Who Needs Authenticity?

Ghostwriting is a big point of contention in Hip Hop. It’s common practice in pop music to have several people involved in the writing of a song, but only in Hip Hop is it kept secret or hated whenever it comes out that a rap artist didn’t write his own rhymes. Why is this so important in the eyes of rappers?

The latest iteration of this is the Drake vs. Meek Mill beef. We know how this went, Meek tweeted his disdain for Drake not writing his own verse on one of his songs, and Drake’s fans attacked Meek relentlessly. This culminated in Drake releasing a diss track which, sorta hilariously, was partially written by Quentin Miller. But this isn’t an article about how I’m for or against ghostwriting, but I want to question the why of ghostwriting being such a hot button issue.

It all boils down to authenticity. As with most Black expression in America, it’s an integral part of the culture because it’s tied to personal stories and real lived lives. Since music is considered art it’s viewed subjectively. Hip Hop like Jazz before it gave people a opportunity to express themselves through music for the first time, music they could identify with. Hip Hop’s married to self-identity, so it’s taken very personally even on a subconscious level. There was a point when Hip Hop permanently entered American popular culture and was dubbed a high artform. It aged. We had gotten the point of the gritty, emotional realness of it and wanted to explore where it could go next.

There are basically two factions of thought on this issue of ghostwriting: 1) that you should write your own raps to represent your life accurately, so people can identify with, they wanna listen and say ‘I feel you’; and 2) realness isn’t the driving factor of why the music is good, the music can stand on its artistic merits. Experimentation happens. Writing a memoir vs writing a novel. Each approach has value but it is two different approaches. Maybe people are afraid they won’t be taken seriously if they’re not represented accurately? Think of those people you know whose only exposure to Black Americans is rap videos. What does that mean for those like Kanye West or Kendrick Lamar that we consider high artists of Hip Hop? Some might say you aren’t responsible for how people perceive you, since its art you have that quintessential First Amendment license to free expression. Some might disagree.

This happens as all fields mature. Hip Hop’s getting old, and each new generation listens in unique ways and has an opinion on what Hip Hop should look like. Ultimately, I think it’s good these debates are happening, because it highlights the complexity of Hip Hop and ensures we all think and care about it enough to challenge it. That’ll only lead to its continuing expansion. Big facts.