In general, the theme of this column is going to be oversaturation or overpopulation, but in relation to two specific things. In the NBA, there’s an incredible density of talent between the 30 teams in the league. In the music industry, there’s new Drake music every season. I’m sick of waiting for both to change at this point, so let’s get into why.
NBA Expansion
Although NBA expansion has been teased as recently as July of this year, even down to the specifics of potential locations and a timeline, the need for added teams is becoming more evident and pressing. Teams continue to stockpile playable talent on veteran minimums and rookie contracts, stunting development for young players and preventing players from fighting for a roster spot and getting crucial, career-determining minutes.
One recent example of this came from the Warriors-Timberwolves game when rookie guard Brandin Podziemski was able to get significant minutes following the ejections of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Podziemski played nearly 39 minutes and recorded 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Prior to this game, he had only played about 53 minutes, but every time he’s seen the floor he’s made an impact.
There are a plethora of examples of this, but for young players on good teams in particular, the stockpile of talent prevents them from getting crucial playing time, which can put them in jeopardy when it comes to securing a second contract.
New Drake album
I hated Drake’s latest album, “For All the Dogs,” which came out just over a month ago. The album itself was bloated, boring and littered with bars containing misogynistic or just weird and creepy sentiments. At this point, I’m done with Drake. I’m taking the old songs I like and running away with them.
Will I listen to the new album? Maybe. I’d like to say no, but there is a part of me that just wants to listen to see if it has potential, and if not, I get to hate it. It’s a bit of a weird stance, admittedly, but at this point, I think Drake is actively harming mainstream music, especially in the realm of hip-hop.
His influence on the genre is hard to compare to anybody else’s. If Drake does something, people watch. After all, he has over 140 million Instagram followers. If Drake drops music, people listen – he recently tied Michael Jackson in Billboard’s Top 100 top hits and currently sits at fourth all-time.
So, when Drake drops a phoned-in album with far too many tracks, it encourages other artists to think they can do the same. It’s difficult, and it causes music to not just be oversaturated with Drake music, but artists attempting to imitate or copy Drake.
With that said, here are some of my suggestions for albums to listen to instead of “Scary Hours 3” if you’re on the Drake-hate bandwagon along with me:
“STRUGGLER” by Genesis Owusu; genre(s): dance-punk, post-punk, neo-soul
“Burning Desire” by MIKE; genre(s): abstract hip hop, experimental hip hop, jazz rap
“Lahai” by Sampha; genre(s): alternative R&B, neo-soul, art pop
“Javelin” by Sufjan Stevens; genre(s): indie folk, singer-songwriter
“Heaven knows” by PinkPantheress; genre(s): alt-pop, contemporary R&B
Logan Adams is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Logan know by tweeting him @LoganA_NBA.
