Drake, Wale and Kid Cudi are featured in a year-end roundup in the latest edition of GQ, pictured in a story that claims that the three of them helped kill off hip-hop's "gangster persona." Sure, it's a bit much to expect a magazine devoted to bringing white dudes pictures of Megan Fox's lady bits to discuss what's happening in hip-hop, but the gangster persona is "dead"? Then how come Rick Ross still sells a bunch of records? How come 50 Cent gets more promotion then Wale? How come Lil Wayne, who has spent some time living with a "gangster persona," is still bigger than Drake?
I mean, yeah, these guys (with the exception of Drake, who is a cornball) are pretty great/different. But let's face it; Wale is never going to beat Dorrough on the radio, Drake will always be less interesting than every rapper, ever, and Kid Cudi will always seem like Kanye's little brother. Gangster rap still sells, and three rappers with two studio albums to their names isn't going to change that. At least not yet. [Real Talk NY]
The only one of those three who could change anything is Drake, because he gets more radio play that Wale and CuDi combined. And that's not a bad look if Drake drops some of his corniness and sticks to solid songwriting.
Yeah, I guess he's the only one with the commercial power to do anything, but I think he's kind of bloated up on his own success at this point. Everything post-So Far Gone has sounded so lazy.
Oh, absolutely agree about the post-So Far Gone material. But I'm hoping it's just a case of him giving people mediocre stuff while keeping the good-to-great verses/hooks for his debut.
And I think Wale and CuDi have potential to blow up, but they need the proper push. "Chillin'" and nothing after "Day 'n' Nite" aren't gonna do it.
November 16, 2009 at 3:56 p.m.
Real
The writer of this is an idiot....Drake less entertaining than any rapper....I think he's alot more entertaining than Gucci Mane. And is a corball...this is stupid as hell.
November 16, 2009 at 3:56 p.m.
EJohns
Drake is the Man, First and far most. And Gangster rap is dead homie. Who the f*ck wants to hear snoop these days. 50 is the only one doing it still, and hey! Is he really gangster raP?? Dude signs on every chorus. If you cant sing a chorus these days ur not getting signed. Artists need more than just street cred these days. Drakes got some intellectual sh*t to say. Cudi had got style and wale just got lucky - or put in work - cuss hes the average. Check me out @ http://ejohnsradio.blogspot.com/
November 16, 2009 at 6:19 p.m.
chuck
EJohns you got its wrong or that last sentence, Wale is the most talented rapper of the three, very comparable to Lupe Fiasco - although not yet on par. It's all the in mixtapes, just like Drake and Cudi. - I don't think Drake is corny either, and So Far Gone is good but I like his recent work (or verses) i.e. 1st 12 bars of Forever Verse and even the Money to Blow verse was nice. IMHO.
November 16, 2009 at 6:19 p.m.
freshman class of hip hop 09
wale and cudi have a big potential but nobody is advertising it.
November 16, 2009 at 6:19 p.m.
Zac Simpson
I think all three of you are f*cking retards. Kid Cudi is the greatest thing to happen to hip hop and Wale is a sick rapper.
Suck a fat dick.
November 17, 2009 at 1:41 a.m.
rapListener
Drake is soooo sick - he's not corny. He's bringing new flavor to rap and the shiit he says is actually interesting. Cudi's sick too and Wale's got a nice flow. the 3 of em are sick, but Drizzy's the future of rap!!!
November 17, 2009 at 9:53 a.m.
kutse robert
drake gat all it takes 2 be afloat,so am not amased about people hatin on him.im the biggest fan he can ever have.thumbs up drake!
November 18, 2009 at 2:22 p.m.
Dat_dude_C_Ray
I wouldnt necissarily say that they killin the the gangsta persona, but they are killin the game right now, and one of em is doin it without an album so i just look at it like this. Cudi is takin over for kanye right now, Drake is takin over for Wayne at the moment and Wale is killin everything in between. Kanye still the best though hands down. :D
November 18, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.
Brett
All 3 of em are dope as hell.... They all kinda have there own style. But all 3 of em are really killin the "gangster rap" scene. No one has really come out with any dope yet.
November 19, 2009 at 10:04 p.m.
CJ
I agree that Drake has the commericial success of the three...I also agree that they are on the verge of changing 'hip-hop' genre but they need to thank Kanye for that (yep I said it). I prefer Drake/Kanye/Wale/Cudi over Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane Rick Ross...i came from the hood too but it's time to hear something else...a different sound...reinvent hip hop or return it back to Russell Simmons era....tired of the same ole same ole...
it took long enough but this dude is totally wrong there is nothing wrong with drake except maybe his latest stuff is a little off par but i still find it catchy
November 23, 2009 at 12:51 p.m.
kweku
hip hop is mediocre.these guys a bringing smthn new , with more realness to it.no-one has spoken more non-chalantly like Kanye, thats why he sells. the same can be said of Drizzy and Cudi.those 3(+Wale) r the future. add N.E.R.D & Shwayze & its world domination
November 29, 2009 at 12:34 a.m.
gordin
wow this writer got it all wrong. drake wale and cudi are very talented wale puts in the most work because drake got lil wayne that it one of the best rappers alive and cudi got kanye. wale is doing it and all by himself..thats hard work. just give them time and they will be the definition of hip hop
December 5, 2009 at 12:10 p.m.
FNF Army
You are all out of your minds. These three boys can't change a thing. How many wack wannabe MC's does it take to change a light bulb? Three.
The only one true enough to do some real change and do it in a style that has not been seen and do it with wordplay and smarts that hasn't been seen in the game to this degree thus far is none other than Lupe Fiasco.
THAT is the real future. Has more skill than these three could ever dream of.
Lasers in 2010. And a very special mixtape this Christmas with the release of his new mixtape, "Friend of the People."
December 11, 2009 at 5:41 p.m.
O.B.
real talk cudi is the best....drake is a beast he been slacking a lil after so far gone but he is stil yet a beast...wale on some stuff that errbody was hatin on but is now doing...these three will change the game....im sorry lupe is my favorite rapper but he can't change the game when he sold two of his three albums already cuz all he is making is three albums...lil wayne can't do stuff becuz he talks about the same things....u can't be a martian and say the same stuff as everyone else is doing...money cars and bitches that is all gangsta rap is
January 24, 2010 at 4:22 p.m.
Dggad
Money to blow is pre so far gone it from probably august 2008.
January 25, 2010 at 9:33 a.m.
H.E.
Drake's image easily shadows wale's and cudi's,but kid cudi's style is far more original than drakes, and wales,but pretty much all wales songs are made up of lyrical genius
Drake has the biggest jump start with the whole wayne thing, but i don't see him getting much bigger unless he does a song with wale and kid cudi.. or a really really good song with lupe or T.I.(when he gets out) Cudi will for a while be kanyes baby bro, but I think he will surpass kanye,but it could take a minute, unless he makes a group or something Wale i believe has the most potential for killin gangstaz, not much of a threat now but once he does something solid he will be up there with lupe, unless he becomes like common
January 25, 2010 at 10:07 p.m.
jess the bestt
wow u serious dawg kid cudi and wale gna blow up huge they are the best rappers out there no doubt and nobody got shxt like my man cudder this writer dumb as fxck . drake has some good songs and some bad give em a lil time to blow but wale and kid cudi gona have the spotlight soon.
Kid Cudi »
Wale »
The only one of those three who could change anything is Drake, because he gets more radio play that Wale and CuDi combined. And that's not a bad look if Drake drops some of his corniness and sticks to solid songwriting.