In today's episode of 'Billboard Unfiltered,' Billboard staffers Damien Scott, Carl Lamarre, and Trevor Anderson are joined by DJ Drewski to debate who the best lyricist among Nas, Jay-Z, and Biggie is, discuss who among Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole would have been the most successful in the 90s, and consider if Wiz Khalifa's freestyling signifies his return, and more!
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00:00Yo, yo, yo, what's going on, y'all, and welcome to a fresh episode of Billboard Unfiltered.
00:06We have a special guest today, holding it down, my brother from another, yeah, Hot 97
00:13resident.
00:14I would like to say he is one of the biggest architects in New York City in terms of breaking
00:19talent.
00:20I'm talking-
00:21Let's go.
00:22Come on.
00:23Let's go.
00:24Cardi B. I'm talking about the late Pop Smoke.
00:25Let's go.
00:26A Boogie, Fabio Foreign.
00:28I could keep on going.
00:29The good brother, DJ Drewski and I.
00:33Thank you for having me.
00:34How are you feeling, my brother?
00:35I'm feeling a little unfiltered.
00:36Let's talk-
00:37Hey, hey, hey.
00:38Okay.
00:39Let's go.
00:40You're a little spicy today.
00:41Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:42You're a little spicy today.
00:43Let's go.
00:44Like I told you before the show, your political connects, they might be a little upset, but
00:45they'll be high.
00:46Right.
00:47Artists, don't get mad.
00:48Please join Summer Jam if we need you.
00:49Here we go.
00:50You know what I'm saying?
00:51Don't, you know-
00:52Don't take it personal.
00:53Yeah, don't take it personal.
00:54Just for the live.
00:55Right, right, right.
00:56I already got the Kendrick heads coming at me, but no, it's going to be a fun show today.
01:01Of course, we're going to bring some fire topics with the first one.
01:03We got to give flowers to Mr. Wiz Khalifa.
01:07Oh, yeah.
01:08The brother has been on a fire run as of late.
01:12The freestyle, I feel like I'm back in the blog era, you know, the way Wiz has just been
01:16cooking.
01:17He's been freestyling over the Kendrick squabble up, teasing a potential remix for Cole's Cloud,
01:22new song.
01:23He's a feature with La Russell.
01:27The brother is working at a pace we haven't seen maybe since Cabin Fever Wiz, cats are
01:33trying to say Cush and OJ.
01:36How are we feeling about Wiz having his resurrection?
01:39It's starting to feel like 2011 all over again.
01:41Are we surprised?
01:42I'll let Drewski go first.
01:43First, let me just say, I'm glad we're getting the freestyles and the music and not him walking
01:48around in gym shorts and shirtless, you know what I'm saying?
01:52I was kind of getting tired of that.
01:53I'm like, come on, Wiz.
01:54Like, where's the music?
01:55He was so rich.
01:56He was just like, I'm just going to get my life right.
01:59I'm just going to get in shape and just get these workout videos for a minute.
02:05It was a minute, though.
02:06Goddamn, bro.
02:07Yeah.
02:08It's just crazy.
02:09Yeah.
02:10He's back in the studio, hard at work.
02:11I mean, knowing he's had 15 years in the game and we're at a different space generationally
02:17where the new cast may not know who Wiz is.
02:20How would you guys sum up his legacy overall and then also talk about what he can do to
02:26maintain his momentum?
02:27Well, I felt like he built a core following, a core audience in his early years.
02:34And they rocked out with him to now, even without music and they still rocked out with
02:39him.
02:40So now him coming back with these freestyles and potential music, I think he's going to
02:44be good.
02:45Because he's one of those artists that when he drops, people get excited.
02:49We're talking about him now.
02:52So I feel like he's built that in his early years, in his career.
02:56And I'm a fan of Wiz as a person.
02:59So I want to support regardless.
03:02So I'm excited personally about the new music.
03:06And I feel like his core fans are.
03:08And the new kids, does he care?
03:11You think he cares about-
03:12He's so rich.
03:14I think he even cares about the new generation.
03:17I think he doesn't care.
03:19I think Wiz has developed this.
03:22To me, he's like the modern day Snoop for the younger kids who may not be familiar.
03:27And I think when you look at his catalog too, yeah, if I'm Wiz, I don't give a shit, man.
03:30I got a couple of classics under my belt, Kush and OJ, Taylor Alderdice, man.
03:35From a mixtape scene, what he's been able to do, this dude is one of the best and put
03:38Pittsburgh on the map.
03:39And from a chart standpoint, which I know Trevor could best speak to, man, he had his
03:43moment, black and yellow.
03:47Yeah.
03:48I mean, obviously getting, you know, when Wiz came out, I don't think anybody necessarily
03:51thought he was going to be like a number one hit maker.
03:54So the fact that he was able to do it twice and with really two different kinds of songs
03:58like solidifies.
04:00There is a commercial appetite for Wiz.
04:01I would actually love to see Wiz get another hit.
04:03He doesn't need it.
04:04But I feel like it's one of those things where just to cap off this era, like how crazy would
04:08it be if like there was a comeback single that kind of made its way?
04:11And you know, I mean, cats have been fucking with Wiz for a while.
04:13They're ready for the new material.
04:15So if he was able to sneak back into another top 40, top 20 kind of hit, like that to me
04:20would only solidify when you look at, right, that 15 year run, like, okay, Wiz is always
04:24kind of out here.
04:25His fans are always checking for him in the same way, kind of like, you know, he built
04:28a fan base, like a Mac Miller kind of way.
04:30Like wherever, wherever he goes, there's, they're still there and it's been 15 years
04:35and he's not necessarily, you know, his fortunes are not tied to how hot his last single was.
04:41Like even if it's been, you know, five, you know, five years or 10 years or whatever,
04:45like if Wiz just drops that one classic, like they're swarming right to it again.
04:49Yeah.
04:50I agree.
04:51We can't count them out.
04:52I agree.
04:53That's a good point.
04:54Yeah.
04:55I think, you know, I'm excited just because, you know, it's good to see an artist realize
05:00what people love about them and to like understand that there is something that they can still
05:06give to the game to see people, to see him freestyle.
05:09Like the first I heard was the LaRussell song where he was, I think LaRussell posted a clip
05:12of it and he was amped.
05:14He's like, yo, I got the best Wiz verse of the year.
05:16And I was like, it's not a big category.
05:18That's like how many songs is Wiz dropping?
05:21And then he, and then he played the verse and I was like, oh shit, this verse is actually
05:24pretty good.
05:25You know, Wiz sounds, he sounds like he wants to rap again.
05:28And I think he was, he got so successful, like that Fast and the Furious shit just kind
05:32of like, don't really make music anymore.
05:35Yeah.
05:36Koffer is a fool after that shit.
05:38His kids, kids, kids are straight.
05:40And I don't think he has anything to prove per se, but he sounds as if he, he sounds
05:48completely reinvigorated.
05:49He sounds like he wants to prove to people that he can still do this, that he can still
05:54tap in.
05:55I don't know if he cares about being accepted by the younger generation, but I think him
06:00linking up with LaRussell of all people is interesting because this is a guy who is so
06:05far left of center that I don't even know if like people who are super into the pop
06:11and young cast right now even know who LaRussell is.
06:14So that's good for like, I think both of them.
06:18And I think it gave him, like, I don't know if he were to drop on, you know, say he would
06:21do or like a remix with like Gunna or something, would the response be the same?
06:27Because people are like, oh, LaRussell, one, who the hell is LaRussell?
06:31Two, holy shit.
06:32Did you hear this whiz verse?
06:33And I think that's like, it's been, it's been such a great moment.
06:35And the fact that he's been such invigorated, so invigorated by it, he's like, I'm going
06:38to keep, keep doing this.
06:40It's great.
06:41You know, like everyone here in clouds and being like, in the comments being like, yo,
06:44this sounds like a whiz, a whiz track.
06:46Bro, I haven't heard people say anything about a whiz track in like, I don't know how long.
06:51Yeah.
06:52Yeah.
06:53So this is great.
06:54Let me, let me pose you guys this question real quick.
06:56Hypothetically, if you could pick one rapper from the blog era that you kind of wish could
07:00have this comeback run right now, man, who would you guys pick?
07:04Damn, that's hard.
07:06I mean, I was always a huge Charles Hamilton fan.
07:08Oh, wow.
07:09Yeah.
07:10But a Brooklyn girl.
07:11Yeah.
