Earl Sweatshirt Responds To Drake's Kodak Black Cosign

Yesterday we reported on an Instagram clip of Drake dancing to Kodak Black's "SKRT." Drake had also played the song during episode 6 of OVO Sound Radio, the occasion on which he dropped What a Time to Be Alive. Of course, a cosign from a superstar like Drake can lead to obvious gains in the short-term. The long-term effects are less certain, and if an artist's hype eventually stagnates, his legacy might be defined by that one time his song appeared on Drake's Instagram. Is Drizzy's support intended to promote the artist's movement for its own existing merit or to incorporate it into his own brand? 

Earl Sweatshirt got into that debate upon hearing of Drake's recent promotion of Kodak, and as one who's presumably well acquainted with the young Florida rapper, he tweeted his apprehension: "drake found kodak black? smh welp." 

Responding to backlash from the initial tweet, Earl clarified that he feels "drake can be a bit of a vulture on young rap n*ggas" and that he doesn't want Kodak to be the 6 God's next victim.

Then proceeded a discussion between Earl and his followers about the true intentions of a celebrity like Drake promoting an underground young street rapper like Kodak Black. In Earl's opinion, Drake might be guilty of giving out a cosign for reasons that are "self-serving" rather than in the best interests of the young artist at hand. 

In the end, Earl remains undecided on the righteousness of Drake's motives, rightly noting that "the line between paying homage and wave riding is a blurry one" -- as is that "between giving criticism and hating," implying that he did not mean to diss Drake while inquiring on the effects of one of the OVO rapper's cosigns. 

For a further foray into the topic of the detrimental aspects of a major cosign, check out our recent feature: "How Much a Cosign Cost: The Downside of Collaborating with Drake & Kanye." 

Earl Sweatshirt