The back story behind the Drake & Meek Mill beef.
First off, I think for people to thoroughly understand the situation they should understand, first, what a “Ghost writer” is and what a “Collaborator” is. A ghost writer is someone (usually underground) who writes a song for someone (usually mainstream or well known) and the artist performs/records the lyrics word for word. The ghost writer is not credited but simply paid because it is to appear that the bigger artist created the lyrics themselves. A Collaborator is someone whom is respected and is hired to bounce ideas to create content. That person is either paid or credited in the final production. Thus, it helps the underground artist receive notoriety by being credited in a mainstream artist’s work.
Being a signed artist I know what it’s like to collaborate and how important it can be for other artist. I was the “Southern rapper” within the record label so I was amongst artist who could help me break into new sounds and I could also help them create new styles. We gain each others fans. It’s respect of artistry and a great marketing/advertising tool.
Now that that is out of the way, let’s start from square one. The fuel hit the fire when Meek Mill made tweets showing that he wasn’t pleased that drake didn’t tweet to promote his album. Here are the tweets below
Inside of the tweets he states that he knows Drake didn’t write his own verses. So, what song was he talking about? Meek was talking about the verse that Drake sent him for their collaboration “R.I.C.O.”. There were more tracks exposed but we will get to that later. So now the question is how did Meek find out that Drake didn’t write the verses?
“If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” was actually supposed to be a mixtape produced and hosted by DJ Drama. The project was scrapped at the last minute and Drake ended up making the tracks an album. Its rumored that Drake turned the project into an album to end his contract with Cash Money (seeing that he only had one more album left in his contract) which was rumored when the Lil Wayne and Birman/Cash Money beef was at it’s peek.
During the production of “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” Drake discovered and contacted an underground artist by the name of Quentin Miller. Quentin Miller was working at a bakery at the time Drake reached out to the rapper. He hired QM to collaborate on tracks for the album along with other tracks. The tracks were rumored to be recorded at studios that DJ Drama works within. Thus, how the tracks were leaked. DJ Drama shows that he wasn’t pleased about the tracks being leaked from his studio
Here are the leaked tracks below.
Quentin Miller didn’t take long to deny that he wasn’t and never will be a ghost writer for Drake. Here is what he posted on his Tumblr account below
Winter 2014… I was just another guy working a job he hated with a passion for music…. And somehow found myself on the phone with One of my idols..
i told him i worked in a bakery and his exact words were “Fuck that, your destined for greatness”…
Hearing that from someone that I’ve been studying since 2009, bar for bar…. Theres no way to describe that..
Most of the project was done before i came in the picture.. i remember him playing it for me for the first time thinking “Why am I here?” like.. what does he need me for??
The answer is.. Nothing…
I watched this man piece together words in front of me…
I watched him write/ replace bars 2- 3 at a time on 6pm in NY.. I witnessed him light up, go in and freestyle madonna….
I took notes from the best in the game….
I remember him Showing me the thank you notes in NY before the album dropped.. Showing me the QM, telling me they put me on the credits (Ghostwritter???) … He attached my name to something that touched the world..
When nobody would pay attention, drake saw something in me and reached out… Of all people… drizzy..
Two artist in exact opposite spaces in their career.. We came together and made something special..
I am not and never will be a “ghostwriter” for drake.. Im proud to say that we’ve collaborated .. but i could never take credit for anything other than the few songs we worked on together ..
Thats all i have to say on it.. back to this 1317 shit…
– Q.M.
By this time the diss tracks between Drake and Meek Mill were already in full effect. Drake ended up dropping 2 diss songs before Meek Mill dropped his first one. The general consensus says the Drake won the battle by a land slide, even though the fans didn’t really feel that Drakes first song was strong enough. Tell us what you think about the tracks below.
Now there are those who are backing Meek Mill in the beef saying that not writing your own material is a violation to Hip-Hop. Especially, since Drake is considered to be one of the top artist in the world as of right now. He holds records such as…. (below)
10 Artists With Most Billboard Hot 100 Entries
1. ‘Glee’ Cast — 207
2. Elvis Presley — 149
3. Lil Wayne — 122
4. James Brown — 91
5. Jay Z — 82
6. Ray Charles — 74
7. Aretha Franklin — 73
8. Drake — 72
9. The Beatles — 71
10. Elton John — 68
Read More: Drake Breaks Beatles Record on Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart | http://theboombox.com/drake-breaks-beatles-record-billboard-hot-100-singles-chart/?trackback=tsmclip
He also has written and co-written R&B songs for major artist. One of his most popular song’s written was Alicia Key’s “Unthinkable” which is rumored to be written towards Nicki Minaj. Me personally, I feel like the reason why this stab at Drake doesn’t hold weight because it is well known that Drake is very capable of writing his own lyrics. Yet, my opinion can’t out weigh the laws of Hip-Hop. With that being said, do you feel like what Drake did was robbing the culture? Or do you feel like what he did was helping an up and coming artist?
Bruce Walton Jr
Keedie’s Corner Magazine LLC 2015
Hustle Blood Films LLC 2015
Keedie’s Corner (Facebook) – Keediescorner@gmail.com
