Royce Da 5’9 declares that a rapper can’t be a top-tier lyricist if they have any ghostwritten material.
Detroit rapper Royce Da 5’9 recently chimed in on the ghostwriting debate, during an interview with Vlad TV. The Motor City lyricist was specifically asked about the controversy surrounding Drake after Meek Mill shared that he “don’t write his own raps.”
Royce explained that he was surprised to hear that Drake has used a ghostwriter in the past. He later shared his belief that a rapper can’t be considered a top lyricist if all of their lyrics aren’t written by them personally.
“For me to look and see the way that everybody reacted to that, that was pretty fuckin’ surprising,” Royce Da 5’9 said. “And it made me not care. And when I first heard about it, I was like ‘What?! Drizzy? Drizzy not writing?’ Cause he’s so fuckin’ dope…It’s a newer way of creating. And I guess Hip Hop is evolving a little bit slower than the other genres. And if this is what it’s evolving into, as an OG I expect it…You’re still a great artist by pulling the songs together that way. You can’t take that away from ’em. But when you talking about best lyricist, I guess it comes down to what being a lyricist means to you. What is a lyricist to you? To me, a lyricist is a writer…You gotta write everything to be a top-tier lyricist.”
Royce Da 5’9 also spoke on his own experience as a ghostwriter for Puff Daddy and Dr. Dre. In regards to working with Puff on his Press Play album, he says the experience made him a much better artist.
“I walked away from that process a much better artist,” he said. “I think I owe Diddy a lot. Cause he taught me–And I don’t even know if he realized it at that time, but he taught me the art of re-writing. Because I wasn’t a re-writer prior to that process. And I thought he was just being hard on me, but really he was pushing me as a way of pushing himself.”
Video of Royce Da 5’9 speaking on ghostwriting, can be found below.
For additional Royce Da 5’9 coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
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it also excludes him as an artist, not gonna lie i’m starting to look at Drake as a fraud who made it. look how long he’s taking for his album, as much as he makes some good music he’s a fake.
it also excludes him as an artist, not gonna lie i’m starting to look at Drake as a fraud who made it. look how long he’s taking for his album, as much as he makes some good music he’s a fake.
I agree, if you use a ghostwriter in any aspect of creativity, it aint your song any more. Enough said. Dre don’t write shit, and im starting to question if he actually produces anything any more either….strange times.
folks can say whatever they want but at the end of the day, we know ghostface, chuck d, nas, run dmc, beastie boys, Big L, ODB, phife dawg etc. have all had some bars written for them. we also know Drake has written for plenty of artists also including Lil Wayne, Kanye West, etc. Frankly, I think Drake attack for ghostwriting is a charade. its the latest attempt to throw shade on the current best but when ghostwriter himself denies it, what does that tell you? collaborating has always been a part of hiphop. Watch Drake start to protect his legacy by getting more writing credits.
The ghostwriter denies it? Lmao that’s the best you can come up with? Go listen to the reference tracks and come back. They are all over YouTube. Please send us evidence of Nas, Run DMC, Chuck D, Ghostface and all the other MCs you mentioned using ghostwriters then we will believe you. Until the. Stop spilling shit out of ur ass, and lying because you being a stan. You making Drake look even worse than he already looks
dude google that shit you will find all the evidence you need I just did and its all there even When NAS called out Jay-Z for having a ghostwriter. All these hip hop historians on this comment sections swear they know hip-hop like that lol its hilarious when a nigga that know the history like yang speaks the truth and yall say yall want evidence look it up educate yourself and great points yang!!
