Check out what Drake has to say…
Critics recently slammed both Young Money MCs for not spitting off the dome.
Nicki Minaj isn’t worried about the people who criticized her for not spitting off the dome during the BET Hip-Hop Awards cyphers.
“How many people on that cypher do you think spit off the top of their head?” Minaj fumed to Richmond, Virginia, radio host TT Torrez last week. “I don’t write off the top of my head. I can’t come up with those punch lines and metaphors off the top of my head. Everybody besides KRS-One, who else can you name that spit off the top of their head? They will tear apart a female, like, ‘She did a good verse, but she wrote it.’ … The only thing that matters is that I wrote on a paper and memorized it. Wayne never wrote my sh–. No one ever wrote my stuff.”
Nicki’s Young Money family member Drake went through some of the same problems earlier this year. When he was on Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 show, Drake spit his rhymes while reading them from his BlackBerry. Some bloggers and fans wrote negative responses, and comedian Affion Crockett even posted a video spoof online.
“I’ll never forget the night, man, when I went up to Hot 97, and it wasn’t scheduled,” Drake explained. “It wasn’t like, you know, ‘Drake’s coming up here Tuesday.’ It was literally like, ‘Funk Flex wants to meet you,’ and bam, like, two seconds later, it was like, ‘Let’s go on the radio and just kill New York.’ I’ll never forget how nervous I was. It was such a rookie hip-hop moment — and, obviously, the controversy of me pulling out my phone and rapping off my phone because I just wasn’t prepared. A lot of people don’t know the difference between freestyle or off the top and coming to a radio show knowing you got to go there, so you got verses cued up in your head, whether they be off your upcoming album or verses just that you have laying around. A lot of artists get that preparation time.”
Drake said the moment was an important steppingstone.
“That moment, just as far as hip-hop, as far as MCing goes, that moment was one of those … it was just, ‘Whoa! I’m really here and I got to get better. I got get to be better than this. I can never be caught off guard again,’ ” Drake said. “That was probably one of the most interesting moments of my life this year. I’m a writer, man. I appreciate the elements of hip-hop. I appreciate a guy like Common who goes city to city and just spits at the crowed for 10 minutes about everything he sees. I admire talent like that, because that’s just not my creative process. So, you know, as far as moments this year go, though, I’ve had amazing stories. I don’t want to tell them all in interviews, because then Thank Me Later will just be empty, so I think I’m going to tell them in this album as vivid as I possibly can.”
via MTV
Thoughts?
Here’s a little treat for all my singers & rappers that visit ATF on the daily…
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Download: Young Money – Bedrock (Instrumental) [Produced by Kane Beatz]
Have a nice Monday!
foxxy
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 7:52 PM:
people need to be realistic. since when does it mean you ain’t shit just because you don’t freestyle? that’s a talent. a God-given or thoroughly practiced talent that some people will just never have. if you’re a good writer, just write your fucking ass off so people won’t have a damn thing to say when they hear you spit.
Jessica
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 7:53 PM:
I knew people were gonna make a big deal out of that, they write so what!!?? if its good what does it matter? just be happy they take the time and think about what they giving you to listen to…YOUNG MONEY!!!!!!
Jessica Rabbit
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 8:12 PM:
Thanks for posting the instrumental… the beat goes… now I can just listen to it and get in my zone.
VONT3Y
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 8:20 PM:
YALL SHOULD START PUTTIN MORE INSTRUMENTAL ON HERE….I JUST LISTEN TO THAT LIKE THREE TIMES IN A ROW L0L
Chuck. Taylors.
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 8:22 PM:
Honestly, people are SO ignorant now-a-days.
Who do you know that TRULY spits off the dome other than Common and KRS-One (and Kid Cudi. When he first came on 106 & Park, he spit a MEAN 8 bars)? Seriously?
