Drake, Yasiin Bey And The Tired Conversation Of 'Real Hip-Hop'

Around the turn of the last century, there was a cold war of sorts between so-called “real hip-hop” – lyricists who put effort into mind-blowing metaphors, similes and rhyme schemes – and the commercial hip-hop of Puff Daddy’s post-Biggie Bad Boy Records, along with No Limit Records and Cash Money Records’ Pen and Pixel cover takeover. Bey brought every drop of Cavi’s energy to his recent interview on the fashion podcast “The Cutting Room Floor,” where he went viral for throwing sincere yet incisive shade at Drake. It’s great.” If this interview happened in the 2000s and Bey was still Mos Def talking about a Drake equivalent, early 20-something me would’ve been on the Okayplayer message boards, clacking away in agreement with him and using that silly old chestnut: “It’s not hip-hop — it’s rap!” But now, as a dude who wouldn’t mind hearing a little Drake when running into Target to drop $180 when he only meant to spend $15.89, I recognize Bey’s comments as those of a 50-year-old codger who’s willingly out of touch. Prince Williams via Getty Images But I understand how Gen Xers with 1990s hip-hop bona fides might take the “It’s not hip-hop — it’s rap!” position against Aubrey. Hip-hop heads have been having the “rap, not hip-hop” conversation well before Drake’s ascendancy in the 2010s.