07:12I was always, I was always, I tell people, I'll tell people this all the time, especially,
07:15especially people who perhaps won't, I mean, weren't maybe old enough to remember.
07:22This day, but the day so far gone dropped.
07:25No one remembers this, but the day so far gone dropped a lot of people, I'm not saying
07:31everybody, but a lot of people were excited because Charles Hamilton was also dropping
07:35mixtape that day.
07:36Was that the Sonic mixtape?
07:37Yeah.
07:38Well, they were all kind of Sonic.
07:39The gold Sonic, I think.
07:40Weird.
07:41Yeah.
07:42It was called Well.
07:43The Rihanna record.
07:44It was called Well.
07:45Well.
07:46Well, this is awkward.
07:47Yeah.
07:48Like, well, isn't this awkward?
07:49I think that's what it was called.
07:51Great mixtape.
07:52It just so happens that he drops that.
07:55And then.
07:56Got that Farrah Fawcett.
07:57Fuckin' history changed.
07:58Yeah.
07:59It's like, no one, no one remembers what happened before.
08:03Is he still making music?
08:06Do we know?
08:07I don't know, man.
08:08I don't know.
08:09I remember he, last time I interviewed Charles, maybe 2016, 17, and he had a record with Rita
08:14Ora.
08:15Yeah.
08:16And he had a scene in Empire and then he just kind of.
08:19He had new management and he signed a new deal.
08:22I did an interview with him in 2015 and I spent some time with him.
08:25He actually performed at that time at.
08:29Irvin Plaza.
08:30Was it Irvin?
08:31I think it was Irvin.
08:32Or was it SOBs?
08:33SOBs.
08:34You're right.
08:35Because I interviewed him at SOBs.
08:36Yeah.
08:37So I was profiling him.
08:38So I was following him around.
08:39I went with him down to SOBs to see it.
08:44It was packed.
08:45People were excited to see him again.
08:46He seemed like he was in a good place.
08:48I think for a while he was a little off, but yeah, man, I think a lot happened in his
08:56career that overshadows how gifted he was.
09:01And I would love, if he still has it, I would love to see him come back and do something.
09:06I like that.
09:07Fun fact, I freestyled against Charles Hamilton ahead of his show at SOBs.
09:11Did you win?
09:12We're going to call it a tie.
09:13Right.
09:14It's a draw.
09:15It's a draw.
09:16I'm going to do the Drewski.
09:17Wait.
09:18Is the footage out there somewhere?
09:19I've got to find it.
09:20All right.
09:21Oh, wait a second.
09:22This was backstage?
09:23Oh, okay.
09:24So you were on stage.
09:25Yeah, this was ahead of his show.
09:27How did y'all even get into it?
09:28Wait, how do I not remember that?
09:29You walked up and said...
09:30That was crazy.
09:31It was on stage?
09:32No, no, no, no.
09:33Oh, backstage.
09:34I was ahead of the show.
09:35Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:36Because he had a viral clip online where he would freestyle against KS.
09:40You remember the camera freestyle?
09:42So I was like, yo, let's bar up real quick.
09:45He was like, yo, let me hear what you got.
09:46I did like four, eight bars, and then he did like a quick 32.
09:50Bro, everyone...
09:51You know, no one gives him his flowers, but that...
09:53He's a wizard.
09:54He was talented, bro.
09:55He was super talented.
09:56He was a wizard.
09:57Yeah.
09:58Drew?
09:59Let me think.
10:00Would Asher Roth be a part of that?
10:01Of course.
10:02I feel like that...
10:03He was one that I feel like I didn't get enough music from.
10:06Yeah.
10:07I thought he was super talented myself, and I think he's still making music.
10:11I recently feel like I've seen him freestyle and do one of those live performances.
10:14Yeah.
10:15But that would be a cool comeback.
10:17I love those pics because I don't know if you guys remember.
10:20I want to say, was it the 09 freshman class they were both a part of?
10:24Charles, Asher, Wale.
10:26Yeah, Wale.
10:27One of my favorite covers of all time.
10:30So shout out to Asher on that.
10:31Asher Roth.
10:32And it's not because he's white.
10:34He got bars.
10:35It's not because he's got a...
10:37Asher has bars.
10:38I'm right there with you.
10:39He has bars.
10:40I thought he was entertaining.
10:42Trump?
10:43I'm going to pick, actually, before he went way left, I think right now would be a good
10:48time for B.O.B.
10:49Wow.
10:50Shout out to Bobby.
10:51The flat earther.
10:52I said before it went left, because especially I think...
10:54The flat earther.
10:55You know, like...
10:56The flat earth bars.
10:57Yes.
10:58Before the flat earthers.
10:59Because I think he was actually really good, of course, for the pop songs that popped off,
11:03he was good at picking hook partners.
11:05They really connected, whether it was Hailey, whether it was Bruno, whoever.
11:09Even got Taylor, which is a random sort of grab before she stopped doing features with
11:13most people.
11:14But I think especially just his...
11:17Oh, yeah.
11:18Yeah.
11:19I forgot about that.
11:20That both of us saw.
11:21Yeah, I don't...
11:22The story of that is crazy.
11:23But I think just in general, because to me, for someone like Tyler, who's kind of breaking
11:28out now in a way that Goofy is kind of in, a little bookish is in, I think B.O.B.
11:35in this era could really capitalize off that kind of thing.
11:38I think just his personality and even his delivery was always a little nerdy.
11:43It was always a little bookworm-ish.
11:45I just think that that kind of hits its prime post-Tyler, like in the late 2010s, especially
11:502020s.
11:51So I think he could find a float right now.
11:53Great pick.
11:54I know the comparisons.
11:55He used to get the Andre 3 comparisons a lot.
11:57Yeah, I would say the early, early version of B.O.B., before he even made the pop songs,
12:03when he was walking around with a guitar and freestyling in Atlanta and stuff.
12:07I think that version of him could also come out right now and do well.
12:11Yeah.
12:12Yeah, he was a talented dude.
12:13Had a great run, to Trevor's point.
12:15Nothing on you, Magic, Airplanes, Fetty Wap before Fetty, man.
12:19Everyone says that, but I love B.O.B., but nah, man.
12:24And not just because I'm from Jersey.
12:26Those three were in the top 10 too, man.
12:28But Fetty actually wrote those songs.
12:30That's fair.
12:31That's fair.
12:32Atlanta kind of copy and pasted the hook.
12:33Atlanta was like, who wants these hits?
12:35With the hooks tagged on.
12:36Well, the man knows how to pick some hits out of a little Goodwill pile in the lobby.
12:40That man knows what to get.
12:41They were great songs.
12:42He rapped really well on them.
12:43There's no saying that they would have been hits with anybody else.
12:46We'll never know.
12:47I'm just saying, Fetty, he whipped all that up.
12:50He did.
12:51He did.
12:52Shout out to Fetty.
12:53Actually, 10 years of Fetty this year.
12:54Free Fetty.
12:55Right.
12:56Free Fetty.
12:57Quick pick, I'll go with Ace Hood, man.
12:58Shout out to Ace, bro.
12:59Wow.
13:00Ace Hood.
13:01He was that guy, man.
13:03Shout out to Kali.
13:05Kali, you're my brother, man.
13:07Ace, man.
13:08Ace had the talent, bro.
13:09Bugatti.
13:10What he was able to do with Future, man.
13:12Bugatti.
13:13Yeah, bro.
13:14That was like the party.
13:15Yeah.
13:16That was it.
13:17I think ever since he did that BET joint where the bezel came off.
13:19Oh, when the watch fell apart.
13:20Yeah, bro.
13:21He kind of was cooked, man.
13:22But I still believe in you, brother.
13:24Bugatti was the song that everyone was waiting for.
13:27You wait for the song to come on in the party.
13:29Is that the video where he's in one location and the backgrounds are changing?
13:32I just watched the Ace Hood video.
13:34I haven't seen that video.
13:35It might have been to that song, but it's like one location.
13:38Just the backgrounds are about to keep changing.
13:40Maybe like a black background.
13:42I vaguely remember.
13:44Yeah, I have no idea.
13:45He changed it like a police were on the set.
13:47Okay.
13:48Then it was raining at one point.
13:50I'm trying to remember.
13:51I just recently watched it, but shout out to Ace Hood.
13:54Shout out to Ace Hood, man.
13:55We need more Ace Hood, bro.
13:57This is going to be a little bit like, I don't want to say controversial, but we're really
14:01going to hit the barbershop with this one, man.
