Long before the Internet and [the title]: “stripper” got called “dance” (before the one time shameful occupation was glorified since the Internet and social media) a “dancer” was a Misty Copeland .
As well, “frappe’” was a sweeping, swift, forward, foot movement we did in dance class (before McDonald’s starting putting ice in coffee and making “Frappe’s” a drink).
Things like such tell us all, some things need clarification.
When it comes to music (rap, namely), in considering the fact that (as per the subculture), it is frowned upon to not write your own rhymes–but first, we gotta get clear on even more important music matters of what:
- An artist is
- A musician is
- A performer is
…and:
- what a writer is
- what a ghostwriter is
Whether it be music, dance, or (an actual artist who draws, paint etc); an “artist” is the creator (or performer) in front of any creative or performing art.
- A “performer” is the person who brings the art to life
- A “musician’ is someone who plays instruments
- A “writer” is a person who is the creator of lyrics, screenplay/movie, or novel/books whose name appears at the forefront of receiving credit for the works
- A “ghostwriter” too, is a person who is the creator of lyrics, novel/books, and (not typically) but too-a screenplay/movie BUT whose name is omitted and given to someone else as having been the creator and/or performer of the work(s).
Despite his new album being successful anyways, Philly rapper Meek Mill had some things he wanted to get off his chest about not being supported by rapper Drake (that ultimately spilled into further science dropping and ‘uncoverings’ about other facades in the rap game).
This rant was merely a repeat of the same when just last year (July 2014) Mill was feeling the same kind of “a way” about how Wale was mum when he dropped his album:
“Wale just ain’t gone tweet a thing about my album…. He’s been hating on me long time now …don’t even text me cornball! #UNOTMMG,” -Meek.
Wale’s reply:
Fast forward (July 2015).
Right after Meek’s girlfriend Nicki Minaj had her own Twitter rant and fight with Taylor Swift and MTV, Meek got inspired to drag rapper Drake and others (he left nameless) for filth by claiming the popular rapper does the cardinal rap non-no: Doesn’t write his own rhymes.
Obviously a rumor like such can be rap homicide (all things considered: Drakes unwavering popularity, lyrical prowess and rap cred respected to insurmountable levels such that it completely demolished the fact upon his entry into the rap game; he was shunned for being a pretty boy from a popular teen television show with a Jewish mom, good background and no poverty stories to rap about)…Drake’s talent and lyrical prowess could not be denied—then, now (or ever).
But Meek went for it anyways.
And as a frame of reference, he obviously reached back at the original rumor in rap surrounding Drake not being the writer of his own rhymes–stemming from lifted melody gone mountain turned molehill.
You see, in 2009 early into his full first year into the rap game (four long years even before OtherSideoftheFame.com was even thinking about blogging and its write head busy writing books, working the net and in journalism school), rap sites likes rapradar.com and theboombox.com were reporting a long-running feud about a rapper named KiaShine having been the writer behind Drake’s popular hit at the time: “The Best I Ever Had.”
Rap Radar stayed on top of this even into 2010. It was a pretty big story. And considering this dude stepping on the rap scene was kicking a$$ and taking down names…people wanted to take his a$$ DOWNNNNNNNNNNN.
It all began when KiaShine posted a pic of himself proudly holding his 3 BMI Awards for [Drake’s] “The Best I Ever Had” (on Drake’s“So Far Gone” CD) and as a result of this, rumors began to fly that KiaShine was Drake’s was a ghostwriter of the song which originally [was called “Do it for the Boy”] and went like this:
Long story short, it was Wayne who got the beat and chorus of the song from KiaShine by which Drake lifted merely lifted the melody + one line of the song and to KiaShine’s credit, [he] got 25% of the song’s publishing (because it samples the above posted song he gave to Lil Wayne).
When all deets were aired out, both KiaShine and Drake spoke.
Drake is putting to bed the rumors alleging a ghostwriter penned his hit single ‘Best I Ever I Had.’ For months, it was believed that rapper Kia Shine actually wrote the lyrics to the ‘So Far Gone’ EP’s lead single. Drake took to his blog “to clear the air directly.”
“I have never met Kia Shine or worked with him,” the Canadian rapper wrote. “I wrote the entire composition in Toronto and I borrowed one line from a Lil Wayne song that he produced the BEAT for. The claims of 25 [percent] ownership are false and for [an] artist to brag about splits on a song is distasteful to begin with.”
Shine, born Nakia Coleman, fueled the misunderstanding by stating that he in fact wrote the chart-topping single, which peaked at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 and landed at the top of both the U.S. R&B and Rap charts. Coleman, however, produced the Lil Wayne song ‘Do It For The Boy,’ which inspired Drake’s ‘Best I Ever Had.’
“I gave Wayne the joint back in March of ’08,” Coleman explained in an interview, “and I had yet to hear the completed version until [DJ] Absolute hit me. I tried to contact [Lil Wayne’s record label] Young Money to get paid for the original track before I made a move, but couldn’t get anyone to hit me back.”
