Rappers have a lot more lyrics to remember than your average pop and rock act. And when it comes to songwriting, they’ve got a lot more to come up with, as well. Some, like industry leader Jay-Z and the ultra-prolific Lil Wayne are famous for keeping their compositions all in their head — pen and paper never comes into the equation.
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That’s a tough act to follow though. Take Lil Wayne’s new prodigy, Canadian rapper Drake. The rapper tells Mixtape Daily:
“It shouldn’t be your tagline: ‘I don’t even write.’ Well, if it’s not quality product, who cares? We can tell,” Maybe if you took the time to write, your sh– would be a little better. … Sometimes I feel like people almost pride themselves on [not writing] and kind of look at me funny when I pull my phone out and start writing, like, ‘You write? What?’ But to each their own. You gotta do what works for you. It’s a creative process. … I’ll pull my phone out in front of anybody and start writing. And say, ‘Yo, I gotta go and check this Web site [for research],’ because I know when I come with that verse, you’re gonna be like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s why it took two hours and you needed the wireless Internet hooked up.’ It’s just about quality and taking pride in yourself and having an ear. A lot of artists don’t even know when they sound wrong or off. They’re like, ‘Yeah, that sounds the same as that hit I have on the radio.’ If you don’t know when something is wrong, you’re not gonna be one of the greats. Might be cool for a minute, but … ”
Check out Drake’s lyrical flow here.
Rise to the top like they risen up the stock once u get there u cnt drop like da sun u gotta b hot hope the people give me a chance aint no stoppin me like lance knockout artist peoples champ stickin to it like a stamp gotta make da world eqaul nd defeat all of the evil continue it like a sequal nd i do dis 4 my people