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Apple Has Given Drake Permission to Produce 'Whatever He Chooses' Amid His Push Into TV and Film
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I think you're confusing creative control with distribution decisions. If the info is true, Drake is being given the freedom to explore ideas without encumbrances. Which is a great thing to have as a creative. What he is not being given is the freedom to take those ideas from drawing board to public facing content. Apple ain't doing that.
Oh, and you're wrong about brand and reputation too. Apple's brand has nothing to do with conservatism and everything to do with being middle of the road and inoffensive. They want to appeal to everyone regardless of their personal bent.
Apple Music may be "culturally relevant" but lately I have this crazy bug (?) where it plays complete albums or playlist within a few seconds..
According to the teenagers in my home (read: key demo) they really aren’t.
Wait isn't he a rapper. When did he become such a good director that Apple let him do whatever he wants for their debut original production offering?
I do not understand this Apple's obsession with rappers and pop stars. There surely are more creative and original art people out there.
I think Apple should take a step back and really think about this content thing. So far I am not seeing very good vision and a compelling selling point. If you want to be the catch all platform for online video via Apple TV. That's fine. I get that part. I am not sure on your content strategy.
LOL at all these people on MacRumors revealing themselves to be completely not in the targeted demographic at all.
I don't love or hate Drake but he's one of the biggest things in music these days. Not only massive on a commercial level but mostly on a critical level as well. His latest, the mixtape More Life has a Metacritic score of 79 and most of his previous albums have positive reviews. Also give him credit for being a hiphop star more than a rapper - he's brought a lot of elements of world music into the mainstream. And he basically jumpstarted The Weeknd's career.
He was also an actor first (Degrassi), and musician second, so this makes some more sense than it might initially seem.
On top of that, he's proven himself to be extremely savvy at marketing and utilizing the power of the internet. The video for Hotline Bling is a good example, not taking itself too seriously with the dancing and eye-grabbing enough that it spawned countless memes. Plus that video basically looks like a tongue-in-cheek Apple ad.
Apple is not going to work with anyone obscure, or even a mid-level band. Drake is the right kind of "cool" that they want to bring to their brand, massive on a world level, but also still considered "in" (despite what Macrumors posters would have you think) by the most coveted demographics, and has proven to be very aware of his image. He absolutely fits in with the Apple aesthetic in a way that I can't even think of a single other musician that would.
I don't love or hate Drake but he's one of the biggest things in music these days. Not only massive on a commercial level but mostly on a critical level as well. His latest, the mixtape More Life has a Metacritic score of 79 and most of his previous albums have positive reviews. Also give him credit for being a hiphop star more than a rapper - he's brought a lot of elements of world music into the mainstream. And he basically jumpstarted The Weeknd's career.
He was also an actor first (Degrassi), and musician second, so this makes some more sense than it might initially seem.
On top of that, he's proven himself to be extremely savvy at marketing and utilizing the power of the internet. The video for Hotline Bling is a good example, not taking itself too seriously with the dancing and eye-grabbing enough that it spawned countless memes. Plus that video basically looks like a tongue-in-cheek Apple ad.
Apple is not going to work with anyone obscure, or even a mid-level band. Drake is the right kind of "cool" that they want to bring to their brand, massive on a world level, but also still considered "in" (despite what Macrumors posters would have you think) by the most coveted demographics, and has proven to be very aware of his image. He absolutely fits in with the Apple aesthetic in a way that I can't even think of a single other musician that would.
Point one . Yeah that is sure to be the situation.
Point two . That is being conservative . Basically being liked by all and impartial. I spent 10 years at the BBC, I get branding quite well
it was drilled into me, Disney before that.
idk, seems like Elon could use a little (or a lot of) manufacturing/logistics expertise.
Lots of irrational hate in MacRumors forums for the world’s most successful company, any idea why?
I could possibly see this happening further along when Apple had a track record with strong original content, but now?
