Drake has hit back at Yasiin Bey with a little help from Method Man.
Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) criticized Drizzy in a recent interview by labeling him a “pop” artist, but the Canadian superstar has now responded.
Taking to his Instagram Stories on Monday (January 15), Drake posted an old interview clip of Method Man while writing: “What umi say again? Lemme shine my light king don’t change up now,” referencing Bey’s classic song “Umi Says.”
The video in question finds the Wu-Tang Clan legend explaining what Hip Hop is to him.
“Hip Hop is a culture. It’s a way of life, the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you walk. It’s the breakdancing, rhymes, stage show, DJ, mixing and scratching, the wordplay. That’s Hip Hop,” he says.
See Drake’s response below.
Yasiin Bey’s comments about Drake came during an interview with The Cutting Room Floor last week, where he said: “Drake is pop to me. In the sense like, if I was in Target in Houston and I heard a Drake song, it feels like a lot of his music is compatible with shopping. Or shopping with an edge, in certain instances.”
While he called the 6 God’s music “likeable,” Bey joked that his songs are an ideal backdrop for commerce.
“I love this mall!” he laughingly exclaimed. “They have everything here. This is the new Drake — you hear it?”
Turning serious, the Brooklyn MC suggested that music designed to promote commerce may soon start to lose its luster: “Are we not in some early stage of that at this present hour? Buying and selling — where’s the message that I can use? What’s in it for your audience?”
NLE Choppa later jumped to Drake’s defense and hit back at Yasiin Bey by writing on social media: “They hate on this man so much it’s ridiculous. Dude catalog more than respectable. He like the [Kool-Aid] man different flavors for each day of the month. [Bey] don’t know what he talking about!”
The Black Star legend isn’t the first rapper to criticize Drake’s approach to music. Last year, Joe Budden slammed Drizzy’s For All the Dogs album for its apparent lack of maturity and growth.
“[Drake is] rapping for the children. I had to look up how old this n-gga was when I finished listening to the album,” Budden said on his self-titled podcast.
“You gonna be 37 years old. Get the fuck away from some of these younger n-ggas and stop fucking these 25-year-olds … Why are you still fucking the 25-year-olds? You’re a 37-year-old billionaire.”
He added: “I want to hear adult Drake rapping for adult people. That’s my issue with him today.”
Coincidentally, Drake namedropped Yasiin Bey on his For All the Dogs track “Away From Home,” rapping: “And Mos Def gave me like a rack for performin’/ Crib I got now make me think of when I had to put some money on a mortgage.”
But Drake don’t write his raps. That’s never gonna be okay with the elders.
Truth be told, some of the elders didn’t write 100 % of their rhymes but that’s not all hip hop is. His music could be hip pop or whatever but he’s made the culture a lot of money and helped it to grow globally as much or more as some elders have. Took a bad loss as still kept going also. That ain’t easy to do. Elders sometimes sound and come off like overgrown schoolyard bullies when they don’t have a genuine conversation with somebody instead of throwing negativity at them in the media.
Referencing “Hip pop” is exactly why he made the statement in the first place.🤦🏾♂️ That’s all. It’s time to face facts..lol
“helped it to grow globally as much or more as some elders have.” – it what way? Hip hop was already global way before Drake. Did he open up new regions to hip hop that otherwise wouldn’t have heard of it? Did he create a new sound or style that shifted and progressed hip hop in a new way? It’s not like he’s said anything new, or done anything new. So I’m lost on how he expanded hip hop globally as much or more than his predecessors.
He’s helped it grow, means just that; he’s Helped it grow Globally. Where’s he from?You’re saying that he’s not contributed to hip hop’s growth globally? And no, nothing is new under the sun, except new ways to hate on somebody’s successes. Elder means older, you’re so caught up in shtting on him you don’t make sense. Everybody in the culture older than him put work in to expand the culture globally? How many records has he sold? Globally? If you’re still confused, He’s from Canada and his records sell millions worldwide Globally. Every artist in the culter that is his predecessor has sold millions or millions globally? Yasiin Bey said what he said about his Sound. You want to strip him accomplishments from him. He can’t be top 5 to me but he has Helped hip hop as a culture expand Globally.
@Cmondude – not sure if that was aimed at me. I was quoting the OP. I’m familiar with what elder means…. Drake hasn’t developed any new style… his style is whoever he seems to be on the song with or whatever the latest trend is. He hasn’t pushed the boundaries of what a lyricist can do… he doesn’t even write all his own shit, so he’s clearly not some God level lyricist. His main accomplishment is he sold a lot of albums…. If we use that as a measuring stick for advancing the culture, then MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Nelly, and Will Smith are among the top 10 ever.
Selling records isn’t the same as making it grow. That’s the same as what pop record do.
Nobody is claiming drake isn’t successful. However, hip hop has changed so much and it isn’t for the better. Drake being classed as one of the best rappers says everything you need to know.
He ain’t though
Mos Def is entitled to has opinion. Fans need stop getting feelings hurt. Drake pockets fat if he Pop or Hip Hop. Is that not what they do it for?
Ya, so if more net is more important than culture you would be right. But drake ain’t hip hop, he a lollipop
I feel that!!
They looking to feed on those who listen. Give you that lollipop and tell you it is great. Sheep will follow!!
