A heated discussion broke out in the songwriting class when we listened to some songs students identified as least likeable. The big upset was about the Drake song  started from the bottom. Specifically they were upset about two things

• he was an actor previously
• he didn’t actually grow up a poor kid

Their argument – since he was an actor then his musicality is just an act. Secondly since he didn’t come from poverty it is inauthentic to sing about his experience and call it an experience of bottom to top.

Kind of fun to discuss anything with a bunch of people who 10 years earlier played with Slinkies and Hot Wheels. I wasn’t sure what to say – an actor also being a musician isn’t so weird. Is it wrong to allow Bach act in a play or let Meryl Streep show her sculptures?

Aren’t most musicians actors in the age of youtube? And even if it’s a live video are you not aware of the fact a camera is taping and there are lights on you and microphones? Doesn’t that alter how you play the music? Why not instead judge whether it is good acting or bad acting, good music or bad music.

Whether or not he came from poverty, I don’t know, doesn’t seem like it from reading his Wikipedia but he’s still singing about his experience, the one about becoming a major act. I like that his lyrics state “make a half million a show”. Most super rich don’t reveal how much they are raking in from fans, especially to fans.

I find using the N word constantly way weirder but the students had nothing to say about that. That’s more surreal than the other two points no?