Noah '40' Shebib Defends Drake Against Meek Mill's Ghostwriting Claims

By Devin

/ 07.22.2015

While Drake has not publicly spoken out about Meek Mill’s accusations, his right-hand man and longtime producer, Noah “40” Shebib, is coming to his defense.

The Canadian hitmaker, who has worked with Drake since the beginning of his career, took to Twitter to address Meek’s claim that a ghostwriter penned Drake’s verse on “R.I.C.O.” In a series of tweets, the press-shy producer acknowledged that the alleged ghostwriter, Quentin Miller, contributed to Drake’s mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and is also credited for it. However, that does not take away from Drizzy’s accomplishments as a writer.

“You’re smokin that shit you say you selling if you think someone wrote that shit,” said 40. “So if someone wants to be upset that Drake made a great album, go for it, get mad all day lol! but don’t ever question my brother’s pen.”

I can't count the hours that myself and drake have spent writing producing and recording music. Let's just say… 5000 hours…

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

I've spent maybe 30 min in a studio with Q. Nice enough guy, very talented…

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

If your asking if he contributed to if you're reading this… Yes, he did. You can also see that by reading the credits. 👀

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

No one is as talented as drake. It's not worth my time. I need someone who understands song writing on a higher level…

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

Sometimes that skill is used to recognize other great songs… Like in all forms of music… Except rap.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

Rap has a stigma about writing your own lyrics and rightfully so… its a very personal art form and its rooted in speaking truthfully.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

Thankfully for me drake isn't just a rapper. He's also a musician and a producer and a creator.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

We've been fighting those rules from day one. If no one noticed there weren't many singing rappers in '08

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

Theres countless number ones and songs drake has written for others never mind himself, thats the funny part lol!

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

To be even feeling my own need to say these things is crazy

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

never has someone spoken about themselves or there own perspective so vividly… ever.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

its why people have called him soft… because he shows humility and is truthful and honest.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

you're smokin that shit you say you selling if you think someone wrote that shit.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

so if someone wants to be upset that drake made a great album, go for it, get mad all day lol! but don't ever question my brothers pen.

— Noah Shebib (@OVO40) July 23, 2015

Drake has remained quiet, but reportedly responded to the diss in a private message on Instagram from his friend Hitman Holla, who shared the conversation on Twitter.

“I see da foolishness,” Hitman wrote in a supportive message to Drake. “You know me and Showw not buying it. U our guy. Keep killing. You motivate ni**as like us!”

The Missouri rapper quoted lyrics from Drake’s “5 AM in Toronto”: “I show love, never get the same outta ni**as / I guess it’s funny how money can make change out of ni**as foreal.”

Drizzy responded with the praying hands emoji, adding, “I signed up for greatness. This comes with it.”

On Wednesday night, Funkmaster Flex aired a reference track of “10 Bands” recorded by Drake’s alleged ghostwriter Quentin Miller.

Lupe Fiasco also jumped in the fray, penning a lengthy letter in response to the ghostwriting controversy. He gave both rappers props and acknowledged the role of ghostwriters in hip-hop.

“At the end of the day, for better or worse, rap is alive even if some of its greatest moments are written by ghosts,” said Lupe.

The Haunting. A Letter Part 1 of 2 To rappers from a rapper…simply write your own rhymes as much as you can if you are able. Ghostwriting, or borrowing lines, or taking suggestions from the room has always been in rap and will always be in rap. It is nothing to go crazy over or be offended about unless you are someone who postures him or herself on the importance of authenticity and tries to portray that quality to your fans or the public at large. Then we might have a problem. Some of the most pivotal moments in rap have been ghostwritten verses. This leads to a bigger point. Rapping is not an easy thing to do. It's takes years of work and trial and error to master some of its finer points. Respect from other MC's comes in many formats. Sales, live performances, realness etc but the one thing that is the most important is the raps themselves at least in the eyes of other serious rappers. The phrase "I'm not a rapper" gets thrown around as if it's a badge of honor. And that's fine. If rap is a side hustle for you or just a come up then by all means may the force be with you. But I know a lot of MC's where rap is the first love and the first thing they think about when they wake up and the last thing they think about when they go to sleep. Rappers who pursue the art form with this level of intention may not become rich and famous off selling their raps to a wide audience but that has never been an accepted metric to begin with in terms of quality or level of skill. The vast majority of rappers will never sell 100 records in their lifetimes let alone millions. But that's not the point, the point is that what pursuing the craft gives us in terms of the intangibles is something that record sales or fame could never represent. We achieve a mastery of language and poetics that competes on the highest levels of discourse across the entirety of human history. We express ourselves creatively and attain a sense of liberation and self-esteem via this sacred mode of creation and communication.

A photo posted by Lupe Fiasco – Bogglin' Giblets (@lupefiasco) on Jul 22, 2015 at 6:59pm PDT

Part 2 Of 2 Modern Radio and the commercial realm of music has injured rap. It set up ambiguous rules and systems for success that don't take into consideration the quality and skill of the rappers craft. It redefined rap as just being a beat driven hook with some words in between and an entire generation has surrendered to chasing the format instead of chasing the art form. While mastering any format should be the pursuit of any self-respecting rapper including the commercial format it must be kept clear that it is just one of many formats and that you should strive to master all of them. The art form is kept alive and progressive in the activities of the tens of thousands of rappers around the world who are everyday trying to think of that next witty bar. Trying to put that crazy verse together while at work. Trying to find that word that rhymes with catapult so they can finish off that vivid story rap about their childhood. Meek Mill struck a nerve accusing Drake of having a ghostwriter and the entire rap world reacted on all sides of the fence because rap is alive. It's active and it feels. Its rules and traditions are vibrant and responsive. I enjoy both these brothers music and find inspiration and appreciation from both of them. I remember being in Toronto at Goodfoot years ago and it was a stack of CD's on the counter and the guy behind the counter was like "Lupe you gotta take this CD. It's my mans mixtape." I didn't really pay it any mind I took it to the car and looked it over and just kind of set it aside focused on other things. I vividly remember saying "what kind of rap name is Drake?" The rest is history. Once while in Philly I went to do an interview in a shabby and very hood basement studio complex. I peeked into one of the rooms and it was this tall kid with his shirt off bouncing up and down in the booth with an energy that was electric. I gave him my regards. He gave them back. I think I mentioned something about him cutting his dreads. As I left I remember him rapping something about being a boss. The rest is history. At the end of the day, for better or worse, rap is alive even if some of its greatest moments are written by ghosts.

A photo posted by Lupe Fiasco – Bogglin' Giblets (@lupefiasco) on Jul 22, 2015 at 6:59pm PDT