“As a producer,” Coleman continued, “it’s tough with mixtapes these days. Artist[s] will rap on a [two] track version of a beat & hook you put on a beat CD to shop and the next thing you know your beat is on the radio. It’s really impossible for Wayne to do a mixtape track, because if the song is a hit, it’s going to touch radio. That’s why whenever I produce or perform on a record I immediately send it to my guy, Maani, on the publishing side to handle all the paperwork.
“I get a call from Absolute and he’s like, ‘Yo, you sold the song to Drake.’ I’m like who’s Drake??? Absolute sent me the joint in January and I’m like…wooooow! Drake sampled the melody, some of the words, cadence, etc. So because I had already registered the original record, my business was in order. I sent in the Drake record and let my legal team handle it from there. We were able to settle at 25% of the ‘Best I Ever Had’ publishing.”
With that cleared, Drake continued to ready his full-length debut ‘Thank Me Later’ for a 2010 release and put his foot in the rap game in record ways through to 2015-uncontested–until last night.
Meek dropped a 33 gun salute of sorts:
That’s too much emotion-in several directions.
WHAT ALL “ARTISTS” NEED TO KNOW
Erykah Badu said it best: “I’m’a artist and I’m sensitive about my sh|t”
Although he made some very valid points, the problem with it is several things.
For starters, I don’t know what his personal friendships were like before he broke into the rap game, but when you are an artist (of any kind as listed above at the beginning), we (and I’m sure Meek Mill did) …we alllllllllll have the same stories of lack of encouragement, plugs of support, and support from family and friends—when sh|t gets real (and especially when we need it). It hurts. I know this to be true. I feel his pain. All artists do.
But you learn your lesson early that when you are dreaming and talking a bunch of bullsh|t…you’ve got all the support in the world from family and friends. That’s the ‘eyeroll’ and thumbs up point.
It’s when you get focused and sh|t starts moving for you (even at a snails pace), all that “support” goes mute and those eye rolls turn to eyes bucking from left to right (versus looking you straight in the face)…and they try and pretend like they don’t see you or your grind.
Something weird happens right there.
That’s the part where energies get weird and they go mum and blind to you and your grind until…………the world sees and recognizes you…that’s when they cut their blinders back on. That’s when they re-see you and the “congratulations” come into play–even never having supported you with one word of encouragement beforehand.
The same goes for the Internet culture (and your friends and families and social media friends). They play that same game too. I see complaining every day. So get used to it (Meek and other artists feeling this way).
The only way for any “artist” to win that game is to know this:
When your a$$ is dreaming and talking sh|t. It’s cool. They don’t care. Y’all are on the same level and playing field.
When you start focusing and moving-they get quiet…(at that point, only worry if all still seems cool) because that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re no good, it just means you have more work to do-they might be laughing at you, or may not see your promise as yet. Because when you are focused, they see your promising future or they simply don’t. ß That’s the point that no one is in full support of you unless they are hunting, fishing, starving and grinding with you (or completely secure in where they stand with you).
Here’s why:
(I need to make you see the scene): So, again, I will reiterate: When you have obvious potential to pop (or are focused enough TO pop) they all turn their heads, close their eyes and plug their ears like they don’t see or hear you and they go into hiding (again, unless they are grinding with you). Because the only persons at this point in your life that will act like they see you are the ones who you verbally told and have given complete security-they have a place with you while on your climb-that’s the pivotal point in your friendships and family when you discover who you were really friends with after all. True-blues and “day 1s” just blend on in and ride with you or make themselves a job alongside you—they are natural.
But for the ones who got mute and “weird” on you, they are still at a “safe” place with you. So they know they can come back out and blend in with praises and congratulations when the world notices. They somehow play this game like you were too busy to notice and with all the hoopla around you now that you don’t even remember and all is well and they’ve been with you all the way and in support of you all the time.
As an artist, when it comes to your family and friends; (true) encouragement when you’re grinding and support when you’ve succeeded, means a lot to you. I understand his pain.
But when it doesn’t work out like that you can’t get emotional over it because you can’t win that game. It’s more of them feeling “a way” (whatever “way) than just 1 “you” doing what you do.
The only way to win that game, and thanks to the Internet affording you this, is: each step of the way, they remain in the audience of you: peeping. And through the grapevine: hearing. Your only way to win that game and ease your pain is: each step of the way to your “success” or through your grind that you reach higher heights than the last time you last left them (or they-you), you win. You are your only representation of your own growth, success and evolution. So represent WELL. Don’t expect anything else other than your true blues and “day 1’s” naturally riding with you, encouraging and supporting you.
The rest is all on you.
Rest assured that the rest always plug in.
You: Plug your own self. Light ’em up.
Period.
Spitfire .
Media Maestro .
Writing Rhinoceros .
