Austin Kleon says that bad artists copy, and good artists steal, but is one hip hop artist taking this too far?

View this email in your browser

Forward

Steal Like a (Hip Hop) Artist

So far 2015 is the year that the lines of influence, borrowing and out-right jacking in hip-hop were blurred beyond recognition. Ever the game-changer, Drake puts the ethics of art and creation up for discussion again recently. This summer, in the midst of his Soundcloud bombing of Meek Mill's career, Drake released a track formerly knows as the Cha-Cha Remix, as it uses a very obvious sample of 2015 summer feel-good anthem "I Like to Cha Cha" by D.R.A.M.

We now know it as "Hotline Bling," which is currently #2 on the Billboard charts. After the video dropped Tuesday night, a dreamy visual ode to the videos for both "My Love Is the Shhh" by Something for the People and "I'm Still In Love With You" by Sean Paul, with visual references from James Turrell's Projection Series, D.R.A.M. expressed on Twitter that he felt that he got jacked by Drake, but he remains optimistic (link to tweet).

In his book "Steal Like An Artist," creative Austin Kleon outlines ten steps to more productive creativity, including "stealing," rather "good theft." Kleon says that "Bad artists copy, good artists steal." In other words, we all take from outside influences, but good artists remix rather than rip-off, honor rather than degrade and credit, not plagiarize.

Does Drake's use of "I Like to Cha Cha" follow Kleon's principles of "good theft"? Is it fair to commit "good theft" of a work in the middle of its moment? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter (@freedomreeves) using the hashtag #HighwaterSteal.

14 Incredible New Tools & Apps for Designers & Creative People- Medium
The 20 Best Child Performances Of The Century So Far- The Playlist
20 Tips for Accelerating a Creative Flow Scott H. Young

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or submissions for The Highwater Weekly, please send them to gethighwater@gmail.com.

If you would no longer like to receive THW, I'll miss you, but we're still cool. Just hit "Unsubscribe".

Your partner in progress,
Chakka AKA Carter G. Hoodson