Stop comparing drake to me too... He don't write his own raps! That's why he ain't tweet my album because we found out!
At that time, Meek Mill had just released his album Dreams Worth More Than Money, which featured the track "R.I.C.O." with Drake. There's probably no need to mention how famous Drake is. Even for an up-and-coming rapper like Meek Mill, who had been praised by critics, having Drake on his album was still a stroke of luck.
So when Meek suddenly tweeted an attack on Drake, a.k.a. the golden boy of the music industry, the whole market was shocked by this huge, unexpected news.
People weren’t sure if Meek’s motivation came from jealousy over his famous girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, getting too much attention from Drake, or if he was upset that Drake didn’t promote his album. Or maybe it was because Meek was a firm believer in the value of a true rapper—someone who writes their own lyrics.
In the world of Hip Hop, the term "ghostwriter" refers to someone who writes lyrics for a rapper without getting credit as the author. Since rappers are often seen as artists who speak their own truth about their lives and thoughts, listeners expect the lyrics to be written by the rapper themselves. This is what gives authenticity to the words, and it’s valued at a higher standard compared to other music genres, especially because rap music often samples or borrows beats from other songs.
That’s why the terms “ghostwriting” or “ghostwriter” are extremely sensitive in rap. There are some exceptions like Dr. Dre or Eazy-E, who the Hip Hop community tends to overlook, even still respecting them due to their undeniable contributions to the genre.
Back to the story of Meek and Drake. A new question arose at that moment: "Did Drake use a ghostwriter? Who was it?" People were genuinely buzzing, since Drake's lyrics were known for being deeply personal.
Then, Meek revealed the name – Quentin Miller – a frequent collaborator with Drake at the time. Quentin was credited as a contributor for several songs on Drake's highly praised mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (IYRTITL). So, if Quentin was credited as a writer, how could he be a ghostwriter? The assumption now was that in Meek's track “R.I.C.O.,” Quentin’s name wasn’t listed, which meant Quentin acted as a ghostwriter for Drake on that particular song.
The questions now shifted back to Meek and Drake:
- What proof did Meek have to make such bold claims?
- And how much did Quentin actually contribute to IYRTITL?
To answer the second question, Hot 97 host Funkmaster Flex jumped on the trend and immediately dropped a reference track for Drake’s “10 Bands” from the IYRTITL mixtape. A reference track is basically a format where the songwriter records a demo for the rapper to reference and use during their own recording session. And the voice rapping on the “10 Bands” reference track? None other than Quentin Miller.
Although Quentin was clearly credited as a collaborator with Drake on the mixtape, so he technically wasn’t a ghostwriter, the fact that Quentin recorded the rap himself raises questions. Even if Drake tweaked the lyrics and flow a bit for the final version, doesn’t that still make Quentin pretty much a ghostwriter for Drake?
In a later interview, Drake emphasized that he collaborates with a team for his songwriting process. To him, rap is no different from other music genres, where collaboration is key. If someone has a good idea, he’ll take that idea and build on it, and he sees no shame in that. Drake also made it clear that he writes his own biggest hits. The issue, though, lies in the fine line between “collaboration” and “ghostwriting most of the track,” as was the case with "10 Bands." Drake’s explanation didn’t fully clarify this distinction.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike many other rappers, Drake gets a lot of attention and backing from his record label. And rightfully so—Drake’s albums are hugely successful, bringing in tons of money for the label's executives. His global popularity in the hip-hop scene is almost on par with Eminem.
However, a true rapper should ideally be writing nearly all of their own lyrics, even if they have support from others. A rapper might borrow an idea, but they shouldn’t need someone else to record a reference track first for guidance. A real rapper also doesn’t need their label to dictate their direction or content. Take Lupe Fiasco, for example—he fought hard for creative control, even against the objections of his bosses. He was even pressured to dumb down his lyrics for better audience understanding but refused, and he even dissed the label in one of his songs. As for Drake, besides Quentin, we don’t know how many others, named or unnamed, might be helping him.
Personally, I’ve never viewed Drake as a traditional rapper. As seen in the video below, when Drake freestyled on Hot 97 back in 2009, he even pulled out his phone to read the lyrics.
That said, musically, Drake has a good sense of his own work. Take his album Take Care, for example—he blends rapping and singing quite well. So, if we look at Drake as a mainstream artist who mixes hip-hop with R&B, I’m more open to his music. I find warmth and connection in the way he expresses himself, and I especially like Take Care, Nothing Was The Same, and IYRTITL, so if Drake really did it all on his own, I’d respect him even more.
Back to the Drake and Meek Mill story. Even with all the unclear claims mentioned earlier, the fact that Drake used Quentin's lyrics for “R.I.C.O.” still makes it hard to fully answer the first question. Everything seems to have been set up for a verbal showdown between the two rappers, playing out through diss tracks—true to the spirit of "beef" in rap music.
