Drake credits 50 Cent for inspiring him to rap and sing at the same time.
Back in 2009, Drake dazzled the hip-hop world with a new mixtape, “So Far Gone.” The release marked the beginning of a new transition point in the genre where singing-rapping became fashionable. Drake deserves a lot of credit for reviving rapping/singing artistes this decade, even though I should point out that artistes been rapping and singing since the 1990s. The 6 god is now saying that gangster rapper 50 Cent was his biggest inspiration to rap and sing at the same time.
During the 2-hour Christmas interview with Rap-Radar, Drake was asked who inspired his music. He quickly threw names like Kanye West, T-Pain, and Lil Wayne. When it came to singing rappers, “Obviously, 50 Cent’s ’21 Questions’ will probably be my most inspiring example of a guy who’s not supposed to be singing, singing.” he said.
In an unusual twist from his previous unapologetic stance towards Kanye, Drake had kind words for the “808s & Heartbreaks” rapper. “A guy who’s known for his bars and rapping. Comical rapping on College Dropout and Late Registration going straight to basically a singing album inspired by genres of music,” he continues.
Drizzy gave a shoutout to new rappers incorporating singing to their craft. “A lot of the music that’s coming out now… these kids are singing deep emotional pain.” The transition of rap to singing has been phenomenal in the past decade, and a part of it should be credited to Drake, who successfully blends singing and rapping on most of his hits. That is part of his art when working on albums, capturing different audiences, and delivering a dynamic album. Whether he is aware or not, the Toronto-native’s music is a benchmark of inspiration to thousands of potential artists out there. No one can dispute Drake’s contribution to the genre.
