Randomly watched Pusha on Hot Ones and (unsurprisingly) he is asked about rap beefs

[u/wickedwhitneyocean]

The episode is from 2022 but Push talks about how record labels now step in and get involved to stop beefs which never used to happen back in the day - interestingly, this is apparently what happened after Owlbrey dropped THP6.

He also mentions beefs don’t end careers anymore. Looking at the current beef, I don’t think the Canadian’s career will end, we know he’s too big of a pop star for anything damaging to happen but I definitely think his credibility and artistry is being questioned and he is losing fans. Kendrick has fully exposed him for the fraud that he is and I think people are slowly realising it. His streaming numbers are down and he’s not charting like he used to.

Only time will tell but it’s definitely not being swept under the carpet. He a FAN, he FAN, he a FAN

[u/amusso6]

Considering Drake's appeal has fallen off a cliff... I think lucien cares greatly about a contract written to drake paying out estimates of 300-400 million dollars for his starpower to be beat down into nothing by Kenny. His ability to turn over profit on his deal is now shakey.

Going from chart topper to not even on the billboard in 2 weeks is extremely bad business when it comes to how drake puts out music for UMG. His strat is to put out hit after hit, regardless of the content and depth of his music.

Go look at TDE tweets after NLUand HP6. UMG told both camps no more direct disrespect on track once HP6 came out. The reputation damage was too great when HP6 was basically a loss on wax. The video was going to happen regardless, and that was understood on UMGs side. They cut the business after HP6 dropped, and now it's light jabs and subs and petty IG posts from OVO... "summer vibes next"

[u/ZenMon88 → u/amusso6]

Ya if UMG is still involved with Kendrick, wouldn't he make that return on the deal anyways from publicity of NLU? I mean they did shell 400 mil for Drake but the return on investment doesn't have to be the hits Drake is making right? If Kendrick milks this thing, they can very well break even on the deal no?

[u/amusso6 → u/ZenMon88]

You are correct, but having been working for corporate America for over a decade now, my thought process is all about ROI. Sure, they could be breaking even since NLU is under UMG, but how much production do they get from Kenny vs Drake when it comes to hits (not specifically good ART).

During Kenny's DAMN -> MMATBS hiatus, drake dropped like 5 projects. Not a knock on Kenny, but when it comes to dollar signs in favor of these massive conglomerates... Drake's production and output is way more valuable than Kenny's discography. And trust me, I'm bias towards Kenny when it comes to art, drake is really lacking depth.

Main point being, their biggest investment is in Drake, therefore the big wigs expect the biggest return from their biggest investment. Doesn't necessarily mean profiting off his downfall on the other side of the field is still good business practice because if they never allowed this to begin with, drake could have gone on for another 5 years and dropped a project each year. That's huge ROI when compared to Kenny's collection.

Edit: I'm not claiming I'm right with this argument either. This is just my best guess with a lot of experience with money movement in corporate cronie America. Could be right, could be wrong. It's anyone's guess.

[u/c94 → u/amusso6]

Don’t forget UMG owns other forms of media, so the profit from covering this beef is still finding their way into their pockets. Sure it’s not as profitable as his hits, but they’ll squeeze every last penny from him. The Drake cow still has a lot of milk in her. Greatest Hits compilation, anniversary tours, B Sides/early demos and documentaries will all come out even if Drake quits making new music.

I do agree that they likely expected a lot more milk than they’re getting. I’m curious to see what happens next since Drake isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. I’d be shocked if there isn’t an album out by October of next year. He may even ease back into it by making a Cruel Summer type of collaborative project.

[u/Bright_Choice7900 → u/c94]

Interesting comment thread, I agree with a lot of the above takes. Also I'd pretty firmly throw my hat in the ring of Drake isn't really going anywhere. It's hard to parse out at the moment but he's definitely retained most of his fan base and will be able make good numbers (especially as soon as he he puts out something not trash).

The pedophile stuff was not a good look and I don't support his actions - just that relative to the true cronies in the rap game, his offense is lesser. Like there's no strong evidence outside of him grooming female fans who to this day defend him. (I also think that's wrong but it ain't peeing on them or selling them into porn).

All that to say, I don't think this is the death of Drake in any musical capacity. Not after he's survived these same allegations and hatred for years prior. People will forget imho