REASON Explains Why He Rapped Over Drake's "8AM In Charlotte"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.5K Views
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REASON Drake 8AM In Charlotte Freestyle Hip Hop News
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Some Kendrick Stans think the TDE MC should be showing more loyalty amid his Drake beef, but he rightfully made an important distinction.

REASON recently dropped a killer freestyle over the song "8AM In Charlotte" by the 6ix God, which is optically a pretty interesting move considering that he's signed to TDE. If you're reading this from under your rock in the middle of nowhere, Kendrick Lamar is in some pretty heavy beef with Drizzy right now... or is it the other way around? Either way, the West Coast MC noticed two problems with the general reaction to his freestyle. The first is that people called this instrumental a "Drake beat," and the second is that he's doing this to pick a side against K.Dot, who's not even on Top Dawg anymore but obviously still has some strong bonds with his former parters and label mates.

"It’s “Conductor’s” beat not drakes. I love good production!" REASON replied on Twitter to a page posting his freestyle. With that first statement, and a reply affirming that the beat is actually produced by Conductor Williams and Mario Luciano, he rightfully attempts to combat producer erasure in hip-hop discussions, something we should all do a better job of avoiding. Also, the "I Don't Trust You!" MC seemed to avoid taking specific stances with that last sentence, simply standing by his love of good production. As such, maybe this doesn't have to be the "civil war" that we're all painting it as.

REASON Freestyles Over Conductor Williams & Mario Luciano's "8AM In Charlotte" Beat: Snippet

In fact, good production was also the reason behind REASON's co-sign of Drake's Kendrick Lamar diss, commonly referred to as "Push Ups." However, this was just co-signing the new beat for it, not the actual lyrics or sentiment against Mr. Morale. But for fans who are familiar with his trajectory with TDE, you know that he has plenty of conflict with the label and is actively trying to get out of his deal. They butted heads over realized potential, album delays, and an overall lack of support from the higher-ups that they attribute to not making the right moves as an artist. Furthermore, this complicated web is one that Aubrey Graham's shots at Top Dawg Entertainment might slightly illuminate.

Still, that's just speculation at this point, as there's no clear link between all of these parties and situations. Elsewhere, the TDE camp also reacted to J. Cole apologizing to Kendrick Lamar from dropping a diss of his own. But your biggest takeaway from all this should be very simple: check this dope freestyle with On The Radar out! For more news and the latest updates on REASON and Drake, stick around on HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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