14:03Let's go.
14:04The good brother Damien was doing his little, he was Twittering, going on Twitter.
14:11And what the conversation was about, not the current big three, but the old school big
14:16three, who's the best MC, Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas.
14:19And I'll let you actually take it to give a little bit more context.
14:22Yeah.
14:23So there was a tweet that was going around.
14:25It hit like three of my group chats.
14:27And the tweet was like, who's the best lyricist out of these three?
14:30And there was a photo collage of Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas.
14:34And everyone had like, it's an old topic that we've gone over so many times.
14:40But I think the idea of like lyricist is interesting because it kind of removes a lot
14:46of the other stuff.
14:47Like not who's just like the best or who sold the most, who's the most influential,
14:51like just who's the best lyricist.
14:55And the one tweet that I forget who said this.
14:58I tried to find it.
14:59I'm sorry, but it's out there.
15:01And just shout to whoever tweet this was.
15:05This guy was like, well, one of them was just ill.
15:10And the other one was so ill that he beefed with the other two.
15:20And one of them is Jay-Z.
15:24I don't think he said the other part, but it's clear the other one was Jay-Z.
15:27So he was like, in his opinion, Nas is the best and then Biggie.
15:32It went through all my group chats.
15:34We were all talking about it.
15:36My take on it, and I'm very curious to hear everyone else's.
15:43I would go with Biggie as a lyricist.
15:45Lyrically.
15:46Word for word.
15:47I'll go with Biggie.
15:48I think everyone was pushing back and blah, blah, blah.
15:54You say something like that, people start sighing,
15:56and people start throwing out.
15:58I sigh because it's tough.
16:00But people start throwing out accolades and shit.
16:02Carl is a Nas guy?
16:03I am a Nas guy, but Nas actually would be third on that list.
16:08And I can honestly say that.
16:09That's interesting.
16:10I'd put Nas, too.
16:13I think it's Biggie.
16:14There's so many layers to lyricism, though.
16:16That's the tough part.
16:17There's storytelling.
16:18There's punchline.
16:19Big had the storytelling.
16:20I think Big had everything.
16:22Big had every aspect of rap.
16:24We were talking about this in the office.
16:26Biggie was so nasty that I don't think rap has dramatically moved on from what he's done.
16:34I think Nas made the best rap album ever.
16:37I think Jay-Z has had the best rap career ever.
16:41But I think from lyric, flow, everything, it's Biggie.
16:48He was the guy.
16:50I think it was Mal that I was talking about on his podcast.
16:53There was a clip going around about how Big played Jay.
16:57Who shot you.
16:58Who shot you.
16:59And Jay went and recorded four songs.
17:01Jay was just in the car, stuck, just listening to it.
17:03And Jay said, I recorded four songs, and they still didn't even match up to who shot you.
17:06So right there, it's telling you, bro, Jay has to come second at that point.
17:11A student of yours.
17:12He was saying shit that like...
17:13And he was older.
17:14Jay's like five years older than him.
17:15So at that time, Big's like 20, 21.
17:18Jay-Z is 25.
17:20So when y'all listen to Brooklyn's Finest or I Got the Dough, who do you think had better verses?
17:28I think Big.
17:29I don't think Jay's ever got Big.
17:31And I love Jay-Z.
17:32I think no one's had a better rap career than Jay-Z.
17:35I think he's the bar.
17:37But I think for those two albums that Biggie released, yo, there's...
17:42If someone came to Earth right now, and we had no idea what Biggie was, who Biggie was,
17:49and they were like, yo, I made this album and just gave you life after death.
17:54In today's era.
17:55Nothing else changed except Biggie was not here.
17:58It would be the best rap album we've heard ever.
18:01You're talking lyrically.
18:03It's just insane, bro.
18:04The way he's able to describe things, the way he's able to just string words together,
18:08the way he's able to play with flow and intonation, and the way he's just able...
18:12He had a crazy vocabulary.
18:14He was using words that...
18:16It's funny that everyone says Nas was the woke, conscious rapper just because he rapped about self-knowledge
18:24and all that other shit, whereas Biggie was using words that no one...
18:28We're just gonna dismiss that as some not-at-woke bullshit.
18:31It was great.
18:33It was more like poetry in a sense, Nas.
18:36It had depth to it.
18:37He was a street poet.
18:38But Biggie was, to me, and still is, the best lyricist we've ever had.
18:45I agree with you on this.
18:47I agree with him on that.
18:48I'll let Trev go before I chime.
18:51I'm gonna stop talking now, because I'm still processing.
18:54Clearly, you seem flabbergasted.
18:56No, because you know what it is.
18:57Big...
18:58Two Immaculate Albums are classics, right?
19:00I just needed a little bit more game tape, and it's not fair to him, obviously, because he passed.
19:05Take those two albums.
19:07I hear you.
19:08But look how Jay has been able to evolve lyrically.
19:11Is that because Jay had more time?
19:13It is.
19:14Exactly.
19:15That's why I'm saying it's not Big's fault.
19:16But even with that time...
19:17It's not Big's fault.
19:18Even with that time, what...
19:20Jay's song...
19:21I think Jay had way more flows, bro.
19:22And that's because of time being on his side, him being able to develop those new flows.
19:26Jay was more witty.
19:27Just give me...
19:28His song was more witty.
19:29I may even say, on the storytelling, I think of something like Meet the Parents.
19:33The fuck outta here.
19:34I don't know.
19:35No, no.
19:36Listen.
19:37I think of Meet the Parents.
19:38Where were you when Blueprint 2 came out?
19:39Niggas were clowning Jay for making that song.
19:40What?
19:41Yes, bro.
19:42I mean, to be fair, I was like 13.
19:43Niggas were clowning Jay.
19:44Wait, wait, wait.
19:45I thought Meet the Parents was hard.
19:46Hell no.
19:47What?
19:48Wow.
19:49Wow.
19:50Come on, bro.
19:51I love Jay.
19:52Really?
19:53What can't you like about Meet the Parents?
19:54Just think of the context of the time when it came out.
19:56He's beefing with Nas, who, by all standards, after Biggie, maybe even above Biggie, is
20:03the best storytelling rapper ever, besides maybe a slick Rick.
20:08He's in this beef.
20:09Whoever wins it is your opinion.
20:12We're not gonna litigate that right now.
20:14Right.
20:15But one of the talking points during that battle was that Jay can't rap like Nas.
20:23Jay can't do the storytelling shit like Nas.
20:26Out of nowhere, he drops this album.
20:28And then he has this song, Meet the Parents.
20:31Jay doesn't make songs like that.
20:34I didn't think it was that.
20:36Jay doesn't make songs like that.
20:37That's crazy.
20:38And then it's such a blatant statement of being like, yo, look, I can do this.
20:45So you know what?
20:46Let's do this, right?
20:47If we're talking witty in terms of like, I'm gonna say Jay has the best punchlines, I think
20:51it's a toss up because I think Nas is an immaculate storyteller.
20:56I think it's on any day between Biggie and Nas, I'm not gonna dispute that.
21:01You know, like freaking Black Girl Laws freaking out.
21:04I think storytelling, I would have to put slick Rick in there also.
21:07I think story.
21:08I gave you power, you know?
21:09I think Nas, you know, it's tough, but still Biggie for me.
21:16I need more game tape, bro.
21:18That's all I'm saying, bro.
21:20I only got the game tape you got.
21:22I need game tape.
21:23That's why Big is like, I would go overall lyricism.
21:28I'll go Jay, then Nas, then Big.
21:31Overall lyricism.
21:32Yeah.
21:33What does that mean?
21:35I feel like, you know what?
21:36I'm like, damn, bro.
21:37What is overall lyricism?
21:38Because we're talking about, again, I think when it comes to punchlines, I think Jay is
21:42one of the best, if not the best at punchlines.
21:45Okay.
21:46Storytelling, you're giving my guy a C.
21:48Yeah.
21:49Which is kind of inflammatory.
21:52That brings him down.
21:53That's kind.
21:54That's kind.
21:55A C, I would say.
21:56And then when it comes to flows and Jay's flows of being able to be in pocket with so
22:01many different deliveries, bro.
22:03I mean, Jay could ride the beat like-
22:04Crazy, bro.
22:05Now, I will say, lately, the last few years, he's kind of-
22:07What shot you called Biggie, like-
22:10He hasn't been riding the beat that well.
22:12I will say that.
22:13Like God did, he did not.
