Yasiin Bey, Aka Mos Def, Says Drake's Music Isn't Real Hip Hop

Yasiin Bey (AKA Mos Def) Drake's music isn't real hip hop…like Target Shopping Tunes

Jan 13, 2024 12:03 PM PT

drakeTechnically, you could call his music “rap” if you had to throw it in the genre trash can – but Yasiin Bey (also known as, Mos Def) says that in his opinion it is not pure hip-hop.

The legendary MC recently sat down for an interview on “The cutting room floor“ …where the host asks him directly if he thinks Drizzy is “hip-hop,” which led to a fascinating exchange. Long story short, no…Mos doesn't think Aubrey is in the loop.

Check out the video to see his full response to this… because it's pretty brutal. MD says Drake's melodies are like shopping music – namely friendly/easy to listen to and digest…maybe with a little edge every now and then.

He also uses Target to make his point here… noting that Drake is, on the whole, as mainstream and commercial as it gets, calling him pop rather than hip hop. Yes, it's hard.

Mos had more to say on the subject… rhetorically asking if Drake actually challenges his audience with art they might not necessarily like – adding that everyone always thinks Drizzy's music is “great” and that it is one of them Crowd gives pom-pom cheers.

Of course that was one heated debate forever – with hip-hop purists all the time Fuck Drake deemed too soft for their taste…and now it's amassing hip-hop greatness.

Drake has defended himself on that topic, and yes…he's proven he can hang with the best, so his hip-hop ambition is proven. Still, it sounds like he continues to strike some of his contemporaries as a little too poppy… which is fine.

The fact is that he is one of the most famous artists in the world, and he is also incredibly rich. We're assuming you're trading one for the other…mass appeal is damn profitable.🤷🏽‍♂️

Rodney Dangerfield said it best…no respect.