all respect to Ozz – thanks you and very correct -but this comment is for “Evidence” and whoever calling themselves a hiphop purist. As Ozz said the evidence is all over the internet (you should know hiphopdx is not gonna allow links to other sites – pretty standard for any comment section of a site) but pls just google. There is a Complex article where Nas plainly admits to having his bars edited by Large P for Illmatic. Deadprez’s stic.man plainly says he collaborated with Nas in a very eeirly similar reponse as Quentin Miller re: Drake. As a hiphop fan you should know, the ghostwriter accusation is always hanging over the head of all the great MCs. Its natural when an artist is great for people to start accusing them of ghostwriting (Lets remember Drake gave credits btw). Method Man has clearly stated he wrote bars for Ghostface on Cherchez La Ghost and there is an ongoing accusation that another rapper wrote most of Ghost’s bars on Supreme Clientele. All this is part of hiphop history. As a hiphop fan, how do you not know this??? I got other news for you and sit down for this cuz u probably dont know about true authenticity but: Ice Cube didnt grow up in Compton and Biggie didnt grow up in a “one-room shack” and most importantly, Dr Dre hasnt shot nobody man. Hiphop is a gift but do yourself a huge favor, judge the music and listen to it. The rest of the noise is just jealousy and hatred. its what happens when you are one of the best.
love it when psuedo hiphop heads rise to the table. Firstly, listen closely, many of the reference tracks do not match the final products – so take a close listen to the actual bars in the reference tracks and you notice its mostly hooks which is generally forgiven by purists like yourself (ill spare the arguement around the hypchrosy here).
Secondly, Nas had bars edited Large P for Illmatic (well-know) and stic. man collaborated on untitled. Run DMC had a whole song written by LL Cool J. Chuck D had a whole PE album written by Paris, Method Man wrote bars for Ghostface on Cherchaz La Ghost and in additon, there is a whole claim the entire Supreme Clientele was ghostwritten by another MC….go read and learn you hiphop history. All the greats have been tested and accused of all kinds of conspiracies. such is the nature of the hiphop world.
@yang: The nigga said provide evidence which you failed to do. How about some links to interviews or articles about these so called claims you put up?
i mean how else do ppl think these popular artists are pushing material out every year.
I am the best, dopest writer never known!
No, I am!
He said “As an OG I ACCEPT it” not “EXPECT it” because that doesn’t even make sense. You really need to get better writers, but if not there’s this thing called an “editor” you might wanna look into it.
y’all write but it is straight shit
i believe that ghostwriting is bs. a rapper has to express HIS/HER opinion and not someone elses. if u aint writing the book u aint the author.
True in most cases, but in the case of Dr. Dre and Puffy, they tell the ghostwriter what they want to say, the topic, the idea, the facts, the origin and the energy and the ghostwriter pens the structure for them.
for me dre is a decent rapper and a super producer but not a lyricist, neither is puffy imo he is businessman not an artist, there is a big gap between both that not many are able to close, maybe jay-z is such an exception
I agree wit Royce…I’ma fan of hip hop and a big fan of lyricism…it’s different if you have someone write a hook for you becuz a hook can give an emcee writers block for some reason but if you can’t write your verses then to me your not an emcee period. The greats always try to master and most of the time have succeeded on their craft. I love it when I’ll lyricist explain how they structure their lyrical patterns and what not. That’s pure skill that’s never taught that’s a gift. Every great or dope emcee has their own way of doing their verse and every artist has their own style. Look at NAS they don’t call him a poet for no reason he’s mastered the art of street poetry. You got Rakim who truly changed the game on writing with the change of a laid back smooth flow. Slick Rick the master of storytelling if it wasn’t for him theses rappers today wouldn’t know how to story tell with a flow. Big Daddy Kane the ability to switch up and still show his skills. LL Cool J the way he is able to write for the ladies and be deep about it he started that whole imagine for the ladies and go back to being a raw battle rapper. Kool G Rap a true storyteller about gangsta rap with an incredible flow. Jay Z the ability to not write but just freestyle most of his verses his memory is impeccable….I can go on and one etc. Real lyricist try to be the best at their respected craft.