I don’t understand why everyone’s going off on Nicki Minaj (maybe cause she’s a FEMALE, >_>) for when YOU KNOW…Eminem and COUNTLESS OTHER RAPPERS IN THOSE CYPHERS…DID NOT come “off the top” with their verses. And since when did “cypher” mean that you had to “come off the top?”
It’s a CYPHER…not a FREESTYLE…there’s a DIFFERENCE (in MY opinion, anyways).
Jeez, people are SO quick to hate/judge, >_>…
(I’m sooo ticked off, though, cause I was reading this thing that someone posted on some website and EVERY COMMENT was bashing Nicki and her freestyle and this made me remember it, LOL)
Karla
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 8:39 PM:
I (heart) Nicki Minaj.
King Wayne
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 9:14 PM:
Ima writer too. My big bro can freestyle, but I just don’t have that talent, but if you put on a beat and give me 10-15 minutes, I’ll have something written that will make your jaw drop…Freestylin is an art, not everybody has it. And Minaj is that bitch, she better lyrically than a lot of dudes in the game…I hear hot choruses and no lyrics, her and Drake are a fresh breath of air.
sparel
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 9:30 PM:
he sounds so yummy
Shugg
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 9:31 PM:
Rap isnt about how quick someone can spit bullshit off the type of their heads not make sense thats when 9 times out of 10 you get 2 hit wonders, dont get me wrong you might run across some worthy to be in rap. Those who pin point every little detail of a rappers rhyme cant write a damn sentence themselves. You use what you have, tell me how many rap battles have you seen (free styled of course) where the same lyrics arent repeated…I’m listening. When you write you have chances to better your material. Do what you do and be the mothatruckin best at it.If you hate them cause they write buy they CD twice if you want it all off the dome buy they shit twice too. Point.Blank.Period.
Me!
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 10:08 PM:
Nicki Minaj… love her! The same goes for Drizzy. They shouldn’t even have to speak on this… Haters just need to sit down, have themselves a coke and smile and stfu! Sorry y’all this stuff kindles my anger lol
Lashawn Alleyne
on Nov 9th, 2009
@ 11:33 PM:
interesting
B.B.
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 1:35 AM:
I agree with pretty much everyone’s comments. I saw the interview that Nicki did and she’s right, who really did spit their verses off the dome during the cypher? Hell, I was more concerned about who came the hardest and killed their verse and she definitely did that on hers. She and Drake are refreshing to my ears and a breath of fresh air at this time in music so as long as they both continue to write and do their thing then I’m going to continue to have love for the both of them.
And will people let that whole freestyling incident die? Drake has accomplished so much since that day so why is that even a blip on anyone’s radar anymore? Let’s move on. Like Foxxy said, just because you can’t spit of the dome means you’re wack? Haters, continue giving the both of them free promo and STFD.
Jz
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 5:54 PM:
Drake reading his freestyle off the blackberry was pretty weak. No way to spin that period. I mean c’mon man, at least remember a couple lines in your head and PRETEND at the minimum.
Nayyyyyy
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 8:56 PM:
I love both of em . I rlly do , cus if their honesty .
Now how many rappers does anyone know that REALLY know how to freestyle . Out of every single that a rapper releases & all of their songs that might haved leaked , that doesnt mean that we’ve heard all of their work . Many rappers use the same lines from songs over and over & over whether its being used in a demo or a “freestyle” . Most Rappers freestyles dont come from the dome , their punch lines are recycled so – next issue !
Ppl look for things to bring drake & nik down & its sad tht this is all they could come up with …
Btw, thanks for the track ! =]
optimus prime
on Nov 24th, 2009
@ 3:03 PM:
yo erbody need to get off their jock aye aint nobody else doin wut dey doin.i mean nicki gotta be sumthin special to get signed to young money.FEEL ME?
vanessa
on Nov 28th, 2009
@ 12:29 PM:
seriouly wats with da hating they are two talented artists so shut up haters, drake actually got me intrested in rap again ,ts nice to actually hear songs dat are both catchy and make fucking sense