Russ is arguing that the quality that most Hip-Hop fans claim makes Drake a soft rapper, also makes him one of the greatest — and the best at said particular skillset.
In tweet he shared featuring a clip from his recent interview with Apple Music, Russ emphasizes the importance of studying the greats as an up-and-coming artist, holding up Drake as a prime example. In the process he passionately declares that the Toronto’s ability to craft melodies isn’t a weakness, but rather a strength aiding his case for the top spot.
“If you’re an up and coming artist, study greatness,” Russ wrote in the message along with the video.
if you’re an up and coming artist, study greatness pic.twitter.com/BsPp1H2fCK
— SANTIAGO (@russdiemon) December 3, 2024
In his initial remarks, Russ gave Drake his flowers by declaring, “Drake is arguably the greatest melody writer in hip-hop history.”
“I don’t even think that’s like… that shouldn’t even be some far-fetched thing,” Russ said, adding that he believes Drake’s ability to craft hit melodies sets him apart from anyone else in the genre, adding, “This dude has written more hit melodies than I think anyone in rap ever.”
As he continued, Russ addresses critics who might dismiss melody writing in rap, countering their arguments with an assertive argument affirming the ideology that a s#### is indeed a s####.
“Yeah, you can do the whole, like ‘Well, this is rap it’s not about melody writing,’ and like, who cares? dawg, shut up!” he said. “Greatness is greatness.”
He went on to explain his view that Drake’s unparalleled ability to write melodies is a feat that transcends genre boundaries and further adds to his arsenal as an artsit.
“For somebody to come through and write that many hit melodies, that s##t is insane,” he said. “I don’t care what box it was supposed to be in, if it was supposed to be rap or what, it doesn’t matter.”
To illustrate his point further, Russ uses a hypothetical scenario to strip away preconceived notions about established artists by highlighting one of Drake’s acclaimed albums.
“I always tell people like, f##k all this s##t,” he said. “Look at these people [artists] like human beings that if you didn’t know them from a can of paint, they walked into the room and said, ‘Yo, I just made this album, check this out,’ and you thought they were an up-and-coming artist… and they press play and it’s Take Care you’d be like, ‘You’re f###ing insane.’”
Russ concluded bu remarking on his stance that people often take greatness for granted because of its frequency, but when approached with fresh eyes, the brilliance of artists like Drake becomes undeniable.
Watch the clip in full in the post above.