Toronto hip-hop scene needs ‘rebrand’ amid Drake-Kendrick beef, say some rappers

TORONTO — Amid the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, Toronto rapper Sean Leon finds himself conflicted over a recurring question on social media: Why haven’t more local artists stood up for the 6 God?

While hip-hop stars rise and fall on their allies, Drake has largely stood alone since the high-profile rap battle exploded in May with a flurry of diss tracks. Lamar landed the ultimate death blow with “Not Like Us,” which soared up the charts.

Lamar’s lyrical tirade quickly morphed from a summer banger into a catch-all caustic attack anthem. It was used to troll Canadian athletes and even landed on Kamala Harris’ playlist, when it was played at a recent rally for the likely nominee for the U.S. Democratic party.

In the meantime, it put Drake’s hometown in the crosshairs, with many in Toronto’s hip-hop community suggesting the rivalry has unfairly ensnared them in harsh scrutiny of the city’s musical sound.

Leon, an independent Toronto rapper and producer, says he’s frustrated the clash has challenged his city’s place in hip-hop culture. At the same time, he feels no strong urge to defend Drake when he says the superstar could do more for the city.

“What I would have loved to see during this situation is a lot of artists here stepping up and showing some support. But it’s a complicated thing to do,” says Leon, whose qualms extend to Drake’s team and label at OVO Sound.

“It’s very challenging because the support hasn’t always been there from them towards us.”

Several Toronto rappers questioned Drake’s commitment to the local scene, including Leon who says that for years, Drake and his OVO camp “didn’t give looks” to local artists with star potential.

Still, with popular opinion being that Drake lost this year’s rap battle, he sees an opportunity.

“It’s the perfect setup for an amazing comeback. For the city too,” says Leon.

In “Not Like Us,” Lamar accuses Drake of exploiting his connections with Atlanta rappers to benefit from a rap culture he doesn’t fully understand. Lamar concludes by calling Drake a “colonizer,” accusing him — and by extension, the Toronto rap scene — of appropriating African-American culture.

U.S. commentators, including Apple Music host Ebro Darden, have argued that Lamar triumphed partly because he embraced Compton’s unique regional sound, something they believe is missing from Drake’s city.

“For Americans, when someone says ‘Toronto music,’ whether it be Toronto rap or Toronto R&B, I don’t think something immediately comes to mind,” says New York-based hip-hop journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy.

“Drake and the Weeknd have always had this very pan-regional appeal, which is great because they’re global artists but the negative side is they lack any of that distinct regional signature.”

Lamar played into the Canada-versus-U.S. dynamic by releasing the “Not Like Us” music video on July 4 and twisted the knife by enlisting former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan to appear.

The U.S. national basketball team recently blasted it after beating Canada in an Olympic exhibition game, and earlier this week, Florida’s DJ Scheme poked at the rapper on his home turf by playing it at the Drake-associated Toronto venue History.

If the diss has become something of an anti-Canada anthem, Drake is to blame, suggests Toronto rapper DijahSB. They note Drizzy’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” provoked much ire by using an A.I.-generated voice that sounded like deceased West Coast legend Tupac Shakur.

“Drake is the one who made this regional. He’s the one who pissed off the West Coast. I’m not going to stick my neck out for somebody that brought it upon themselves,” says Kahdijah Payne, who performs under the name DijahSB.

“As an artist, I feel we need to divest from Drake and wanting Drake to care more about the Toronto rap scene, and just find a way to make it on our own.”

Like Leon, DijahSB says Drake hasn’t done enough to support rising local artists.

“The strange thing about Drake is he will put artists on, but only particular artists that don’t have crossover appeal,” says DijahSB, whose album “The Flower That Knew” was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize.

“And it’s strange because Drake is a smart guy and he knows what it takes to appeal overseas and not just in Toronto. There are other artists with different sounds I feel he just straight-up ignores.”

Reps for OVO and Drake did not respond to requests for comment.

Toronto rapper Killy disagrees, believing Drake has done “more than enough” for the community and that local artists should rally behind him.

“Every artist from here, especially in hip-hop, should use their voice to support Drake,” asserts the rapper, born Khalil Tatem.

“Drake hasn’t done anything for me specifically, but what he’s done on a major scale has opened so many doors for Canadian artists in general. Me having a career right now, he played a big part in that.”

Longtime Toronto hip-hop radio host Paul (Mastermind) Parhar believes an anti-Drake sentiment has been brewing in the city for a long time.

“The reason Kendrick may have won is because of the division and dissension in Toronto while L.A. banded together behind Kendrick and said, ‘We’re taking this one,’” says Parhar, the Vibe 105 FM program director.

“In the city, people hold it against Drake that he, in their opinion, didn’t do everything he could for the city in a bigger way, like sign better artists to his label or more of them.”

Drake’s OVO Sound label includes eight signees, mostly from the Greater Toronto Area, including R&B singer PartyNextDoor and rappers Smiley and Roy Woods.

Toronto rapper Sydanie Nichol, whose stage name is simply Sydanie, believes the feud has “dealt a blow to the morale” of the city’s music scene. She advocates for a “rebrand” that focuses on the city’s diverse array of artists.

“Toronto pumps out mega-superstars like Drake and the Weeknd, but the space between the mega-superstars and the actual culture – the Sean Leons, the Clairmont the Seconds, the people who actually make the city what it is – is really wide.”

Sydanie says Toronto’s sound is “undeniable” – from its shadowy, brooding R&B production to its rap cadences and pronunciation inspired by Arabic, Somali and Patois references – but “we just haven’t named it yet.”

She suggests Drake could foster homegrown support by showcasing emerging Toronto artists at the next OVO Fest, rather than focusing on U.S. stars.

Drake’s annual event traditionally coincides with Ontario’s civic holiday in early August, though an event wasn’t announced for the weekend this year.

“He needs to make a separate stage for emerging artists from Toronto. With how much Toronto is struggling with the music infrastructure here, there’s so much that this guy could do,” she says.

Leon, who has collaborated with Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, says the notion that Toronto lacks a unique sound is “crazy.”

He has witnessed producers around the world try to replicate the melancholic, nocturnal vibes popularized by Drake, the Weeknd and their producers Noah (40) Shebib, Illangelo and Boi-1da.

Leon believes the world has only seen “a limited version” of Toronto’s artistic potential and is optimistic about the scene’s future.

“They’ve seen just one side of the room, and it’s much more diverse than that,” he says.

“Has Toronto even actually started yet? This might be the beginning of something new.”

He also wishes Drake and his OVO team would connect with local independent artists.

“It’s as simple as sitting down and getting a coffee or a matcha to start,” he says.

“I promise you there’s a lot of people willing to step up for them. They just need to be incentivized first.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2024.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press