funny how you create an exception for hooks and mention Nas who has admitted Large Profressor edited his raps for Illmatic and had those shady stic.man collaborations. there is reality and fantasy in hiphop. The fantasy is that all the great MCs write everything and then, there is the reality that collaboration is part of hiphop lyrics or any art form. There is no way certain lines or ideas do not come from somewhere else occasionally. its just the nature of any art. Drake clealy is a good writer who occassionaly uses collaborators who are credited. The reference tracks aint even the same as the final songs so whats the big deal? If you notice, the legends are awkardly silent on the topic. (thats because they have collaborated also)
@HHDX
Thank you for at least using a proper and non misleading headline, unlike AHH that just blatantly stated that “Royce says Drake isn’t a lyricist.”
Thank you Royce.
Drake agree’s
He should rap over Noah “40” Shitbib beats lol
Agree 109% with this guy. You can’t be king if you have a guy making reference tracks for you. Sorry!
The Game ain’t a lyricist either since I wrote his first album son. Let it be known!
Yall never gon finish Drake
Nikkas always tryna bring down whoever is at the top all the time.I mean there’s facts all over the internet that Drake has written for other rappers buh lets ignore it & focus on this one right?? Could smell ya hatin breath over here
how is he hating? he was asked a question and he gave his mind. if you watched he says and ” you cant take away being one of the greatest artist from him” so he still gave him props and told other to STFU that’s hes stuill great in his own right, so no shade to darke….im not a drake fan at all
Drake was never a “top tier lyricist” to begin with. And neither is Meek Mill. I will still take Drake’s alleged ghostwritten hits than Meek Mill screaming fairytales about being a superthug gangsta.
Drake and Royce both wrote for Dr. Dre.
It’s actually some bars Royce is throwing here – Drake really isnt a top-tier lyricist. He a good ass artist – but would get eaten lyrically compared to guys who are writers and lyricists like, Royce, Eminem, Nas. But lets not forget that Drake himself wrote songs for Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Ye so I guess in some right – he is a good storyteller. Cause for me storytelling is closely connected to lyricism and great writing skills, but now that Im thinking of it… Drake has never written a hip-hop song as vivid or lyrically compelling like as Em’s “Stan” or Nas “Rewind” or Lupe Fiasco “Mural”… LOL… So maybe Aubs is a good writer of pop music.
This is why this site is not a hip hop site anymore, drake is a pop artist that mostly makes urban pop music. He might have some bars but he only raps 50% of the time, if you think his verses are that hot you have been programmed. I have never had to play back a drake verse (although I stay away) because it was eye brow raising like what did he just say or what words did he rhyme together like Nas,Royce,eminem,lupe,big pun,etc. You guys should be covering royce vs the outsidaz with some history to it. at least for hip hop fans.
You also have to have good flow like Royce used to have ….we will never get another streethop
does anyone knows something about the `art of re-writing´ he has mentioned? just being curious
Yes, that means when you initially have something penned and go in to record it- you may be asked by the producer, engineer or A&R to maybe re-write a few lines (or the whole verse) because it’s just not good enough. Or, it may not fit the whole idea of the song. A lot of artist don’t rewrite because of ego… (can’t nobody tell me this ain’t dope), but actually it may be dope in your head but what the artist has initially written may not come across good on music. The artist must be real with himself/herself and really analyze the verse. Sometimes a re-write is taking out a few words or keeping the last part of the verse and re-writing the 1st 4-8 bars for shock value, it just depends. Some artist re-write their verse(s) when their featured guest got busy on them too. Nothing wrong with re-writing, but there is something wrong with NOT going with the best version because once it’s published to the audience, that’s it.
sounds reasonable to me, tx
@thisthat, I say the art of re-writing is like writing out of your own style. Being able to write out of your comfort zone or unique style can be challenging. Royce writing to a Diddy style may have been challenging to him, because that’s not his usual style.
could be a possible option, tx
Royce is wack without doubt his the worst member of slaugherhouse his only talent is kissing Eminem’s ass and rapping fast