Drake – Hot97 Freestyle
I’ve become a big fan of Drake’s “So Far Gone” mixtape. Its on repeat along with J. Period’s “Beats from NY” CD and The Dream’s latest. But the reason I am posting this video is because I have trouble with calling this a freestyle. Now, am I alone in holding on the definition of a freestyle that its an unwritten rhyme from the top of your head? Is it really that archaic of a hip-hop item? Just bothered me to watch that video and see him look at his blackberry for written rhymes and then stall at the end because he can’t scroll fast enough. Not hating too much, just wondering if I’m out of touch.
This entry was posted by DJ Franchise a/k/a Stringer Fell on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 am and is filed under hip-hop.
Tags: drake / freestyle / funkmaster flex / hot97
can’t get what’s so great about Drake. sorry.
guess that makes me a hater, too.
naw see…nuh uh…i just watched that video and i’m not moved at all…regardless of whether the rhymes were premeditated or not…
they gave him classic beats and he did nothing…not even one quotable….
if this dude is supposed to be the saving grace of whatever, i’ll pass….
I think Wayne was texting him his rhymes. LOL. I like Drake’s delivery, but reading off of a blackberry…. REALLY?
Sometimes freestyling is just rhymin whatever you want, but freestyling off the top of the dome has been in existence for years and years now, and I would figure to get his game and fame tight he would be able to do that without looking at writtens. But I guess it’s all about the $ these days.
@Yo, I think so too. But Drake really does seem like an artist first. Hopefully, he gets this feedback and tries to step up his skill in the freestyle department. Needs to watch some tapes of Supernatural, Juice, and Eminem.
Out of 1 to 10: 4. Many emcees rehearse their verses before they delivery a freestyle in the booth…That’s why any good DJ is suppose to mix up the beats (tempo changes etc.) to see if the emcee really perfected the craft of freestylin on beats especially classics. The best will never get stumped as easily as he did. He did no justice to the beats unfortunately.
@KMD – agree with you completely. I think its time for DJs to expose the MCs. hahaha.
so da fuq wut whether drake was lookin at his blackberry or not drake is still da fuqin truth and one of the hottest rappers out there today hands down..even if he was readin off his blackberry it still came off the fuqin dome yal eva thought of dat chill out let him do his thing
i think the argument is not whether he’s hot or not but that freestyling really used to be a skill of lyrical stream of consciousness and observation versus a recital of prewritten rhymes.