22:14And I love the verse on God did, even though Kat thought I was like sucking him crazy.
22:18I will say, I will say he was not in pocket on that verse.
22:23Yeah, but that's like, what, 50 years into his career?
22:25That's 80 bars.
22:26That's 80 bars, but this guy's not even competing at this point.
22:29Right.
22:30I mean, you know, I'm not going to-
22:31What about this Grammy family freestyle, bro?
22:34Sure.
22:35That's great.
22:36I'm great.
22:37I'm great.
22:38Yeah, it's a great-
22:39What about his freestyle?
22:40He did with Big L.
22:41You're arguing from the position of someone saying that Jay-Z can't rap.
22:45I'm arguing.
22:46Which I'm not saying.
22:47I'm not saying Jay-Z can't rap.
22:49I'm saying as a lyricist, yeah, as a lyricist, Biggie is better.
22:52I think in terms of like the types of raps that Biggie was able to give you, just the,
23:02bro, he was able to write like a novelist.
23:05Right.
23:06At the age of 21?
23:07At the age of 21?
23:08Yeah.
23:09Like the dude was a child.
23:10A 23-year-old.
23:11He was a child writing.
23:12He was writing stories like he would paint pictures for you, like you're by the hydrant
23:18and you walk up the steps and like, I don't see that in anybody else.
23:22You think Big could play in this era?
23:24Yeah.
23:25Bro, I don't think rap has changed that much from Biggie.
23:29I think-
23:30I'm just asking.
23:31I'm not saying he can't.
23:32I'm just curious.
23:33We've talked about this before.
23:34I think there's a, you know, if you go through rap, there was a time when rap was changing
23:38every year.
23:39Okay.
23:40Like you couldn't be a dope rapper in 92 if you were still rapping the way they did in
23:4389 because rap was so different.
23:48That's why LL Cool J is the true GOAT, but-
23:51I don't know if I could see Big rapping on a future beat.
23:55But the thing is like Big could play, Big will always play.
23:58Now whether the kids receive it or whether it's hot, I think it's a whole different kind
24:03of game.
24:04He could do it.
24:05I don't know how it would translate.
24:06Right.
24:07But like, that's like saying like, could Kendrick drop on a future beat?
24:13Sure.
24:14Would it?
24:15Is that what we want?
24:16I don't particularly think so.
24:18I don't know if Big could play from that 90s era and him still being able to, like I said,
24:21he did with Future.
24:22The I Got The Keys shit was flowing on that.
24:24I don't know if cats from that, like even Nas.
24:27I can't hear Nas.
24:28I mean, he tried to March Madness shit.
24:29That wasn't really hitting like that.
24:30I don't know, man.
24:31I think if, I think Biggie has a way more dexterous flow than Nas.
24:36Yes.
24:37I agree.
24:38I agree.
24:39I think, you know, if you think about-
24:40But Nas never really took chances like that, lyrically.
24:42And that's why I'll give Big an edge in that.
24:43If you think about like where rap was in 1996 and you look at like who we collectively
24:51believe are the big three now, which is Drake, Kendrick, Cole, they don't rap that different
24:57than him.
24:58No, you're right.
24:59If anything, they, I don't know if they rap better than him.
25:04I don't know if, I don't know if either, if any of them have raps better than what's on
25:08Life After Death.
25:09If I say what I'm going to say.
25:10You're going to say Drake has a-
25:11Say it.
25:12No, no, no.
25:13I-
25:14You was going to say-
25:15No, no, no.
25:16And I've said this before.
25:17Not Kendrick.
25:18No.
25:19I still think, I think Cole, as much shit as he gets on a dexterity level, I think he
25:25could very much go toe to toe with a Biggie.
25:28I think he could go toe to toe with a Jay, especially this new version of Cole that we're
25:33getting right now.
25:34Like what I heard on Clouds, the way he was able to flow and the punches hit, I don't
25:40think there's cats that could compete with Cole on that level right now unless they're
25:45ghosts.
25:46Maybe Em.
25:47Yeah.
25:48That's fair.
25:49But even still, rap hasn't even, like the style of rap that Cole employs is not that
25:55different from-
25:56It's like a 90s.
25:57It's like a 90s.
25:58And that's not to say like it's, that's not bad or, you know, and that's not even just
26:00those three.
26:01That's like the type of rap that is being produced by like a Playboy Cardi, for example.
26:08If this were like the early 2000s, and you're like a radio guy, so, you know, keep me honest
26:13here.
26:14I don't even know if that would be considered rap.
26:15No.
26:16Not, not then.
26:17Like if a woman made the type of music that Playboy Cardi makes in like the early 2000s,
26:22that's R&B or that's like some kind of like non-rap-
26:26Right.
26:27Yeah.
26:28That's outside of the rap category.
26:29Yeah.
26:30Yeah.
26:31Some alt-y kind of shit.
26:32Like y'all know where you put it.
26:33Yeah.
26:34Yeah.
26:35It's strange.
26:37The lion's share of what is produced rap-wise is still what these three guys were doing
26:44in the 90s.
26:45That's fair.
26:46And so, yeah, I think Biggie would be fine right now.
26:48Okay.
26:49You know?
26:50Before we pivot to the next topic, because it is somewhat similar to what we were just
26:54talking about.
26:55Guys, in the comments, if you have any questions for the Good Brother DJ Drewski, drop them
26:59now.
27:00Right here.
27:01ASAP.
27:02They might get mad that we put Big first though.
27:03I mean, listen, I didn't put Big first.
27:06But, you know, whatever y'all got in mind.
27:08So, Big.
27:09Big.
27:10Trap was still deliberating.
27:11You know, what's funny is-
27:13Trap skated out of there.
27:15As I was prepping, coming through here, I was like, I was set that I was going to have
27:20Nas as my number one.
27:22But as I'm sitting here and I'm trying to replay catalogs in my head real quick, like
27:26the whole way.
27:27I mean, it's a compelling case for Big.
27:31But the thing with Big is, I guess, it's always been hard for me to, I guess, extract
27:36all those other parts about him because I love Big's flow.
27:39I love his voice.
27:40I love, like, just the cleverness he brings in a way that, and I mean the production and
27:44the beats and everything.
27:45Like, it's so hard for me to extrapolate all that from my listening experience.
27:48Like, if I want to go listen to some shit, like, I guess, like a really, like you said,
27:52in a poetry kind of decipher way, that's why I'm thinking, that's why I'm going Nas.
27:56Like, if I really wanted to sit and like, you know, like hear something.
28:00Because if I want to, you know, with the mood that I want to hear Biggie or, you know, for
28:03the most part, Jay-Z is a different kind of environment.
28:06So, which I guess is, you know, it's not to say that Big and Jay are not great lyricists,
28:11but in some ways, you know, it gets mixed in that cake with all the production, all
28:15the flow.
28:16Like, obviously, like, I mean, Jay's got some of the best producers ever.
28:18Like, you know, you look at someone like, whether it's, you know, Pharrell or Kanye
28:22or Timba or whoever the fuck, it's like hard for me to take that out of it because I don't
28:27think Nas' production is like on that same level.
28:30So the lyrics have to kind of make up for that to match that great catalog.
28:35So that's why I'm, that's why I was a good point, but that's why I think he shook his
28:40head when I said that.
28:41No, I was just laughing because it's, it's been like the knock against Nas for like forever.
28:45And that's on Nas.
28:46Yeah.
28:47That's why I'm hilarious.
28:48Because Nas is the guy that kind of like ushered in the era of like the super producer album.
28:52Like he was the guy that was like, oh, I'm going to get all the best producers on one
28:57album and then see what happens.
28:59As opposed to like, oh, I'm going to make this with this one DJ producer I have.
29:03Yeah.
29:04It was in my crew.
29:05I was going to work with that guy.
29:06Nas was like, nah.
29:07All the hot.
29:08Yeah.
29:09Yeah.
29:10And now, and then it went from that to like, damn, Nas can't pick a beat to save his life.
29:15Yeah.
29:16But I think, again, before we pivot, I'll say this.
29:18I think that's what makes Jay so unique in that unicorn.
29:22The fact that he can rap and make something like a dead presence, but he could also make
29:27a, give it to you.
29:29You know what I'm saying?
29:30I love Nas to death.
29:31And when he tried to make those bubblegum genuine, you owe me type shit.
29:38It didn't resonate.
29:39Right.
29:40Right.
