoke from his heart pertaining to all these things.
Its not about rapping. Its about what one considers hip hop. Music can be hip hop without even 8 bars.
Its like saying green day is punk music.
I think it would be best to associate the genre to the album instead of the genre to the artist. If we say a movie director made a game, we then don't turn around and call the game a movie. I mean we kind of accept this already with producers in the music industry. They might start off there career doing one type of production like rap, edm, disco, pop but by the time they come up, they've done a whole bunch of different stuff across all those genere while still every now and then, they go back to their roots.
Donald Glover said himself “I can rap but I’m not a rapper”
70% Rap 30 RnB equals POP? Loool what kinda math is that!?
The man is entitled to his opinion. I respect it.
The question legitimizes the answer
I wonder why such a random question was asked to Yesiin Bey
Y’all didn’t even watch the full clip, and yet y’all have full responses. I hate when people debate incomplete information, it just makes it irrelevant.
We need a Katt Williams style interview for hip hop for sure 😂
Why do artists have to be considered one thing and one thing only. Sometimes He is Pop, sometimes he is Rap, sometimes he is R&B, sometimes he is all of the above in one song or album. he released a house album, wasn't great but for an album he was a house artist. Let artists just be artists, not a genre.
Someone needs to inform mos def that hip-hop IS pop now.
Its the most popular music & culture in the world. Thats the very definition of "pop."
Everyone played it safe not one differing opinion.
Doesn’t Drake have a song where he literally calls himself a pop star
Rap is not hip hop that’s the confusion same way being a singer doesn’t make you R&B same way being a athlete doesn’t make u a basketball player or working at a hospital make you a Doctor etc