Irv Gotti says the time has come for a new DMX and Ja Rule and deemed Drake a threat to hip-hop as we know it.
The Murder Inc. co-founder is not feeling Drake’s album, and he even thinks that the quality of the album is an indication of the state of hip-hop music. Hip hop music has received many criticisms as some believe that the genre’s music quality is declining with low-quality music and lyrics.
On the other hand, Drake‘s album, Honestly, Nevermind, has sparked much conversation about it as many of his fans had expected a hard-hitting rap album and were disappointed that it was House music that gave a club feel.
It seems that Irv Gotti is also not feeling the album as he believes that Drake’s power in being the top man in hip hop could threaten the entire sound of hip hop and lead to the “demise” of the genre.
“I love Drake, I think Drake is a great person, he’s a great human being. So, If you use any clips from me make sure you use that,” he tells a TMZ photographer.
Irv Gotti, however, goes on to outline reasons he didn’t like Drake’s album and says that because Drake is so powerful, he could influence the genre’s sound permanently.
“But I listened to his album and Drake could do whatever he wants as an artist but do you feel Drake is a hip hop artist?” he asks the journalist before continuing, “Yea but I did hip hop, Drake’s new album is not hip hop, and he could do whatever he wants, let me stress that.”
“I gotta get back in the game and find me a n**** that’s what that album made me feel like. It made me feel like going to find me a raw new DMX, new Ja, new Jay,..and bring back great hip hop,” he added.
Irv Gotti said that Drake had too much power in the music world and needed a rival artist to preserve the style and flow of hip-hop music.
“And he’s so strong and so powerful he can change the dynamic of st…hip hop has changed my whole family’s life…I just wasn’t expecting a whole album of that st,” he says before adding, “he’s too powerful and too strong and it made me feel like we need another n***g that’s gonna stay with hip hop.”
While Irv Gotti is worried about Drake’s effect on the culture, many fans appear to love the album, while others had mixed reviews.
In the meantime, Drake is still the number one artist on streaming platforms and continues to rake in awards for his last album, Certified Lover Boy.
While he is aware that some of his fans are disgruntled about the album, the rapper said it is what it is and promised to move on to maybe more music.
On the other hand, there is certainly no new Ja Rule or DMX in the industry, so Irv Gotti might need to head back to A&R to cultivate the kind of fresh talent he wants to see.