29:41So I think now I'll change it up and I'll say Jay and Big, because Big could give you
29:43a one more chance, but he could give you a who shot you.
29:47Yeah.
29:48So I will say that.
29:50So is it Nas?
29:52Yeah.
29:53He did it.
29:54Yo, it's like, it's, if I got to pick.
29:59Give it to Nas here, man.
30:00So you said Big too?
30:01No, I didn't say Big.
30:02I kind of skated.
30:03I didn't say Nas.
30:04Oh, okay.
30:05It's given.
30:06It's given.
30:07It's given.
30:08Okay.
30:09Then you know what?
30:10Just, you know, yeah.
30:11I'll throw my half a Nas.
30:12Yeah.
30:13Here we go.
30:14Give it to Nas here.
30:15QB, what up, man?
30:16Shout out to Brave.
30:17Shout out to Braveheart.
30:18That's it.
30:19But this is a great entry point to our last topic.
30:24Speaking of the big three, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake, fellas, which one of those
30:31three would make a great artist and have a successful career in the 90s?
30:39Walked into that portal and they're walking into Tupac.
30:42This is like everything.
30:44Everything is the same.
30:45Everything's the same.
30:46We're just dropping these guys.
30:47We're just dropping them in.
30:48Who's going to have the best career?
30:49Best career.
30:50Yeah.
30:51Okay.
30:52I'm watching the live, by the way, to see if we could.
30:56I'm going to say Cole.
31:05And this is not, you know, no affiliations.
31:10And let me put it out there too.
31:11We're taking these guys in their current forms right now.
31:14Okay.
31:15Like in their 2025.
31:16Yep.
31:17That's what they're making today.
31:18Yep.
31:19Right now.
31:20Playing it in the 90s.
31:21Yep.
31:22No, no, no, no, no.
31:23Starting from today?
31:24No, we got to be able to.
31:25You want to start from the beginning?
31:26Because their styles change.
31:27That's why I said that.
31:28Yeah.
31:29But I'm bringing that whole person.
31:30Yeah.
31:31That's what I'm saying.
31:32Because 2025, you know, Drake has like 2018 Drake.
31:35All those forms are in here.
31:36Oh, no, no, no.
31:37I'm saying where they are right now artistically.
31:38Okay.
31:39What would work in the 90s.
31:40Drake's changed over the course of his career.
31:42That's what I'm saying.
31:43Bring him like today.
31:44Like, yo, we're taking Kendrick, Drake, and Cole right now.
31:47We're throwing them in the 90s.
31:49But that means like 2025 Drake can do things that like 2014 Drake did.
31:53Sure.
31:54Okay.
31:55Okay.
31:56Okay.
31:57Yeah.
31:58Can 2025 Drake do things 2018 Drake did?
31:59He probably get shitted on.
32:00I mean, if he has the mental somewhere in the recesses of his mind, the mental ability
32:05is still there.
32:06It's very generous.
32:07I'm just trying to set.
32:08I'm making sure I'm playing by the rules.
32:10Are you standing with Cole?
32:12I think Cole.
32:14And here's why I think Cole because he out of the different thing about the 90s and think
32:19about like what was popping what was, you know, culturally acceptable, which is like
32:23a big thing that I think a lot of people don't don't weigh in on.
32:29I think he's the one who is most aligned with what was popping back then.
32:36As opposed to Drake, who I think makes great music.
32:42But I don't know if that would have worked in the 90s.
32:45It's like Drake is very much, you know, all these guys to a certain extent, but I think
32:48Drake is very much a beneficiary of Kanye West, right?
32:55Like the change that took place because of Kanye, Drake benefited from greatly.
33:01But I mean, you know, of course they all did.
33:03But I think that's the one where it's like, oh, you could do anything now.
33:05You can like sing, you can make rap that's not really rap music and all that stuff.
33:11But back then that shit wasn't flying.
33:13Right.
33:14Yeah.
33:15You got cats like Pac wearing his Timbs doing juice.
33:17Yeah.
33:18Like Drake can't come through with my feelings.
33:20Yeah.
33:21Yeah.
33:22You know, like Marvin's room, you know, like I think that was a song that I was shocked
33:26that everyone loved, even even people who I thought were like hip hop diehards.
33:34They were like, this shit is hard.
33:36I mean, to this day, people think it's like a top three Drake song all the time.
33:41And that's when I knew like, damn, shit's really changed.
33:43Like shit's really, we're in a different time now.
33:46Yeah.
33:47So let me let me pose this because let's say if he did bring that that singing, rapping
33:51hallmark ability of his, couldn't that like shake up the game the same way it did in the
33:572010s because it was something new and different.
33:59Right.
34:00But it wasn't new and it was new and different.
34:03I'm saying, but I'm saying like it for it to work in the 2010s, we had to go through
34:08all this.
34:09We had to go through Lauryn Hill.
34:10We had to go through Kanye.
34:11We had to go through, you know, a little brother.
34:14We had to go through all these things that kind of like softened everybody up to like
34:18get to this point where Drake could be Drake.
34:20And that's to say for Kendrick, too.
34:21I think if Kendrick were in the 90s, I think Kendrick is, you know, a fucking amazing rapper,
34:30prodigiously talented.
34:33I think if he were to be his full self as he is now in the 90s, he might get relegated
34:37to like, you know, ruckus or something.
34:41Drake would have been a bad boy artist, I feel like.
34:44But those choruses would need to be sung by Total or like, I'm serious, or like 112.
34:50Not Kelly Price in the back.
34:52I feel like Puff would let him live back in the 90s.
34:56I think Puff would let him live.
34:57I do think as I was looking at this, I was like, you know, one thing that Drake is obviously
35:02so inspired by is like his 90s muses like Aaliyah or Mariah or Mary or somebody.
35:07Can you imagine Drake and Aaliyah primally?
35:10That's what I'm thinking.
35:12That's what I'm wondering.
35:13Like, Drake might actually have a lot like, like, like, you want to play well in the 90s
35:17in that in that sense.
35:18You guys are forgetting now the 90s.
35:20I think you guys are forgetting what the 90s were like.
35:23He is such a chameleon to where he would have been able to blend in.
35:26Sure.
35:27I'm saying like, is Drake Drake if he doesn't make the like Drake is Drake because of what
35:33he was able to do.
35:34I get what you're saying because of his influence.
35:35But I'm saying if you bring Drake right now to those talents.
35:38Yeah.
35:39You're saying like making the music that he makes.
35:40Yes.
35:41So I'm saying.
35:42So what you're saying is he wouldn't make the music that he's making now.
35:44Yo, this this little like this little sci-fi loop got crazy.
35:47I mean, I get what he's saying.
35:48Right.
35:49He's saying like, you're saying like, oh, he can't exist because change that never happened.
35:53Like Tupac.
35:54No, no.
35:55If Drake went in there to the 90s with his current skill set, he would be able to thrive
36:01because he could play.
36:02I think they would all they would all be.
36:03They're all amazing rappers.
36:04They'd all be able to thrive.
36:05But I'm saying like, if you were to just take their music and not change them, just take
36:09them, pick them up and be like, boom, you're in the.
36:12I get what you're saying.
36:13You're in 95.
36:14You got to.
36:15We're going to release your album.
36:16We're going to release, you know, views.
36:17We're going to release, you know, take care.
36:22Right.
36:23In 96.
36:24I'm saying fuck the project.
36:25I'm saying just the artist and the skill set themselves.
36:27Well, then they would.
36:28Yeah.
36:29I mean, they would all do it.
36:30But I think that's like that's like the ability of the ability to adapt, I think, is inherent.
36:35Right.
36:36I don't think any of them would not be able to.
36:37I think the one who would have to adapt least.
36:38And that's why I think he would be the best is Cole.
36:41OK, I disagree.
36:42Because I feel like he's not aggressive enough for the 90s.
36:46Interesting.
36:47I don't know.
36:48Oh, well, that's what in the 90s.
36:51Early call on the features.
36:53He was interesting.
36:54Well, I don't.
36:55Yeah.
36:56I still don't feel like he would be aggressive enough to compete with at that era at that
37:00time with the artists and the rappers that he would thrive.
37:03But he wouldn't be.
37:04Top.
37:05Right.
37:06You know, he would have his lane and he would.
37:08He's not aggressive enough.
37:09Well, I see Kendrick could come, you know, with the aggression.
37:13He read the hook.
37:14He'll jump in the ring.
37:15That's what I'm saying.
37:16Jump in the ring.
