Drake lost the battle but won the war by taking the Throne
"I just feel like the the throne is up for the taking, watch me take it." - Drake on DJ Khaled's I'm On One [2011]
Fast forward 7 years later - 7 years after Jay Z and Kanye dropped Watch the Throne, and he's done just that. With the release of Drake's full length double album, Scorpion, he continues to shatter existing records and create new milestones for others to reach for. And while we can all agree true artistry is not about figures alone, we can't argue the hard impressive figures of Drake's reach and impact. It's almost enough to forget about one of the most brutal rap battle records to ever hit the airwaves.
The Story of Adidon by Pusha T was as solid of a Deathblow as you can get in hip-hop. I take that back - what 50 did to Ja Rule was the ultimate Deathblow. Need proof? Ja Rule's most recent endeavor was as a co-sponsor the Fyre Festival. Enough said. Push responded to Drake's Duppy Freestyle with facts we now know came from Drake opening up about his child situation to the GOOD Music crew while he was helping them finish up Ye' and whatever else other projects Kanye was getting Drake's opinion on.
Today, it's seems Kanye called J. Prince to dead the beef not only because he's a self-proclaimed love-monger for the people with an equally dead ego. I repeat - Kanye told us he killed his ego [ahem]. He humbled himself not only for the sake of his own emotional intelligence IQ, but because Drake could BODY HIM if he shared with the world whatever Kanye reciprocated to Drake the night Drake opened up to Kanye about his child. And that's bare minimum knowledge Drake has accumulated over the years. He's been taking jabs at these cats for years now.
The subliminals turned into direct shots and Drake took the L. Drake stans, this is not up for debate. Drake had to drop a since deleted press release in the middle of the battle to clarify that willing blackface...never forget.
Drake went silent.
Then his camp decided to let the album do the talking.
And he made damn near all of Side A a reference to G.O.O.D. music and crew.
Then he took the throne.
1.2m Likes, 118 Comments - @champagnepapi on Instagram: "New era. New platinum. Thank you a billion times over (a billion plus). 🦂"
This is not a new milestone in hip-hop. This is a new milestone in recorded content period.
623 Likes, 32 Comments - Elliott Wilson (@elliottwilson) on Instagram
1 billion streams in a single week.
That's mind-blowing content distribution and reach - globally.
7 years later, the artist also simply known as 'The Boy' became the largest music artist in history. Simultaneously tying The Beatles, Eminem, and ironically Kanye West for longest streak of consecutive number 1 albums. Mr. West also joined this exclusive club with the release of 'Ye this summer. Kanye even implies himself in the new GQ interview that Drake is the top rapper in the game today.
Drake never should have put Push's fiancé's name in a track.
Drake never had a response for Push.
Kanye never wanted beef with Drake, because
Drake has all the smoke reserved for Kanye.
It doesn't make sense to body Kanye for something Push is itching for.
"As luck would have it, I've settled into my role as the good guy / I guess luck is on your side" - Drake 8 Out of 10
188 Likes, 3 Comments - Elliott Wilson (@elliottwilson) on Instagram
It never mattered if Drake beat Push in a rap beef.
It still matters that Drake raw-dogged a stripper, got her pregnant then denied the child, but that's a topic for another post all-together.
Drake is moving the culture forward in a way G.O.O.D. Music is not able to do - even with the iconic Mr. West at the helm.
And with his newest achievements officially recorded on the books, the lesson is simply to focus on the bigger picture - no matter how surgically crafted and powerful your foes are.
The Throne is Drake's to lose.