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Figuring Out Drake
Drake is by far my favorite artist to write about and discuss with others. Not necessarily my favorite artist in general; that spot is occupied right now by a fluctuating list of rappers on a weekly basis. Drake is an artist that fascinates me in the musical decisions he makes and the overall cultural zeitgeist. He’s arguably the biggest artist in the world and has been on an unprecedented run of greatness throughout a big chunk of my life. He’s an artist I grew with throughout his career; every Drake release marks a very specific point in my life and where the Canadian superstar is at in his life. We’ve reached the point where every move of his is an event that shuts down whatever Twitter was talking about, forces his critics to begrudgingly tune in and his diehards to absorb the new life updates the 6 God has for us. He has always been very vulnerable and open in his music about where he’s at mentally and emotionally. That’s a part of his charm, but do we really know Drake?
The early part of my childhood was a very different environment for celebrities to exist in. In my elementary days, the firm grasp of social media hadn’t taken place yet so everything we knew about artists and popular figures was through the media and tabloids. Observing the rise of artists was a lot more organic because there was a barrier between us and our favorites. 50 Cent, T.I. and Young Jeezy were my early favorites, but all I knew…
