Your favorite, our favorite, everybody's favorite Kanye West gave a very insightful interview to the Breakfast Club this morning. One nugget we would like to talk about is the mention of a possible album with Drake, titled Wolves. Complex staff writers Angel Diaz and Frazier Tharpe are both Jigga stans and may or may not feel a type of way about this. They both feel like Watch the Throne is a borderline classic. However, they have different opinions when it comes to Drake. Angel and Frazier discuss the actual possibility of this thing happening and how they think it would sound.
Check out the convo below:
Angel: What did you think when he mentioned it?
Frazier: First off, I had it spoiled for me, which is an insane thing to say about an interview quote, but also not really considering the way he built up to the reveal. I didn’t get to the interview until around noon and saw someone tweet the byte. But I digress.... I’ve never felt more conflicted in my life.
A: You think it’ll be emo rap’s greatest creation? 808s & Heartbreak the Sequel? I think a joint project from them would be amazing, but I would probably hate it. I wasn’t a big fan of 808s, and I like only two Drake albums: NWTS and the tape he just dropped.
Drake is undeniable he’s "The Guy" right now. —Frazier
F: Lmao at you not liking Take Care. You must have Marlo Stanfield levels of ice in your veins. But therein lies my inner turmoil. I’m not sure I was finished losing teeth when I assumed presidency of the Jay Z [St]fan club. And I’ve been on repeat terms since. Kanye is basically a god worthy of equal worship. And yet, for all the unruly slick talk he throws at them, Drake is undeniable. He’s "The Guy" right now. They are my three favorite rappers right now. And now I have to choose between a combo of the two of them??? Kill me.
A: Take Care is too all over the place and wild soft, man. I will stand by that statement forever. The fact that “Wolves” was the inspiration for the project has me intrigued, though. There wasn’t any rap in it, but I like that song. The performance on SNL was next level. Sia’s wig had me open. But then again, I’m not sure Kanye and Drake would have the same chemistry as him and Jay. Watch the Throne was about being rich and black in America. Drake never speaks on those things. His raps remind me of the high school reunion episode of Martin. He’s always talking about bullies and girls that slighted him when he was Jimmy. Drake should end every bar with: “Pretty Ricky what they called him.” What are Kanye and Drake’s best songs together, off top? You know better than me.
F: They don’t really have any. Ye gave Drake three beats for Thank Me Later: "Show Me a Good Time," "You Know, You Know," and "Find Your Love." Everything else is lost in the sauce of grander collabs, like “Forever.” "Blessings" depends more on the chemistry between Sean and Drake. Drake gave Ye one of his best verses ever for an "All of the Lights" remix that never officially materialized. And apparently he was supposed to be on “Hate.” *Kanye shrug* But between Drake’s knack for phenomenally of-the-moment beats and inventive Cool Teen glide flows, and Ye being well...a fucking genius, you really think they couldn’t make 10 tracks of absolute fire??
A: I don’t like the Kanye version of “Blessings.” It cuts off suddenly after his verse. That beat is too hot for it not to ride out. I don’t doubt their ability to make great records, just might not be my cup of tea. I don’t really fuck with Yeezus to this day, still can’t get through 808s, but I have been coming around to Drake the last couple of years. But we both agree that Magna Carta Holy Grail is a solid offering from a rapper that will be on the cover of AARP in the near future. I think it would be good for the game just like a Kendrick/Cole album and a Beanie/Scarface album would. Two of the biggest rappers in the world going toe-to-toe with Ye and Noah on the boards? Might be the first Drake album I’d purchase.
Two of the biggest rappers in the world going toe-to-toe with Ye and Noah on the boards? Might be the first Drake album I’d purchase. —Angel
F: Then there’s the Old Man Hov of it all. Drake’s increasingly brash attitude has come to some sort of reckoning with his pre-fame standom towards Ye, and they’re cool, albeit competitive. Is it the same with Hov these days? I feel like he might lean towards the Puffy spectrum and find Drake lightweight disrespectful. And if Ye is going to set aside his 17 ventures and 334 ideas for another collab album, idk how I feel about him doing it with Drake instead of Hov. Is wanting a WTT 2 before Wolves greedy? Is one classic, damn near flawless collab album between the rap GOATs enough? If Ye and Drake start doing sessions, I just picture Jay Z as the kid not invited to hang out after school even though he’s just as cool.
A: How does Pusha feel about all of this? I would be here for a King Push/Hova album titled 92 Bricks filled with masterful subliminals in the name of sport. However, I do think a Kanye/Drake album would go platinum in two days. They’re more capable of making commercially viable music because of their subject matter. And if "Wolves" is an indication of the direction Kanye wants to go on this supposed album, I’m lowkey excited. I’ve said before that I fuck with 40 more than Drake. Noah and Kanye are capable of crafting a perfect album production wise. Both can set tones and environments with the best of them. You bring up a good point, though. I think we would be waiting a long time for this to happen. It’ll be the Mayweather/Pacman fight of rap albums.
F: Interestingly enough, Kanye’s reveal on the Breakfast Club implies these conversations happened before he and Jay actually did Watch the Throne. Drake’s gotten like 1,000x better at rapping and honing his craft since then, so maybe it’s good talks fell apart. Wolves is a hard ass title, though I can’t get over how perfect Watch the Throne is. It covers every theme you both expect and, more importantly, want to hear from two rappers at their height, and over everything from next level shit to throwback-style bangers like the disgustingly underrated “That’s My Bitch.” And that ending. “Why I Love You” is basically The Sopranos' final scene on wax. It leaves you wanting more, and I feel like they have more to give as a duo. Right now, WTT 2 feels more crucial than Wolves. Word to Lenny S.
2.
A: Yeah, I agree. “All Day” CDQ official version, Ye’s next solo album, WTT 2, Wolves. In that order. I think a Drake/Ye album can sound just as good sonically as WTT did because of the 40/Kanye factor.
F: Or rather, can’t we just heed Drake’s thoughts at 6PM, on Oct. 27, 2014? Can the Throne just be the “three of y’all”? Wishful thinking from a conflicted Stan. Let me go brainstorm a fake tracklist.