Wish Apple would stop trying to be something they're not, and get back to making products that allow Drake, Future and others to create (and in turn, sell on iTunes.)
I am beginning to wonder if my Apple loyalty is even worth it anymore. Charge more, do less and/or waste money. Meanwhile, the very things they make for creatives to be truly creative are hung out to dry.
Wish Apple would stop trying to be something they're not, and get back to making products that allow Drake, Future and others to create (and in turn, sell on iTunes.)
I am beginning to wonder if my Apple loyalty is even worth it anymore. Charge more, do less and/or waste money. Meanwhile, the very things they make for creatives to be truly creative are hung out to dry.
you guys really will bitch about anything wont you? this forum must really be filled with 40+ year old guys who still listen to music from the 90s... smh. get with the new age people... drake HAS BEEN taken over. if you think drakes untalented or overrated you might wanna take another look at who you think isnt overrated or talented.. dont @ me
I now see the disconnect. That may well be British conservatism. It definitely ain't American conservatism.Point two . That is being conservative . Basically being liked by all and impartial. I spent 10 years at the BBC, I get branding quite well
Heres an idea... buy Netflix. Solves several problems.
Drake is NOT going to be good sorry to say. Not sure what the fascination is with Apple trying to be "hip" with car karaoke and short films and whatever other crap they make. Please, just STOP! If you want to branch out, do what you do best an buy something up! You're good at building hardware and software and merging them to work together.
Producing music and movies.. no. Everything seems forced and like it was created by some 50+ dad that is not in touch with reality.
No.
Drake is NOT going to be good sorry to say. Not sure what the fascination is with Apple trying to be "hip" with car karaoke and short films and whatever other crap they make. Please, just STOP! If you want to branch out, do what you do best an buy something up! You're good at building hardware and software and merging them to work together.
Producing music and movies.. no. Everything seems forced and like it was created by some 50+ dad that is not in touch with reality.
No.
This is an irony alert. Please respond promptly. You will get no further warnings.
I like music, and songs, and stuff but for a long time I've really been over Apple's obsession with music. We get it. You guys like music. The iPod and Apple's focus on iTunes really put them back on the map in a way that could be enjoyed by the masses that didn't have $1200 to fork over for an iMac. It was an intensely personal device that was your constant companion. I mean I even had a dream once where someone was mugging me and wanted my iPod and I literally held up my bike over my head as a weapon and said "you're not getting my iPod."
Right now they are making content that's sort of focused on their two great loves, apps and music, and they really didn't do the app one very well at all. It was hard to watch even the first free ep.
Just invest in good content and people will come to you. That doesn't mean you have to hand that over to big name talent that everybody knows about so they can stare pensively at a camera like they are the Steve Jobs of their area of 'expertise'. Who directed 'Galaxy Quest'? 'Hocus Pocus'? People you've almost certainly never heard of directed movies written by people you've almost certainly never heard of but that had a rock solid cast and great editing. I'm ranting now but again I'm over Apple's obsession with music and it's other obsession with seeking out recognizable celebrity names to hawk their middling offerings in this space.
thats like you telling your parents their music taste sucks... its just irrelevant.
It seems as if this "do whatever you want" directive has also been given to Jony Ive, and perhaps some others, as well. Many of us here (myself included) thought that Jony needed to be left to his own devices so that he could continue creating great products that would likely carry some semblance of Steve's imprint after he passed away. However, it has become clear to me in the intervening years that Jony probably needed Steve to keep him grounded and remind him that form should follow function when it comes to creating great products.
This is pretty cool. No doubt Drake is a hit amongst the younger crowd and he even slides into the white college kid demographic who watched him growing up on Degrassi playing a quadrapaligic
Source: The younger demographic who hears drake non stop in in bars, female cars and out getting ready for a bros night.
Source: The younger demographic who hears drake non stop in in bars, female cars and out getting ready for a bros night.