Now it’s Drake’s turn to respond. On July 25, 2015, just four days after Meek’s tweet, Drake dropped the diss track “Charged Up” to hit back at Meek. In the song, he says:
N****s is snitching on us without no interrogation
I stay silent 'cause we at war and I'm very patient
Six God is watching, I just hope you're prepared to face him
I'm charged up
The number "6" is a nickname for Toronto, Canada, where Drake was born. That's why “Six God” refers to Drake.
Rumor has it, there's something that only I know
Rumor has it, I steer the ship with my eyes closed
Rumor has it, I either fucked her or never could
But rumor has it, hasn't done you n****s any good
This diss hit Meek hard, as Drake referenced rumors about him sleeping with Nicki Minaj—Meek’s girlfriend. Whether it was true or not, Drake knew it would definitely get under Meek’s skin.
After the diss, Meek took to Twitter to downplay it, saying it was like a mosquito bite on stainless steel. But at that point, the hip-hop community wasn’t looking for tweets—they wanted to hear Meek’s musical response.
So, on July 27, 2015, just two days after Drake’s diss, Funkmaster Flex announced that Meek’s diss track would drop that night.
But... nothing happened! Meek, as usual, just posted some random tweet with no actual update.
Drake, being the smart guy he is (or with some help from his own "master strategist" a.k.a. ghostwriter), didn’t wait around for Meek’s response. Instead, he quickly released his second diss track, “Back to Back.” Whether or not Drake penned all the lyrics himself or had some suggestions from someone else is unclear, but the track was a brutal blow to Meek’s credibility. One line from the song went:
This for y'all to think that I don't write enough
They just mad cause I got the midas touch
You love her, then you gotta give her a world tour
Is that a world tour or your girl's tour?
I know that you gotta be a thug for her
This ain't what she meant when she told you to open up more
Yeah, trigger fingers turn to twitter fingers
Yeah, You gettin' bodied by a singin' n****
I'm not the type of n**** that'll type to n****s
First, Drake targeted those who believed he didn’t write as much of his own lyrics as other rappers, fueled by jealousy over his golden touch and countless hits on the charts. Second, Drake took another jab at Meek and Nicki Minaj, mocking the fact that Meek was supposedly on tour but was really just tagging along and opening for his much more famous girlfriend. Third, Drake ridiculed Meek for being a “keyboard warrior,” someone who only knew how to type on Twitter instead of pulling the trigger with a proper diss track. Lastly, Drake delivered the final knockout blow by pointing out that Meek got taken down by a guy who “sings,” referencing the common criticism that Drake often mixes singing with his rapping. All of this in just 8 lines.
You have to admit, those lines from Drake were sharp. So sharp, in fact, that many people took to the internet to declare that Meek had already lost.
In this battle, Drake’s response was spot-on. He was in a defensive position but struck back swiftly and effectively. Meanwhile, Meek, who was known to be a better technical rapper, suddenly appeared weak in this head-to-head. Some people commented that no rapper starts a beef like Meek without having a diss track ready to go against Drake. In this internet age, a single day feels like a week, so when Funkmaster Flex finally played Meek’s diss track “Wanna Know” on July 30, 2015—five days after Drake’s first diss (and nine days after Meek started the beef)—the world had already decided Drake was the winner.
Meek’s “Wanna Know” was disorganized, and the lyrics didn’t carry enough weight, marking the end of his battle with Drake. Even the release of the reference track with Quentin’s voice on “R.I.C.O.” as proof of Drake using a ghostwriter didn’t matter anymore. Other reference tracks, recorded by Quentin and another anonymous rapper for Drake’s IYRTITL mixtape, leaked afterward, but by then, no one cared.
Looking back, on the day Meek started the beef, he essentially dug his own grave. He was too inexperienced and unprepared, lacking the weapons needed to go up against someone as famous and well-supported as Drake.
To this day, Meek and Drake have reconciled and are now good friends, even going on tour together. After that loss, Meek released the album Wins and Losses, which was well-received and recounted the whole incident. As for Drake, he only became more popular “thanks” to Meek and continued to rake in money with hits like “Hotline Bling.”
The real loser in this pointless feud between the two was Quentin. He went from being an unknown rapper who got lucky enough to work with Drake, to being dragged into a fight he had nothing to do with. After Meek’s accusations, Quentin suddenly stopped receiving any offers, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. In the end, it’s due to the “unforgiving” nature of being a ghostwriter—or rather, a “collaborator,” as in Drake’s case. They’re like stunt doubles for actors: they take on the risk, while the fame and fortune go to the stars.
As for the controversy about Drake using a ghostwriter, it’s no longer a topic anyone talks about. Perhaps most people, like me, view Drake as a general music artist, rather than just a rapper.
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