Does Drake Have a Ghostwriter? The Truth Revealed

Ghostwriting is stigmatized in hip-hop and rap scenes, but that stigma doesn’t keep many music artists from using the services of a ghostwriter on their albums. Some of the most popular rappers, artists, and names in music have used ghostwriting.

But is Drake one of those people? Does Drake have a ghostwriter?

In short, yes, drake has used ghostwriters in the past. He has also written many of his own songs.

Let’s explore more in this article.

Drake’s History With Ghostwriters

Drake is no stranger to ghostwriting. Over the last few years, Drake has employed several ghostwriters who were happy to work with the rap superstar. Many fans believe Drake’s success can be attributed to those who have written for him and have allowed him to take credit for the work.

Some other artists have collaborated without credit with Drake on his work, sometimes with acknowledgment and little care. For example, there are some claims of trading verses and lines.

Quentin Miller

One of the most well-known controversies involving Drake and his potential use of ghostwriting originated from his quarrel with artist Meek Mill, who accused Drake of using the services of Quentin Miller. Quentin Miller is a known ghostwriting and songwriter from Atlanta who works on various projects and helps artists with their work.

As the allegations continued, most fans and music industry enthusiasts believed Drake likely used Quentin Miller’s services to help build up his album and make the work more cohesive.

There are a few reasons why Drake may have sought out these services. Some artists may feel their creative juices are blocked, need more downtime, or have other projects more worthy of their time.

Regardless of the reasons for using ghostwriting services, Quentin Miller has since said the projects he worked on with Drake may have damaged his career and caused him to lose out on other profitable jobs.

Noah “40” Shebib

Drake’s producer, Noah Shebib, is often credited with Drake’s albums and work. This credit may not mean much to casual listeners, but fans and haters of Drake alike think this may be significant. For example, many of Drake’s opposition will claim the rapper uses ghostwriters and name the supposed writers in question.

However, Drake will list his producer in the credits of those works, most notably 40. Many suspect this is because these songs are ghostwritten by others or by 40 himself. There is no way to confirm these details by the evidence seems striking, especially since the tracks with 40 credited seem to have a different flow and energy than those written solely by Drake.

The Weeknd Controversy

Drake and The Weeknd collaborated on many songs across both artists’ albums and discography. Drake was among the first major artists to lift The Weeknd and make him a notable music artist in the industry, and The Weeknd discusses how grateful he is for Drake’s guidance on his career success.

However, there have been some allegations that suggest The Weeknd may be responsible for writing most of the content of their collaborations. For example, Crew Love, Shot For Me, and Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude are all songs with The Weeknd credited and singing on the track, but the messages seem to give off a certain energy more consistent with The Weeknd than Drake.

Although Drake denies these allegations online and beyond, there is no arguing that the word flow and thematic tones are slightly different in these collaborations and more in line with The Weeknd’s unique singing style.

PartyNextDoor

Although many fans may suggest that PartyNextDoor is another ghostwriter on Drake’s roster, this has never been confirmed. This rumor gained traction after other ghostwriting allegations against Drake arose, and PartyNextDoor claimed that there is a lot of songwriting and trading that occurs between artists, although they all work together to make a track.

This sentence seemed to rub audiences the wrong way and suggested to many fans that Drake willingly took songs from others without giving credit and paying to use their work as his own.

21 Savage said something similar, mentioning that he and Drake exchanged work and verses while writing their collaboration.

Does Drake Write His Own Songs?

Drake does write most of his songs. No artists of meteoric rise would likely get much of a following or record deal if they could not produce unique and magnetic content. There is little question that Drake has written almost all of his work.

However, several songs lie in question. For example, songs written in collaboration with The Weeknd, 40, Quentin Miller, and PartyNextDoor are viewed by many die-hard fans as less worthy than those for which Drake is the only artist credited.

Although a few songs in Drake’s repertoire can be traced back to a ghostwriter, most of this rapper’s discography is his personal, unique work.

How Many of Drake’s Songs Are Ghostwritten?

At least four tracks on Drakes's album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late were credited to Quentin Miller. However, there is little way to tell if other ghostwritten tracks are in other albums or songs.

Drake is a private rapper and enjoys keeping his business close to himself and those he loves, so it may be hard to tell which of his albums, songs, and works came through ghostwriting.

Drake’s Supportive Community of Artists

Drake is one of the most beloved musical artists in the industry and has been supported by other artists who have no problem speaking their minds on the matter. Regardless of the ghostwriting allegations, these artists rallied their support for Drake and showed him they cared greatly about his work and career.

Nicki Minaj

There is no question about Nicki Minaj’s love for Drake. She was among the first to rally her support for Drake and said that she and Drake had worked for thousands of hours together to craft unforgettable lyrics and tracks.

Minaj feels the hatred for Drake’s albums is unjustified and doesn’t make much sense because the tracks and lyrics are impressive.

OVO40

OVO40 rallied to Drake’s aid, discussing his belief that Drake is among one of the greatest songwriters of the current generation and insisting that Drake is responsible for most of his discography.

OVO40 discusses a personal account of seeing Drake’s writing process and equating the work to that of essay writing and that he’s bothered when others claim Drake doesn’t write his work or isn’t dedicated to his craft.

OVO40 paid respects to Quentin Miller, saying that the songwriting has stunning material and is a songwriting genius in his own right, but defended Drake, suggesting that someone created a false narrative involving Quentin Miller and Drake.

Quentin Miller

Although Quentin Miller received a lot of backlash and criticism for working with Drake and being party to ghostwriting, the songwriter continued to support Drake and his songwriting abilities. Quentin Miller went on to say that Drake certainly writes his work, and remixing songs, rewriting, and paraphrasing does not take any of Drake’s talent away.

Additionally, Quentin Miller called drake a sleeping giant and a chosen one, claiming Drake is one of the best artists in the industry.

Nickelus F

Nickelus F is a former collaborator with Drake and was questioned about his potential involvement in ghostwriting for Drake. However, Nickelus F made his stance on the topic clear, saying that Drake is very talented and his songwriting skills can’t be questioned. Nickelus F clarifies that he has never ghostwritten anything for Drake and describes Drake’s writing skills as crazy and battle-worthy.

What Artists Have Denounced Drake for Ghostwriting?

Drake is no stranger to criticism, especially for his use of ghostwriters, performances, and overall works. Many artists have commented on Drake’s ghostwriting use, his lyrics, and the tone of his music.

Meek Mill

Meek Mill is among a few artists who have denounced Drake for using a ghostwriter. Ghostwriting services are largely accepted in many genres across the music industry, and usually, sharing lyrics, tracks, and hooks is never looked at with such a critical eye.

However, hip-hop and rap artists hold themselves to a higher standard, as do their fans. These artists may be heavily criticized for using ghostwriting services, and Meek Mill is among those who believe these services shouldn’t be used in the industry.

Meek Mill has made his thoughts on Drake clear, suggesting the rapper doesn’t write his work and relies only on ghostwriting for his hooks.

Does Drake Have a Ghostwriter? Final Thoughts

Drake is one among many artists in the industry who uses ghostwriting to fluff up his work and albums. Although ghostwriting is accepted in R&B, rock, and pop music, the practice is considered ingenuine in the rap and hip-hop communities.

Drake, Cardi B, and Diddy are only a few top names who have used ghostwriting services on their songs and albums. The answer to the question “does Drake have a ghostwriter” is a resounding yes, although Drake is talented and has written many good songs himself.