37:17He got the bars.
37:18He can compete.
37:19He'll be a part of those ciphers.
37:20He don't, you know.
37:21So his lack of aggression comes from him stepping away from the battle?
37:24No, not before that, because I feel like his personality is just and I'm trying to think
37:29who we would compare him to, like, he would be part of the whole tribe, you know, that
37:35I do.
37:36Yeah, that wasn't considered aggressive.
37:38But when he needed to step up to the plate, he did what he had to do.
37:41Connection and Cube.
37:42He did what he had to do.
37:44So I think Cole's still the kid like, yeah, he's a little light skinned nigga, but like,
37:47oh, don't test me.
37:48You know, he's got the dog in a book.
37:50He's got some bark.
37:51He does.
37:52But in the 90s, I feel like it was just a little different.
37:55Okay.
37:56Wow.
37:57I think he could.
37:58I think he could hold his own.
37:59Like the Kendrick thing is interesting to me, because I think if Kendrick were to be
38:02Kendrick right now, back then, like, I'm also trying to figure out, like, who's the analog
38:08for that.
38:09Right.
38:10And back then, you know, all the voices and the way he's able to kind of, you know, kind
38:19of violently swing from introspection and world affairs to, you know, what's going on
38:26on the street.
38:27Right.
38:28I don't I don't know.
38:29I don't know if that was like, be too much for the time.
38:32Like Ice Cube.
38:34Yeah.
38:37Pac is like a good, Pac is like so.
38:40I think he's a combination of both.
38:43He would have been.
38:44Yeah.
38:45It's tough for me to figure out where the analog is.
38:48He would be very impactful regionally.
38:50Like I think he wouldn't be as mainstream as he is now, but I think he'd be in a West
38:54Coast icon, like an icon like Cuban Cali, you know.
38:59But you know, the thing about Kendrick and mainstream, and I would agree with that all
39:02the way to probably this last era, because people always talk about how, you know, the
39:07thing about Kendrick was always, oh, Kendrick could, you know, if Kendrick really wanted
39:10to, he'd come out and make banger after banger and top these charts and do this and do that.
39:14And everyone was kind of like, yeah, I mean, yeah, if he wanted to, we want it clearly
39:17when he wants to.
39:18He can't.
39:19Yeah.
39:20So I think like even in terms of that flexibility, like we haven't seen the full, I guess the
39:25full extent of what Kendrick can really do, because when he wants to put his mind to do
39:28some shit and take it over, he can if he wants some introspective kind of like low key, you
39:33know, therapy album, he can.
39:35So I think to say he wouldn't necessarily thrive in the 90s, I think he would survey
39:39that landscape and he could jump in wherever he wants to and dominate, you know, from top
39:42to bottom, however he felt right.
39:44Yeah.
39:45Like Tupac makes me think that he that, you know, Kendrick could do it.
39:50Yeah.
39:51Thinking back on it now, thinking back on like, the totality of Pac and like all that
39:56Pac was able to do and like, I don't think Pac was the greatest rapper.
40:00Not at all.
40:01At all.
40:02But I think where him and Kendrick align is that ability to just have such like an omnibus
40:10idea of what to rap about.
40:12They were rapping, Pac was rapping about shit that you go from, you know, Brandon's got
40:18a baby, but I get around, then he has, fucking keep your head up and just like the most gangster
40:27shit you've ever heard.
40:29Right.
40:30And then Dear Mama.
40:31And like, how do you want it?
40:34And then White Man's World and then he just was able to do these crazy, crazy gymnastics
40:42with it.
40:43Lyrically.
40:44I mean, fucking subject wise, I think Kendrick would also be able to do that.
40:50Gemini's, man.
40:51But it might come with Kendrick having to, you know, do some shit.
40:57If we brought our last topic into this one and I had to like cross compare, I would say
41:02like Cole is the Nas to Drake being Jay and then Kendrick, big.
41:10Interesting.
41:11If, you know, if we had to play on that, to me, that's how I would compare it.
41:16I'm not mad at that.
41:17I'm going to stay on this because to Trevor's point, man, I feel like an R&B Drake in the
41:2490s.
41:25Drake, SWV, Drake, Aaliyah.
41:28But you're saying he would do that and still rap.
41:31Yeah.
41:32And do it well.
41:33He can do it well.
41:34He can do it well.
41:35He can do it well.
41:36He could do it well.
41:37You have to remember when he first came into.
41:38I'm not saying he could do it well.
41:39When he first came into hip hop, he had East Coast roots.
41:42Like you mentioned.
41:43He rapped like Lil Brother.
41:44Like Lil Brother.
41:45Like Joe Budden in some cases.
41:47So it's not like he couldn't get his hands dirty if he needed to on the rap side.
41:51I think his versatility would work in his favor where he can grab cats in multiple sectors.
41:58Whether it's R&B, get the girls.
42:00Whether it's hip hop and the street niggas.
42:03Because he was also, as we know, a battler.
42:07You're telling me.
42:08I'll get that R&B when I got you.
42:10You're telling me that Drake would be able to survive.
42:14I'm not saying the boom.
42:15Like the ch-ch-ch-ch.
42:16He's not about that.
42:17Most people don't survive that shit.
42:18He's not about that.
42:19Most people don't survive that shit.
42:20Ask the police department, shit.
42:21The rap shit is not even where I fall down with it.
42:24It's like, it's really the R&B part because.
42:27You don't think Drake could be like in Bone Thugs, a little Drizzy Bone or something?
42:32Bone Thugs were a street group that for some reason, you know, figured out.
42:37You think because he's light skinned, he wouldn't have shit at all.
42:39No.
42:40Them niggas were light skinned.
42:41They're all light skinned from Cleveland.
42:42They have more of a street hood politics appeal.
42:45And story.
42:46They're battling on it.
42:47Right.
42:49They're street rapping about crazy shit.
42:50Their flow is nuts.
42:51Like, you know, speaking of Biggie, one of the best rap songs ever.
42:55But if Drake were to be Drake, and that means Marvin's Room, that means having.
43:01Bro, imagine him in a world with DMX, where DMX is in his prime.
43:03Oh, DMX is going to chew him up, yo.
43:05Yeah, but guess what?
43:06The girls are still buying the season.
43:07I mean, Drake's still going triple plat.
43:10I'm not buying it.
43:11Girls love DMX.
43:12And girls love Kool-Aid.
43:13Think back to 1997, bro.
43:14Come on, man.
43:15Y'all niggas are not really thinking about what the 90s were like.
43:18That's why I said it was so aggressive.
43:19It was so nuts.
43:20Like, listen, man.
43:21I think he would have found his way, man.
43:23Bro, Ja Rule almost lost his career because 50 Cent said, he's doing what Drake does now.
43:29That was 50's whole diss to Ja Rule.
43:33But I guess it would depend on how Drake presents himself to, like, if he's trying to be hard
43:38and you can, like, dissect that, but if he presents himself a little soft, now, I know
43:42what you say.
43:43If you present yourself soft, you're never going to even, like, take off from the landing
43:46pad.
43:47And he would be able to defend himself.
43:48But part of, like, Ja-
43:49In the bars.
43:50Bro, you're acting like Ja Rule wasn't a great rapper.
43:53Like-
43:54He's not Drake.
43:55Clearly.
43:56Because 50 Cent ended that nigga, dog.
43:59Come on, don't do that.
44:00Imagine, I'm just saying, you're thinking of this as if, like, you're not thinking about
44:04these niggas in their prime.
44:05With, like, all the power in the world.
44:07And Drake's prime body all of them, bro.
44:10That's because the world is the world.
44:12Drake's prime doesn't body Ja Rule's prime, to keep it a stack.
44:15It's because of the world that we're in.
44:17Yes, it is, bro.
44:18Musically, he's got it.
44:19There's no Drake without the fucking transformation the game went through.
44:23From an influence standpoint, I get that.
44:24But I'm saying-
44:25I just feel like you get that, bro.
44:26No, no, no.
44:27Listen, you get it.
44:28I don't feel like you get it, bro.
44:29I could be influenced by somebody.
44:30It doesn't mean I don't end up better than them.
44:33It's not the influence on you, it's the game that changes because of that person.
44:38Right.
44:39Like-
44:40The game was-
44:41Ja Rule walked so Drake could run, basically.
44:42And Kanye-
44:43And Drake ended up running past a nigga.
44:44Kanye knocked the door down.
44:45Of course.
44:46For all these people.
