S. Samuel
Take Care contributing producer Noah "40" Shebib has killed speculation and rumors suggesting there may be an underlying rift between Drake's camp and rap star Kanye West.
According to Drizzy’s childhood friend, Ye represents a blueprint for all artists to respect.
“I look up to that guy like crazy. I always have and I always will,” 40 said. “That’s someone who’s carved out a sound for rap music a couple of times, who has really influenced and changed the game as an individual. It would be crazy to say there’s competition.” He added that people should understand the difference between stealing another artist’s style and being influenced by him. “You’re supposed to be a hybrid. When you got T.I. and Nas and Jay-Z and Wayne and Kanye and Eminem, all these different types of rappers from different places and so on and so forth, I would expect a couple of years after that a new rapper would comes out who incorporates all of those people. Because that’s the evolution of it and that’s what will always happen, so I don’t even look at it as like biting or stealing or this or that,” 40 said. (MTV)
A couple years ago, 40 said Ye got at him over biting his style.
“I can’t even be mad at him,” says 40 [short for working 40 Days and 40 Nights…Noah’s ark, get it?) “Because the last CD I listened to before I started working on So Far Gone was 808s & Heartbreak. At this point in time, the only rappers I have any interest in working with outside of Drake are Wayne and Jay. I think Drake has been so instrumental in creating that sound that I have a commitment to him. If he doesn’t want me to give it away, I won’t.” (VIBE)
Around the same time period, Drake’s “Forever” producer Boi-1da called out Ye over getting accused for copying his style.
“Lol @ Kanye West talking bout stealing swag, when hes made a career of sampling records SMDH #TheAudacity,” Boi tweeted Friday (October 8).
“i mean dudes one of the greatest ever, but … smh”
“@ChristianoHo no beef, just speaking my mind” (Boi-1da’s Twitter)
Boi was reportedly referring to Yeezy’s lines from the 2010 “Deuces” remix which also features Drake, Andre 3000, T.I. and Fabolous.
I don’t know exactly what Boi-1da is referring to but here are Kanye’s lyrics on the ‘Decues’ remix. Anybody else know another story? “Girl seducers, they come in Deuces/when I cut ’em off they always become a nuisance/n***as take my old flows and they take my old swag/he just took my old b**ch and turn it to his new b**ch/hehe, I’m stupid.” (Hip Hop N More)
Check out some recent Drake footage below:
