One Emotionless year later
A trip back down memory lane to revisit what was lost in 2018 for Rap’s biggest Titan and the classic song that came out of it
One man holds the title of the biggest artist in the world, the most Billboard top 100 hits of all time and arguably the best brand ambassador on Earth. That man is no other than Aubrey Drake Graham, also known as Drake. 2019 has treated Drake well, he’s teased a new album, released a couple songs and his hometown team the Toronto Raptors captured the NBA title. Still, it wasn’t long ago that things were much different. Just last year Drake engaged in a feud with Pusha T and Kanye West. Trust was lost, children were revealed, and impenetrable rap armor was punctured.
2018, was supposed to be Drake’s golden year, the year we remembered him for, the year he cemented his legacy. When God’s Plan and Nice For What dropped, the records were moments. Both songs sat atop the Billboard Top 100 Hits list. And while one had us gazing into the distance loving life, the other had every woman who listened flaunting, dancing and feeling free.
Behind the scenes, a lot was going on. Drake was gearing up for his album and was rumored to be getting out of a deal with Nike/Jordan and heading toward Adidas. He was even spotted rocking Adidas apparel in April. Two months later, the feud ensued. Kanye strategically placed five albums outside of Drake’s June 30th release date and Pusha T dropped his album which featured Infrared, a diss track toward Drake. The Toronto rapper responded with Duppy Freestyle, a lyrical swipe at the G.O.O.D music pair and Pusha followed by landing the final blow in The Story of Adidon.
Pusha T’s strike was calculated and precise. He revealed personal secrets to the world and killed a deal with Adidas in three minutes and fourteen seconds.
“ You are hiding a child let that boy come home
Deadbeat motha*ucka playing border patrol
Adonis is your son and he deserves more than an Adidas press run ”
Can you imagine four #1 hits, 1 billion streams in a week, a song that went diamond in a year, awards, beef settlements (Meek Mill) and a baby reveal with Adidas? Drake would’ve had our hearts. Instead he elected to take the high rode and settle into his role as the good guy.
The loss bled all over Side A of Drake’s latest album but it was gushing out of the fourth track, Emotionless. From the beautiful Mariah Carey sample to the drums that hit harder than the truth you didn’t want to hear. The song feels like Drake before he even breaths. But when he does breath, frustration spews out of a mouth that’s gasping for air after Pusha T’s gut-wrenching blow. The fiery triangle of Drake, Kanye and Push left the OVO head honcho everything but emotionless.
“ I don’t know how I’ma make it out of here clean
Can’t even keep track of who plays for the other team
Iconic duos rip and split at the seams
Good-hearted people are takin’ it to extremes
Leavin’ me in limbo to question what I believe
Leavin’ me to ask what’s their motive in makin’ peace
Leavin’ me to not trust anybody I meet
Leavin’ me to ask, is there anybody like me? ”
The lyrics tell the whole story, but the beauty in this song doesn’t lie in the subliminal shots at Kanye and Pusha T, it’s everything else around it. We get to hear the Drake that I love, the self reflective, introspective, worldly guy from Toronto who’s not afraid to show his emotions. It can be easy to forget that artists have lives beyond what they choose to show fans, but it shouldn’t be. Drake’s personal business is his own to share to whoever he wants to. I just want him to release great music, and that’s what this song is.
One of the skills Drake has mastered is the ability to relate. No matter the song, he’s always been able to deliver something everyone can feel. The second verse on Emotionless is written with sharpness rap critics beg to hear from Drake.
“I know a girl whose one goal was to visit Rome
Then she finally got to Rome
And all she did was post pictures for people at home
’Cause all that mattered was impressin’ everybody she’s known
I know another girl that’s cryin’ out for help But her latest caption is “Leave me alone”
I know a girl happily married ’til she puts down her phone
I know a girl that saves pictures from places she’s flown
To post later and make it look like she still on the go
Look at the way we live
I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world I was hiding the world from my kid
From empty souls who just wake up and look to debate
Until you starin’ at your seed you could never relate
He has us on the edge of our seats asking “do me and Drake know the same people?” And then confirms a Batman-sized secret to the world. He has a kid. It’s how he did it though, he made all of us agree with him on what’s wrong with people on the internet before turning around and saying “this is why I didn’t tell you.” As I said before, his business is his business, except when Pusha T is involved.
Despite the loss, Drake went on to have arguably the biggest year for an artist in this decade. It was bigger than Kendrick’s 2017 and Chance’s heroic 2016. The crazy part is, it could’ve been even more enormous. Granted, not much is going to change. He’ll still be the biggest artist in the world, he’ll still make hits and he’ll still be loved. Pusha T will likely live off of Drake’s name by being known as the assassin who brought unstoppable force to his knees. Will we ever get to hear Drake’s response which was said could have ruined careers and families? Probably not. Sometimes the beef isn’t worth the price you pay. That’s what Drake accepted.