44:47Yeah.
44:48Of course.
44:49But if that doesn't happen-
44:50There's no-
44:51You trying to bring AI to 1992 where they ain't even no cord to plug into the internet.
44:52They don't have iPhones or nothing.
44:53You're thinking too far.
44:54You're playing with technicality.
44:55That's what it is.
44:56That's what Twitter do.
44:57Technicality.
44:58These niggas don't know what Twitter is.
44:59What do you mean we doing technicality?
45:00We trying to play fantasy right now, man.
45:05No one is doubting Drake's ability to make great music or the fact that he can.
45:08That's like saying there would be no Nas if there was no Rakim.
45:11Yeah.
45:12We get that.
45:13I understand.
45:14But we fantasy booking right now.
45:16What are we doing?
45:17We're fantasy booking, but the world is still the world.
45:19Right.
45:20I get it.
45:21The world is still the world.
45:23The entire 50 Cent, Ja Rule beef was 50 Cent being like, this nigga is soft.
45:28He's not fucking rapping about what he's actually rapping about.
45:30And baby did the same thing.
45:32Exactly.
45:33Exactly.
45:34Exactly.
45:35Exactly.
45:36Damn.
45:37That proved my point.
45:3850 got away with it.
45:39I love 50.
45:40The next album, fucking Candy Shop.
45:41And niggas even got on him for that.
45:44Shout out to Olivia.
45:46Niggas were like, oh, look at this nigga right here.
45:48He's doing the same shit he was claiming that Ja did.
45:51And he didn't even do half the shit that Drake did.
45:54Drake's actually out here singing.
45:56Right.
45:57R&B records.
45:58Like Jodeci.
45:59Like a whole album.
46:00Yeah.
46:01I would have loved to see that kind of package in the 90s.
46:04I remember having a fucking Jodeci and a Dru Hill CD going to school one day.
46:11And this is how old I am.
46:16I had the CD in the lunchroom.
46:18I had mad CDs.
46:20Mad rap shit.
46:21But I had these two CDs.
46:23I took them out.
46:25This nigga at my school was like, oh, man.
46:28D, what the fuck you doing with these boy band ass fucking CDs, nigga?
46:32Bro, I was like, what?
46:34Like, you don't fuck with Jodeci?
46:36Right.
46:37But guess what?
46:38But they do fuck with Jodeci, just not in public.
46:40They would have done the same shit with Drake, bro.
46:43But I'm saying it would be different for Drake because he's rapping.
46:46Them niggas would have gotten on him.
46:48Can you imagine a hip-hop John B, bro?
46:50No.
46:51I mean, I love low-key niggas.
46:52Maybe.
46:53No, they would have done the same shit.
46:54Like, yo, this nigga Dame got this bullshit, but they got the CD at the crib.
46:58Yo, Drake Aaliyah, Drake Mariah.
47:00Can't do that right now.
47:01Drake TLC.
47:02Like, Drake, yo.
47:03Can't do that right now.
47:04They're shitting on Drake, but yet they're bumping some sexy songs right now.
47:07But who was your number one Spotify artist last year?
47:08There was a long time where they weren't shitting on Drake.
47:11Around the time Marvin's Room came out, that was when it was like, oh, it's over.
47:16He's just the guy.
47:18Well, Drake would have to have been a pioneer in multiple timelines, it sounds like.
47:22Yeah, we gotta do some Marvel shit, bro.
47:25Some what-if.
47:26Yeah, some what-if shit, bro.
47:28That's all I'm saying, man.
47:29All right.
47:30Aw, man.
47:31Before we go, let's go back to the chat.
47:35We have any questions?
47:38Yeah, we have one.
47:40Let's see.
47:42From Omphile750.
47:45That's an interesting name.
47:47Is Kendrick really ahead of the pack of this generation?
47:51Ahead of the pack is interesting.
47:52I don't...
47:53Nah.
47:55Right now.
47:57I'll give him right now.
47:59When you say ahead of the pack, do you mean the most successful or just the best?
48:06I think he's in the lead right now.
48:08That's how I look at it.
48:09In the lead?
48:10I don't know if he's ahead, though.
48:11He's not...
48:12I think he's in the lead right now.
48:13Is it in the lead and ahead the same thing?
48:15Yeah.
48:16I think he's in the lead right now.
48:17I mean, I got the source.
48:18I got the source.
48:19I'm just, you know.
48:20I think he's in the lead.
48:21Right now.
48:22I think he's unquestionable.
48:23Yeah.
48:24Right, like, in, let's say 2025, or past six months, unquestionable.
48:27He's the hottest rapper right now.
48:28Right.
48:30That could change.
48:31Breaks my heart.
48:32I mean, cats want to say, boundary breakers, that could be somebody different.
48:36With who?
48:37Who do you think is going to potentially take that?
48:38I feel like Drake still got it.
48:41Like, he still has it.
48:42I didn't say it.
48:43Well, y'all better start streaming Nokia or something.
48:46I saw something that said today, like, now it's starting to get pushed to radio.
48:50I think that is somebody loves me starting to get pushed to radio, so.
48:53Yeah.
48:54Conversations may change in the next few weeks.
48:55It's definitely coming up.
48:56It's going to change.
48:57I mean, Nokia, you know, we saw it.
48:58It's taken off on TikTok.
48:59Right.
49:00Yeah.
49:01It's, you know, becoming a people's champ kind of sound.
49:05I mean, there's a couple of things you could play with it with the video.
49:06Maybe there could be some fun with that.
49:08Obviously, it's going to get pushed to radio.
49:09You know, radio takes a minute to get really like in the huge heat of things.
49:13So, honestly, that could be a good, like, summertime kind of peaking around May, June
49:17or something like that.
49:18That's the right sound for that kind of song.
49:20So, you know, things could line up.
49:22But, I mean, like, you know, you look at Luther right now.
49:25Luther's running circles on everything in general.
49:28So, that's, you know, it's not like the gangway is kind of open.
49:31Trevor, no one's looking deeper?
49:33I mean, people fuck with it.
49:35I mean, they're not pushing it.
49:36They're not pushing it as any, you know, sort of.
49:39In fact, it's like the best record on the album.
49:41But, I mean, that's the thing is, you know, like we talked about a little bit last time.
49:44All the Drake, any Drake side project, it's always the rap records that take off.
49:47Right.
49:48Jimmy Cooks was the one that took off from Honestly, Nevermind.
49:50You know, now we see with Gimme a Hug, Nokia, the ones that are more straightforward.
49:53That's what the audience wants from him.
49:56It seems like.
49:57Those are the sure bets.
49:58And, you know, obviously, look at Drake right now, and you probably think he wants a sure
50:02bet record.
50:03So, they're going to push some that's a little safer.
50:04Right.
50:05They are pushing the parties.
50:06You know, Somebody Loves Me.
50:07So, obviously, Party's getting his own shine.
50:08Because those two records that are really taking off are both Drake solo records.
50:11So, there's probably something that's like, this is a collab album.
50:14Let's push something that's a collab.
50:16Surprise, surprise.
50:17I thought he was being held back, though.
50:20I thought he was being throttled.
50:23Thank you for your question, OnFile.
50:26That's funny, man.
50:28The next one we got from Michael Brown says, if you could pair any of the big three with
50:32a single 90s producer, who would it be?
50:38Big three?
50:41Today's big three?
50:42Yeah.
50:43I'd go Cold Primo.
50:45Yeah?
50:46It had to be like Prime Primo.
50:50Yeah.
50:51Prime Primo.
50:52Yeah.
50:53I'm going to assume that all the producers are in their prime in the 90s here.
50:57Man.
51:02I mean, I would love to hear Timbo and Drake.
51:07Yeah, that's...
51:08They'd never work.
51:09Say something.
51:10Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
51:11Yeah, but I would love to just hear...
51:12A prime Timbo.
51:13Yeah, yeah, yeah.
51:14Early Drake.
51:15Almost like Timbo Missy Drake.
51:16Yeah.
51:17Yeah, yeah, yeah.
51:18I would love to hear that.
51:19I'm trying to think of something like Rock Waller and Kendrick or something.
51:23I'm not mad at that.
51:26I think Kendrick and like...
51:28What's his name?
51:29Jay Swift.
51:30Okay.
51:31From Far Side.
51:32Okay.
51:33It would be fire.
51:34What about Dot and Q-Tip?
51:36I mean, yeah, I would like that.
51:38Dot and Q-Tip.
