Just about every rap fan has weighed in on
Drake and
Meek Mill’s recent war of words over accusations that the Toronto MC has been using a ghostwriter. Some rappers have even given their take. Opinions range from Drake taking the L in light of leaked reference tracks, to Meek taking one because of the time he took to respond to Drizzy’s dis tracks — and plenty others in between. It’s been the most inescapable and fascinating discussion in hip-hop over the last week and change.
So when I sat with
A$AP Rocky at the Samsung Galaxy Artist Lounge backstage at Lollapalooza on Sunday (August 2), I was eager to hear his take.
“They went in,” A$AP said when I asked about the public’s reaction, likely referencing
the many hilarious memes that have surfaced in recent days.
As for the potential of Drake having a ghostwriter?
“If you ask me if that matters, or if the public cares, that’s two different questions. I think that it doesn’t matter at this point for the public — they seem like they don’t care. I don’t know. To me it matters.”
I asked Rocky, Does it matter to you as an artist or a fan?
“Yes, both ways.”
Beyond all that, though, he mostly just seemed excited for hip-hop, and for the moments the battle has produced.
“Watching this was like watching the Super Bowl. I wanna say thank you to Drake and Meek Mill, because that’s good sportsmanship,” he said. “For real, that sh-t was fun. I needed that. To see that, that’s good sportsmanship.”
The public seems to be leaning in Drake’s favor based on the musical output thus far — though you could dispute that notion — but Rocky believes both rap heavyweights will continue to be forces.
“I think Meek will be fine,” he said. “I think he has a fanbase of his own, and I think that at the end of the day, there had to be a loser in the outcome, and it was Meek. So it is what it is.”
“If somebody helped Drake, I dunno, that might be considered cheating, but whoever wrote that — not saying Drake ain’t write it, I’m quite sure he did — that sh-t was insane. That sh-t was incredible, and I wanna thank Drake and Meek Mill for such a good battle. I come from an old school aesthetic — me being 26 — coming from the point of, when I was coming up, it was all about writing your rhymes, and I’m quite sure for R&B songs, if someone’s giving you [lyrics], that’s nothing. I don’t know. I would have to see. I don’t know what to believe.
“Regardless of if Drake write his sh-t or not, I’m still a fan.”
But what does Ja Rule say ?
