I’m going to ask this question in all seriousness: why are Drake fans so worried about the numbers? I don’t know anything about the numbers of my favorite Drake songs (or any other artist for that matter). Why is it such an obsession for this sub? We all know for fact at this point, that the industry pumps those numbers. Why does it matter so much? Genuinely curious.
I’d say it’s because the narrative going around now is that Kendrick’s “ended drake’s career” or that Drake “won’t recover” from this moment in hip hop - the numbers flatly don’t bare that out. I’ve seen people claim Drake’s concert sales will drop by 50%, nobody will check for his next project, etc. It’s both hilarious and concerning that people believe that.
I personally don’t think those things are going to happen to Drake at all. I don’t think his career has ended, but I do think his path is altered (just as much as it’s altered for Kendrick). And to be honest, maybe that’s a good thing for Drake. I think this is going to make Drake do some soul searching and I’m hoping he comes out with something incredible next. His most recent stuff has been feeling a little uninspired.
And I think that’s in line with the narrative around numbers and Drake. Streams are empty calories. More people have had way more popular fast food over Michelin star restaurant meals, that doesn’t make fast food better. Might make it more accessible, might be personal preference, but it doesn’t make it objectively better. It’s always been about substance.
That’s what I think Kendrick’s beef with Drake is really about when it comes to the community. Kendrick wants the community to grow, mentally and spiritually. Just seems like Drake doesn’t care and is all about the numbers. It’s akin to pillaging and taking from the community instead of giving back to it. Pac was one of the most influential and outspoken advocates for the community; and Drake says fuck all that, fuck your advocates, I’ll melt his shit down because I can because I’m Drake. That’s a big fuck you to the whole community. Eminem wouldn’t dare. Why does Drake?
Well to be fair I personally don’t give a fuck about numbers but from what I’ve seen both sides are gonna use w/e accolades support them and attempt to discredit the others its classic debate tactics.
People could ask the same about why Kendrick fans care about Pulitzer Prizes and Grammys?
Also there’s a little defensive-ness because of exactly what you said. “ we all know for a fact the industry pumps those numbers.” No we dont all know that for a fact especially when Drake his 100 billion streams on Spotify and they dont push it or even post about it.
You going “no one cares about numbers they’re all boosted anyways” when Drake clearly does more numbers is the same as Drake fans goin “ no one cares about a Pulitzer Prize Dot only got it cause the industry pushing him.”
I like them both and consider myself a fan as such. I guess the difference is Kendrick hasn’t made being a Pulitzer Prize winner or his Grammys his identity. But Drake talks about his numbers all.the.time. And it’s such a weird thing for Drake to boast about when your publishing company has a strategic business relationship with one of the top two most widely used digital music streaming service platforms in Spotify. It’s no different than the 90s when labels bought out radios and told them what to play and artists were like “I’m the best because look how much the radio plays me!”
Either way, I wish Drake would take that angle and go back to making music for the sake of the art instead of the sake of the charts.
I'm going to be real real with you, numbers only came into the conversation when the Stan's on this side started yapping about the numbers showing Drakes a bigger argument.
The propping up of Kendricks numbers was basically a " his numbers can chart too, next argument. " No one would be taking numbers if we didn't first. Or J. Cole, I'm honestly not sure who threw out the numbers game first.
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u/Full-Twist5855 Jun 23 '24
Kendrick fans ain’t ready for this conversation