Earlier this month Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, found himself at the center of some online debate. That came after he claimed that the music Drake makes isn't hip-hop anymore, it's pop. "Drake is pop to me. In the sense, like, if I was in Target in Houston, and I heard a Drake song. It feels like a lot of his music is compatible with... shopping. Or, as you know, shopping with an edge in certain instances," the rap legend said during a podcast appearance. The comments sparked tons of debate online over what does and doesn't count as authentic hip-hop.
The difference between pop rap and so-called "real" rap has been discussed for a few years now. Perhaps most notably, rappers like Kodak Black and Nicki Mina took issue with Latto's song "Big Energy" being nominated for various rap awards at the Grammys. In a response to Bey's comments, Drake took to his Instagram story with a clip from an old Method Man interview. In the discussion Method Man implied that rap music is more about the culture and the impact than any specific sound. That sentiment was shared by other rappers, most notably NLE Choppa, who came to Drake's defense. But a new video of Bey performing has fans bringing up his Drake criticism. Check out the full clip below.
Read More: NLE Choppa Backs Drake After Yasiin Bey Says The Canadian's Music Is Perfect For Shopping
Yasiin Bey Performance Has Fans Calling For Drake
Newly released video of Yasiin Bey performing at a Paris fashion show has fans second-guessing. In the clip, he performs by himself on a small stage singing a new song that admittedly doesn't sound much like the familiar vision of hip hop. Fans shared the video online calling into question how he could criticize Drake and then deliver the performance he did.
What do you think of Yasiin Bey's comments about Drake making pop music rather than hip-hop? Did you opinion change after seeing the new video of Bey performing? Let us know in the comment section below.
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