The Fusion of Hip-Hop

The+Fusion+of+Hip-Hop

Jake Roedel, Staff Writer

There is no doubt that Drake is one of the hottest artists in hip-hop, as well as the music industry in general. He’s been a main topic of discussion since his debut commercial release of So Far Gone in 2009. Since then, he’s released a project every single year. His most recent release Views, released in April, has sold 1.4 million copies and has been streamed over 1 billion times in the U.S. There’s no arguing with the amount of recognition he’s receiving.

Near the end of October, Drake announced that he would release a new project titled More Life in December. During his OVO Sound radio show he released 3 new songs: “Fake Love,” “Sneakin,” “Two Birds One Stone,” as well as a remix of U.K. rapper Dave’s “Wanna Know.”

The fact that Drake, one of the hottest-selling artists on the planet, would remix a song from 18-year-old rapper Dave from south London demonstrates that mainstream hip-hop could be extending across the Atlantic to the U.K. The U.K. has its own hip-hop scene, but rarely does it receive media exposure to the same degree as American hip-hop.

Up until now, the only U.K. hip-hop album to receive critical acclaim from American publications is Skepta’s Konnichiwa, released in May of this year. The success of this new album and other U.K. hip-hop artists could be a result of the growing diversity in modern hip-hop. U.K. hip-hop delivers something new and fresh, which is always something that is rewarded in the music industry. Drake has picked up on this sound and exposed it to a large audience for the first time.

This isn’t the first time that Drake has collaborated with U.K. artists. Back in February, Drake made a surprise appearance at one of Skepta’s concerts. Skepta brought him out to perform one of his hit songs, “Jumpman.”

Since the release of the remix of Dave’s song “Wanna Know” featuring Drake, Dave has generated massive buzz, racking up millions of views and downloads of the song. Dave’s other songs, including his project Six Paths EP, have received massive attention.

Drake always seems to know what he’s doing, making smart move after smart move. It’s no coincidence that he chose now to remix the song. He is set to go on tour across Europe beginning in January of 2017. His presence will be well-received, as his audience across the sea is sure to appreciate his acknowledgement of European artists. They are just as crazy about his music as his audience in the U.S.