Drake was interviewed by Elliott Wilson for his CRWN interview series this past Sunday. The night of the event, tidbits of what Drake said during his interview made their way online through Twitter. Most of what we heard revolved around Kendrick Lamar, and Drake's response to the "Control" track. Now part one of the interview is out, and Drizzy talks more about his new album Nothing Was The Same, people criticizing him for singing too much, blending r'n'b and rap together, and finally, we have more details on what he had to say about Kendrick Lamar.
Read quotes from the interview below.
On "Nothing Was The Same":
"I was trying to make a body of work that from front to back was, a complex body of work, but an easy listen that made you...I wanted it to be such a journey that once it's over you're like, 'man I gotta listen again.' And some of the greatest projects, some of my favorite albums are like that. I really tried to make a piece that wasn't too much music to the point where you have to pick out your favorites, I just wanted it to flow from front to back."
On r'n'b and rap music, and mixing the two:
"I'll be honest, there's times I feel like I like r'n'b music better than I like rap music. It's just sometimes I like listening to it whether it be classic, whether it be new. When I find myself having free time, I like melody. And it's so funny that people scrutinize me so much for melody, because then another rapper will go and drop their single and the whole single is melody-driven and that's okay 'cause he's allowed to do that and I'm not allowed to do that, it's just like this crazy double standard that people have for me.
"I wanna blur lines, and I want to blend it, because, like I said, I embrace it at this point," Drake said of combining r'n'b elements with hip-hop. "If you think I sing too much now, just wait 'til I'm 33 and I do this straight."
On "Tuscan Leather":
"It was like this six-minute self-expression to let you know everything, all the questions I don't normally answer 'cause I don't like to go up to these radio stations and sit with these press people." "If I go up to the radio station and don't say some dumb shit about Chris Brown or if I don't do some wild shit then they get no ratings, you know, it's tough to really participate in media otherwise so instead of going up there and talking about I'd rather just talk about my life on a song."
On the titling for "Wu-Tang Forever":
"I did take a risk by titling that song what it was, and I remember we had conversations about is it gunna stunt the growth of the song or whatever. But for me, I'm always into paying homage. Last album it was "Practice" and this album that's kinda what "Wu-Tang Forever" is I always try to pick a classic hip-hop song and make it my own."
On Kendrick Lamar & "Control":
"[Kendrick] is giving people moments, that verse was a moment for people to talk about. But are you listening to it now, at this point in time? Okay… It was real cool for a couple weeks.” But, he continued: But if I asked you, for example, how does that verse start?Mind you, it’ll go on– Complex and Rap Radar will give it like, verse of the millennium and all that shit or whatever.
"I think Kendrick has the utmost potential. I see Kendrick tomorrow I’ma dap him. I didn’t feel a way about that verse. I get it. I get the moment. He’s a good guy. That verse had no malice behind it."