Why are you and/or y’all replying to your own selves tho..??
Drake is Pop. End of story. If you don’t write your own rhymes, you’re not Hip Hop. End of story. All that money, fame and sex and dude the 6 “God” is still insecure. Society in general can’t handle the truth, people are too weak to hold themselves accountable and very few people are living the dream these days… no matter how they’re living on Instagram.
Biz wrote Vapors?
Drake is Pop. End of story. If you don’t write your own rhymes, you’re not Hip Hop. End of story. All that money, fame and sex and dude the 6 “God” is still insecure. Society in general can’t handle the truth, people are too weak to hold themselves accountable and very few people are living the dream these days… no matter how they’re living on Instagram.
nobody who was down with rap in the 90s considers Drake anything but a pop rapper. does he have rap skills sure but the beats and the melodies are soft and geared towards a white audience. that’s why his producer is white and they make sure it’s not too much funk or soul on those records of his. Just has to face facts and not get greedy. Be happy for your success but you aren’t the goat on every block
Drake is white
No he’s not. I have cousins in my family look just like Drake. Wish all the racists on here would leave rap alone.
@greg – I hope you see the irony of wishing the racists on here would go away, but also making racist claims that Drake got a white producer to ensure not too much funk or soul would be on said production for his white audience… because the evil whites are incapable of such styles of production and / or enjoying said music.
make a move then
no real MC in hip-hop would ever admit to not writing rhymes and called themselves in MC. He’s pop
no real MC in hip-hop would ever admit to not writing rhymes and called themselves in MC. He’s pop
put out a rhyme about killing someone they going to play that too
Well Drake just step on his own foot with this one: he doesn’t fill none of them criteria Method Man just said about hip hop. So Umi is right: Drake’s music is for shopping.
Drake is hip hop in the way Nelly was hip hop in the way that MC Hammer was hip hop. Yes, you can file it under the rap section, and it has recognition for some of the traditional elements of hip hop. If we’re sub-categorizing, Drake is under the pop section of hip hop. Your average Black Star fan probably isn’t the same as your average Drake fan.
Just treat rap like wrestling. If you start thinking it’s not fake, and staged, and purely for entertainment then you’re going to end up disappointed. If you can just have fun with it while knowing it’s all phony, you can enjoy it. Do I miss the days when hiphop culture was real? Absolutely. I always will, it was my childhood. But now as a man who was born in the early 80s, it’s easy for me to recognize and accept that hip-hop music died in early 2000s. There are still some stragglers, but even they are looking for a money-parachute eventually. All music genres start out as a genuine and edgy new thing and fizzle out once big money and big labels get involved. Rock, R&B, country, jazz…they’ve all just melded into pop music. It’s wack. But it’s reality.
Meth can’t save your cornball ass. This a authentic hip hop site. Well at least in terms of the people that visit this site.
lolol MANNNN METHODMAN AINT BACKIN THAT SHIT NEITHER IS WU… REMEMBER WHEN HE DID WU-FOREVER ??? LOL… AUBREY WILL GET SMOKED BY YASIIN….
Drake is not hip-hop. He is more Bell Biv Devoe and Montell Jordan.
Rap is something you do…Hip Hop is what you live… to quote the great KRS-ONE
If drake is pop then Rick ross music is raggae
if drake is pop what does that make Eminem?
who does songs with ed Sheeran and pink lol
who raps about boy bands and Brittney spears?
if drake is pop what does that make Eminem?
which one has songs with ed Sheeran and pink lol
who raps about boy bands and Brittney spears?
Soft-skinned dude, can never take the truth. All the dude did was point out that your music appeals to a more pop audience (fact), but he also appeals to a more edgier crowd too. Both statements can be true. But sensitive thug needs to disrespect someone to feel okay. The fact that you have to be disrespectful shows how soft and sensitive you are. The dude didn’t challenge you on your bars, he just pointed out who and what groups you appealed to.
Soft-skinned dude, can never take the truth. All the dude did was point out that your music appeals to a more pop audience (fact), but he also appeals to a more edgier crowd too. Both statements can be true. But sensitive thug needs to disrespect someone to feel okay. The fact that you have to be disrespectful shows how soft and sensitive you are. The dude didn’t challenge you on your bars, he just pointed out who and what groups you appealed to.
Why can this artist not accept the truth. All the dude did was point out that Drake’s music appeals to a more pop audience (a fact), but he also appeals to an edgier crowd too. Both statements can be true. But sensitive thug needs to disrespect someone to feel okay. The fact that you have to be disrespectful shows how soft and sensitive you are. The dude didn’t challenge you on your bars, he just pointed out who and what groups you appealed to.
Mos def is sitting at quite a few flops on his hands where as every drake album goes no.1. This should tell you who knows more about hiphop
Drake got skills but if he was to get on some mf doom or madlib type beats his fan base wouldn’t understand because they’re one dimensional that only listen to one style most of them think freestylin is to say a written rap but only can rap over trap beats and nothing else so I do believe drake wants to do it and step out the box but just scared of losing his fan base in the process
Im watching that Method Man and Drizzy is none of that and proves Mos Def’s point. He’s exactly was Mos Def called him. 4PM in Target ass n!gga 🤣
Drake is RnB, he started out emotional and soft and he still emotional and soft!