This is the moment modern hip-hop & rap fans have been waiting for! A possible rap battle on wax between two of the most relevant young rappers in the game: Drake and Meek Mill. Modern rap hasn't been this exciting since Kendrick Lamar's epic "Control" verse; a lyrical onslaught in which he challenged the best rappers of his generation by name. It wasn't really a diss, Kendrick just wanted his peers to know that rap is a competitive art form and no one is safe.
As we all know by now, Meek Mill challenged Drake's safety at the top this past week (July 22nd 2015). In a Twitter rant he called Drake a fraud and claimed he utilizes a ghost writer, a cardinal sin amongst rappers, especially if you claim you're one of the 'best'. Meek struck the first blow. Fans still sided with Drake, poking fun at Meek's sensitive & gossip like Twitter rant, implying he was just hating on Drizzy. To fan the flames even further both Drake's longtime producer, Noah "40", and the ghost writer in question, Quentin Miller, shut Meek's claims down. Saying Drake is indeed a great writer and the best rapper in the game but he has collaborated with other writers, they're credited on his album so how can they be ghost writers!? But the best is yet to come...
Yesterday (July 26th 2015) the usually quiet Drake dropped "Charged Up" his formal response (or diss) to Meek Mill. And in typical Drake fashion he had the internet going nuts! In a laid back, stripped down track Drake subtly takes lyrical jabs at Meek, calling him a charity case and a snitch. Alluding to the fact that he only hopped on a track with Meek because he can barely go gold. And the bombshell, he alluded to the fact that he possibly fucked Meek's girl, Nicki Minaj!
It was the first blow in what could be the biggest rap battle on wax of this generation. It's what the fans have been waiting for: the untested boy wonder who crossed over to pop and the hungry battle tested street rapper who wants the top spot. Here's my breakdown and predictions of a possible Drake vs. Meek Mill battle on wax:
First off, in my opinion, Drake's first blow, "Charged Up" is just a response and bait for Meek Mill not an official diss record. If Meek takes the bait and responds then the battle is on! Lyrically, blood will be shed! Let's compare and contrast Drake and Meek Mill's rapping styles:
Contender #1: Meek Mill
Meek Mill is by far the more seasoned and experienced battle rapper of the two. His rap style is aggressive, his content derives from the streets & drug game, and his delivery vicious and rabid. It's safe to say Drake has a real problem on his hands.
But there is one flaw in Meek abilities, he's often criticized for having the same aggressive, huried flow. Yelling over beats and at the listener, with a barrage of street jargon giving the listener no chance to take in his lyrically ability.
Meek's response may be a bit predictable. He attack Drake like any other street rapper: aggressive, poking fun at the fact Drake grew up in the suburbs and had an easy life, that he played wheelchair Jimmy on "Degrassi", and that he's 'soft' by American street standards. Drake critics & haters alike will be drooling, Meek will take the common perceptions of Drake and use them in his diss along with a few violent threats. Now on to his opponent.
Contender #2: Drake
The wild card... We as fans and rap heads really don't know what Drake can do when it comes to battling. The last direct diss record Drake did was "Good Riddance" (2009) and "Stay Schemin" (2012) he threw subtle jabs at hip-hop legend Common. Drake has always opted out of beefs & diss records in favor of making hit singles; he commands the billboard charts while throwing subtle shots at the entire rap game. Drake is worth $75 Million and from his first album to his fourth he has consistently went gold in under a week while Meek Mill is barely worth $5 Million and album sales struggle. This is why Drake called Meek Mill a 'charity case' in his diss record "Charged Up", a sharp low blow.
Money aside lets get into Drake's rapping style: Unlike Meek, Drake has a much more versatile flow and understands melodies. We can know this by Drake's ability to hop on ANY feature (or any track for that matter) with ANYBODY and kill it or at least go toe to toe.
Lyrics & Bars: Drake might not be as aggressive & street as Meek but he is much wittier and creative when it comes to putting together bars. The aggressive street dude hurling insults & threats over a beat is typical but humor, wit & irony is much harder to deliver and sign of intelligence. Drake actually hosted the Espy's and some great comedians praise him for killing it. Drake is sharp, self- aware, perceptive and precise, he breaks his bars up & simplifies the flow because he wants the listener to digest every line.
The wild card here is that Drake has expressed interest in actually face-to-face battle rap. He's approached Murder Mook about possibly battling and supported battle rap submits, stating: "I want to dabble in battle rap but I actually got real multi- million dollar endorsements outside of this I gotta go back to. And I haven't found anyone who deserves that chance to battle me yet." Again Drake operates not just on a rap level but major business level, after signing a $19 Million deal with Apple music you have to really be a worthwhile opponent to get his attention.
Final Verdict:
Drake vs. Meek Mill is like a Floyd Maywearher fight, with Drake being Mayweather and Meek being a hungry competitor. It's the last round and in order to win Meek will need a clear knockout, it can't go into decision or else the court of popular opinion will give the victory to the more famous and accomplished boy wonder, Drake.
Meek's diss needs to be a complete KO. If Drake claps back with an even more vicious track or just as good of a track he'll win based on his popularity. Drake may win based purely of the fact that he's percieved as 'soft' pop star and he had the audacity to go toe-to-toe with a proven battle rapper. Drake handicap is his fanbase, Drake's diss will be heard worldwide and Meek's only locally so this is Meek's chance to prove, as he says, that he is in fact 'the realest young nigga in the game'.
However you feel about either rapper this battle is much needed and brings a spark of excitement back into rap. Mainstream hip-hop has gotten to friendly and gone pop, bring back the honesty and competition we used to see in the 90s.
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