West Coast rap icon Ice Cube recently shared his thoughts on the topic of ghostwriting and why it is an inevitable part of the music industry.
In Cube’s perspective, there will always be ghostwriting, however, he has more respect for artists that pen their own material.
“Ghostwriting is a part of music. It’s been a part of music since music has been able to be recorded and probably before that. … As far as a purist in hip-hop? I’m not a fan of it. I respect rappers more when they write their own lyrics. But as far as making a song, anybody can put a song together. It don’t matter how it come together. All that matters is what’s coming out the speaker. So, as far as making music and making records, it don’t matter who write it. As far as MCing and being a rapper, you should write your own stuff.” (MTV)
Cube, who notoriously dropped diss songs at past greats like N.W.A. and Common, admitted rap star Drake had the upper hand in his dispute with rapper Meek Mill in a separate interview this week.
“Drake is winning right now,” Cube laughed, before graciously adding a charitable stay of execution for Mill. “But, you know… Meek could come back. … It’s funny. To me it’s like going back to the essence of hip-hop: Who can rap the best? I don’t think anybody’s going to get jumped or get their asses whooped, but it’s fun to sit back and watch.” (The Daily Beast)
A couple nights ago, Drake took direct aim at Meek during his annual OVO Fest music concert.
https://twitter.com/jcourt10/status/628373149248176128
"You did it to yourself. I'd never let anyone disrespect my city" drake going in on meek
— Karizza Sanchez (@karizzasanchez) August 4, 2015
Drake gave Meek Mill a participation award for "Wanna Know." pic.twitter.com/aOJbksuWnF
— Michael Patrick Porkins (@patrickrglynn) August 4, 2015
New York rapper A$AP Rocky recently applauded both hip-hop stars but admitted Drizzy had the edge.
“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. … 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.” (MTV)
after listening to all songs and argument this feels like two friends helping each other more than two foes…
while drake came with more witty lines meek brought the truth…..drake had clever lines but nothing outside of check him for a wire or earpiece takes away from meek as a rapper….meek hit with some hurtful truth lines…and if it were not for internet and new age thinking he would have won….but we are in a new generation …..i call it a draw…neither are believable when it comes to their boost drake may use writers which isnt that bad cause he is not a rapper he is a singing acting rapper cross breed (not knocking him)…and meek boss is a former cop that says he real but was a cop …
Breakdown:
Meek
Undertaker music
the piss reveal
puffy slap
overall he needed more bars
Drake
Clever lines
aggressive with two songs back to back
and lastly while the nicki lines
that wire or ear piece line +
is that world tour or your girl tour+
Overall he needed more info on meek and not meek relationship with nicki
Cube and B-real got into over Cube coping a hook. If Cube sees or hears something he likes he will use it, they all do in industry.
Is it a hook? I thought it was over a beat.
Coming from the dude who wrote for Eric wright, Andre young, & Yolanda Whitaker …… no respect for them huh cube
They were a group though
yeah, and ………..
So what’s wrong with a member writing for the group if they’re part of it?
I get what you’re saying but I think it’s different for a group if a member is writing.
It’s one thing to help someone on your team with a hook or a line or two …… but when you scribe the whole song on your own time and bring it to them, like here’s your song …… that’s wack