51:39I would like that right now.
51:40Yeah, that's a good one.
51:41I would like that to happen today, please.
51:43You kind of expect something like that.
51:44I love that LL Cool J album.
51:45It sounds like it works.
51:47Yeah, I know Tip still got some leftover beats.
51:50I love that LL Cool J album.
51:51I would love Tip to give Kendrick some stuff.
51:56Shout out to Goat, man.
51:57LL, bro.
51:58Yeah, I'm trying to think of something like super...
52:03Drake and...
52:04We were just talking about him before the show started.
52:06But I think Drake and like a R&B producer would be great.
52:10Like Drake and like...
52:12Drake and Tim and Bob.
52:13Or Jimmy Jam.
52:14Oh, Jimmy Jam.
52:15Or Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for a whole album.
52:17That would be fire.
52:18Yeah.
52:19If Drake made like a real R&B project and like...
52:23I'll let y'all take the 90s.
52:26If you throw Drake in early 2000s with the R&B sonics, bro.
52:30But I would even want like Drake and...
52:33Even like Drake and Dallas Austin could do something.
52:35Yeah.
52:36Or Drake and...
52:37Oh, I'm blanking.
52:40The thing is, Drake, I feel like he could work with anybody.
52:42Yeah.
52:43That's the crazy part.
52:45Scott Storch.
52:46Drake and Kanye, man.
52:48Drake and Kanye, bro.
52:50Peace for Drake and Kanye, bro.
52:53I mean, that's the one time we almost had it.
52:57I mean, we had glow.
52:59Yeah.
53:00I mean, like, yeah.
53:02I pooped at his school.
53:03That's the one where I was like, man.
53:05When I first heard that beat, I was like, oof, this is...
53:07Hey, Kanye's a super troll, man.
53:09This is it.
53:10Before we go, man, Drewski.
53:12Temperature check for New York City.
53:14There's one more question.
53:15Oh, there's one more?
53:16Okay, go ahead.
53:17One more question from the homie Kyle Dennis.
53:19Big KD.
53:20Oh, come on.
53:22Cole or Drake would benefit from doing what Wiz is doing right now
53:24in terms of focusing on delivering solid freestyles
53:26and reminding us why we love them?
53:32I don't think they have to.
53:33I don't think they need to.
53:34Yeah, I don't think they have to.
53:35I think the Clouch track shows that people love Cole
53:38and that, you know, I think for him,
53:40I don't know what the deal with the album is
53:42or like what he's working on or anything like that,
53:44but I think for Cole, I think his fans would love it.
53:50Yeah.
53:52Drake, I don't know.
53:54It wouldn't hurt, but it's like does Drake need?
53:56Drake can't do anything right now.
53:58Yeah.
53:59So I think it might do more harm than good,
54:01even if they're good.
54:02Cats are just going to hate you.
54:04We're at that point, man.
54:05Well, everything's, I mean, you know,
54:07especially when you get to that level,
54:09a freestyle versus a single.
54:10I mean, we saw all the drops with like 100 gigs
54:12that were kind of these random assortments
54:14and people are so quick to take them as official releases
54:16no matter where they go.
54:17And I don't even know.
54:18Like, that to me is almost just more
54:20of a semantic distinction for them.
54:22Like on that kind of top level,
54:24then for someone like a Wiz or somebody like that,
54:26I don't know if Cats would even receive it differently.
54:28Right.
54:29Like anything you put out is just a new Drake song.
54:31It's a new Drake song.
54:32It's a new Drake song.
54:33So.
54:34Yeah, the Wiz stuff is like he's been gone for so long.
54:36Right.
54:37That it's just like a breath of fresh air to hear him.
54:39Right.
54:40And then damn, Drake on other,
54:42Drake taking other beats and just, you know.
54:44That would be fire though.
54:45That would be fire.
54:46Like re-inventing them or whatever.
54:48If Drake went on like his early Lil Wayne run
54:52and started jacking beats, I'll be here for it.
54:56Or get back on the features bag, man.
54:58Nah, if he just went straight mixtape,
55:00old school mixtape and just like took all the hot beats
55:04from right now and just murdered them,
55:06I'll be here for that.
55:07You know what's crazy though?
55:08Shout out to my brother, DaBaby, man.
55:10Because DaBaby did that and nobody cared.
55:12Like I don't know what niggas want, man.
55:14Like DaBaby legit did that like last year, bro.
55:17He was hopping on all the fire beats, bodying them,
55:20and nobody cared.
55:22You know, we in an artist-driven time.
55:24Niggas want, you know, they want Drake.
55:26They want a name brand.
55:28I'm convinced.
55:29That's where we at.
55:30People want a name brand thing, you know?
55:32I think they want Drake.
55:34Man, Drewski, before we go, man,
55:37I need a quick temperature check on New York City, man.
55:40New York?
55:41Yeah, man.
55:42What do we need?
55:43What are we missing right now?
55:45There's some cats you looking at right now
55:47that we should be privy to.
55:48Right.
55:49There's a lot of young cats,
55:50but I feel like New York, when it comes to the new artists,
55:53we're missing the lyricism, right?
55:57We have the Sexy Drill and Shout to Cash Cobain
56:00and that whole Slizzy movement,
56:02which is holding New York down.
56:04You know, when it comes to the kids,
56:06Drill, I feel like it kind of peaked, the Drill artists.
56:10But you have some good artists,
56:12but I feel like even we were talking about earlier
56:14with our Summer Jam festivals, you know, like our concert,
56:18and trying to figure out who's that New York artist
56:20that could move the needle,
56:22I don't feel like we have that right now.
56:25Unless you guys feel differently,
56:27but there's no one right now that can really move it,
56:31when it comes to new artists.
56:33Yeah.
56:34We have a lot of great young artists,
56:36but I feel like it's not really growing out of New York.
56:39Why do you think that is?
56:41Like, what's the...
56:43What is it?
56:44Is this like New York itself is changing?
56:47Yeah, I just feel like maybe the music is changing
56:50and they're trying to figure out, you know,
56:53where do I go as a new artist?
56:56They're all going to what they feel is comfortable.
56:58Like, oh, I know there's a work in my backyard,
57:00so I'm going to make Drill records.
57:02I'm going to make Sexy Drill records.
57:04You know, so they're just trying to...
57:06I don't know. It's just hard.
57:08I can't name someone that I really feel like
57:10could hold down the city when it comes overall.
57:14Yeah.
57:15Yeah, kind of the sub-pockets, like, I know Memphis, Detroit
57:17are probably the biggest ones that are getting national play
57:20out of those kind of pockets.
57:22Yeah.
57:24But Detroit has...
57:25It's felt like, at least for the past,
57:27I want to say five years or so,
57:29that Detroit's just been turning out new artists.
57:31Like a factor.
57:32They can't stop.
57:34And we're getting new artists,
57:36but they're just not growing out of New York.
57:38Right.
57:39They're not growing out of the tri-state, to me.
57:41Yeah.
57:42It's that damn justification.
57:44Shout out to A Boogie, man.
57:47I was going to say,
57:49Zeddy Will getting a couple records out here.
57:52Shout out to Zeddy.
57:53Yeah, they started working with your friends
57:55and tripping and stuff.
57:57Yeah, they're moving.
57:58Yeah.
57:59They make that move.
58:00But they're using social media to really go crazy.
58:04But it's working.
58:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
58:06I mean, that's something.
58:07It's definitely working.
58:08Obviously, yeah.
58:09Hopefully, they can go on an extended run.
58:11Obviously, they got something popping right now.
58:13But, you know,
58:14Cass always looking for, what, six months?
58:16What's a year down the road?
58:17What does it all look like?
58:18Are you building a career?
58:20Just a moment.
58:21And I think that's what we're going to see.
58:23Yeah, we need some new Cass, man.
58:24My man Boogie going to turn 30 soon.
58:26That's how you know.
58:27Crazy, bro.
58:28He going to turn 30 soon, man.
58:29So we...
58:30New York!
58:31We need something, man.
58:33Get in the booth.
58:34Yeah, get in the booth or something, bro.
58:36But shout out to the good brother DJ Drewski for stopping by Billboard Unfiltered, man.
58:40I appreciate it.
58:41Thanks for having me.
58:42Yeah.
58:43Come back anytime.
58:44Facts, bro.
58:45Brothers, sisters, we will see y'all next week.
58:48But thank you for checking in with us on Billboard Unfiltered.
58:51We out.
58:52Peace.