This is just my theory on how and why the Hip-Hop artist “Drake” became so popular in recent years. This conversation will primarily based off of Drake’s life and his music/lyrical content. The main point that I would like to make is that I believe that the main catalyst for Drake’s success in the music industry is his relatable content in his music. Drake though his music was able to reach out to a different audience than one would normally associate with the hip-hop culture. Drake reaches out to the middle class/upper class by making music about things that they can relate to, such as emotions and having too much money to be happy. Drake himself has been wealthy all of his life, coming from a family of well off musicians and a wealthy Canadian family. He lived his childhood in Forest Hill, which is a wealthy neighborhood in Toronto. Later on in his teenage years, he was known for being an actor on the popular television series Degrassi in which he plays the character Jimmy Brooks who was most notably known for being shot and becomes a paraplegic. Drake’s early life, however, was not perfect. His parents divorced causing immense emotional responses. All of these factors from his past have shaped the artist he is today. Drake’s music is well known for expressing intimate emotion as well as his acquired wealth. Now let’s make a hypothetical situation, if you an upper middle class white teenage girl, which lyrics will you most likely relate to?
“I’ve got it made thats what I’m talking about
Goin down to the fashion store and get myself fitted out
Goin down to the dealers buy myself a brand new car
So me and my lady can riiiide” (Comeback Season Mixtape 2011)
or
“Thinkin back as an adolescent, who would’ve guessed
that in my future years, I’d be stressin
Some say the ghetto’s sick and corrupted
Plus my P.O. won’t let me hang with the brothers I grew up with
Tryin to keep my head up and stay strong
All my homies slangin llello all day long, but they wrong
So I’m solo and so broke
Savin up for some Jordan’s, cause they dope” (Tupac Shakur, Better Dayz, recorded 1994-96)
Drake has obviously ushered in a new era of relatable hip-hop for a wider spectrum of audiences. Upper class teenagers, for the most part, cannot relate to Tupac Lyrics. What upper class teenagers, and most people in general can relate to is emotions, which drake incorporates into his music.
In the end, more people can relate to Drake’s situation in life. Not everybody is ready to listen to hard in your face Hip-Hop of Biggie and Tupac, the politically influenced lyrics of KRS-One and Common, or even the gangster anthems of Snoop Dogg and Ice-Cube, But they can relate to going through an emotional break-up, parties, drunk-calling, being well-off, Degrassi, and success.
Just a disclaimer, Im no official on Hip-Hop. Im not saying anyone is better than anyone else. I don’t have the musical encyclopedic knowledge to make claims that I expect everyone to agree with. This is just my opinion and theory from what I know.
