For All the Dogs Not Named Joe
On the October 7th episode of the Joe Budden Podcast, the host explained in detail why he didn’t enjoy Drake’s newest album, For All the Dogs. He implied that Drake’s content and references skewed very young, and that the rapper needs to be around more people his own age. Drake responded with a comment on DJ Akademiks’ post labeling Budden a failure, bashing his rap career, and reminding listeners that he makes far more money than the podcast host.
I wonder why, amongst all of the adoration that he receives, he felt like he needed to write several paragraphs about this negative review? Are those still allowed? I like to think that a hit dog will holler. Maybe he knows in his heart that some of Joe’s criticism is actually fair, especially since Joe has long been vocal about his support for Drake’s music.
My critique of Drake has always been a simplified version of what Budden is saying here. I don’t dislike him for a lack of talent. I often find myself disappointed in his subject matter. He’s a rap veteran now, with his major label debut releasing back in 2010. Yet, you can rest assured that the bulk of his content is relationship talk with some financial boasts sprinkled in. Even a short piece from XXL about wild lyrics on his newest album shows that trend isn't stopping. You need to scroll through about 10 lines to find one that isn’t somewhat romantic or sexual.
But discussing this guy isn’t that different from discussing Lebron in basketball. Understanding his work also requires that you understand the era in which he’s operating. Joe is not wrong in claiming that Drake is speaking primarily to a younger demographic. He thrives in an era where short upbeat tunes with braggadocious lyrics about stunting on your ex prevail. His words often fill Instagram captions and become the theme music for Tik Toks and IG stories. I no longer believe his content is a mistake. I think he’s traveling a path that Jay Z once paved while dropping albums in 8 consecutive years. In a way, he has identified what his fans like and he plans to give it to them. Further, it doesn’t require any innovation because his place as a cultural icon supersedes any of the creativity he may have had years ago. It’s hard to criticize the things that everyone is going crazy about. That’s what Joe is trying to do here in demanding more from one of his favorite artists, but the message will fall on deaf ears.
He’s on par with Taylor Swift and Beyonce, both of whom also toured across stadiums and arenas this past summer. It’s a strange space for a rapper to occupy. But once you acknowledge that, you realize he’s probably more like them than he is the next big rapper to come out of Atlanta or Houston. Old rap rules would have already challenged Drake to win more battles, diversify his material, or at the very least write his own lyrics. It’s just not happening. Those are the lenses through which Joe views Drake, it’s just not the lane that the Canadian-born MC is in anymore. Going all in to be a rapper of artistic integrity never would have earned him the universal acclaim he has now. He’s completely pop now, and his boast that he’s a richer and more popular success story than Joe Budden should be one of the final signifiers of that.
