The term "Ghostwriting" is in quotes for a reason: What does it mean?
Ghostwrite (/ˈɡōstrīt/): To write (material) for someone else who is the named author.
AKA: An artist writes a song and is NOT credited as an author under the song / is NOT paid royalties for writing the song.
Chances are, your favorite rapper doesn't have ghostwriters, but they most likely have co-writers. At this point, the term "Ghostwriting" has been spun so many different times to the point where there really is no set definition. Some people consider artists being credited on songs is still ghostwriting, even if they get paid royalties aside as well. Reason being: they won't get exposed for having a ghost writer unless there is a notable name in the credits OR if a possible reference track leaks.
Here's a list of notable co-writers so you can get an idea of WHY the artists write these songs later in the blog (or Ghostwriters if you prefer):
List (not in any order):
- Quentin Miller
- CyHi The Prynce "Cydel Charles Young"
- PARTYNEXTDOOR "Jahron Anthony Brathwaite"
- Starrah "Brittany Talia Hazzard"
- Drake "Aubrey Graham" (Yes, Drake has co-written / ghost-written songs)
- Pardison Fontaine "Jordyn Kyle Lanier Thorpe"
- Skillz "Donnie Shaquan Lewis"
- Ester Dean "Esther Renay Dean"
- Kanye West
- Jay Z
- Future
- Sauce Money
- Kendrick Lamar
- Travis Scott "Jacques Webster"
- 2Pac "Tupac Amaru Shakur"
- Ant Clemons
- Consequence "Dexter Raymond Mills Jr."
- Pusha T "Terrence Thornton"
- MF Grimm "Percy Carey"
- Ice Cube "O'Shea Jackson"
- Big Daddy Kane "Antonio Hardy"
- D.O.C "Tracy Lynn Curry"
- RZA
- GZA
Quentin Miller:
"Drake has writers".
Yea lol:
(click)
10 Bands Reference Track
Know Yourself Reference Track
Used To Reference Track
R.I.C.O Reference Track
(Keep in mind Drake changed A LOT of Quentin's lines...)
3 tracks from "If You're Reading This, It's Too Late" and a Meek Mill song that Drake is featured on. Meek Mill exposed the entire situation and called Drake out for using Quentin Miller as a writer, and Quentin never forgave Meek, as it ruined the IYRTITL era for him. He loved writing for Drake, but Drake had to drop him after Meek exposed him. Quentin was credited on ALL of the songs he assisted in IYRTITL, but the only song he wasn't credited on was R.I.C.O. So technically, yes, Drake used Quentin as a ghost writer as he wasn't in the song credits, but it was Meek's song, and Drake had no control over the credits on the song. This is what spiraled the Drake and Meek Mill beef out of control. Quentin literally confronted Meek Mill in the Los Angeles Nike Store and Meek BEAT HIM UP because he wrote some of Drake's songs. There was also word that Meek Mill literally wanted Quentin to write for him, but Quentin never went into detail about that story. Meek Mill ultimately ruined Quentin's career just to get back with Drake in the end, all because Meek was jealous...
There are also other tracks Quentin is credited on IYRTITL, including Legend, No' Tellin, and 6 Man, but these tracks do not have references next to them. The reason why Quentin is the most impactful ghostwriter / co-writer is because he was the one to make the modern hip-hop industry be aware of writers for other artists, as it wasn't as well known before the Quentin reference tracks came out and the Meek Mill / Drake beef.
Quentin could be dedicated an entire blog to him but let's move on...
CyHi The Prynce:
Signed to G.O.O.D Music, CyHi has worked with Kanye since 2009. He has also worked with Travis since 2017... CyHi wrote 80% of Watch The Throne and wrote a big chunk of Yeezus as well. He says he co-wrote 30-40 Kanye songs.
Sicko Mode Reference Track
Coffee Bean Reference Track
Follow God Reference Track
Law Of Attraction Reference Track
All Dreams Real Reference Track
There's more but I don't feel like linking them. CyHi has undoubtedly wrote a ton of songs for Kanye and doesn't seem like he's stopping, as he wrote a big portion of Jesus Is King as you can find "Cydel Young" in the credits often. CyHi has 3 credits on Astroworld: "Sicko Mode", "No Bystanders", and "Coffee Bean". Although there is a reference track, the producer for Coffee Bean "Nineteen85", stated that Travis wrote Coffee Bean in front of him as soon as he played the beat... Don't be surprised if you see a Cydel credit on some Utopia tracks.
PARTYNEXTDOOR:
PARTYNEXTDOOR wrote Rihanna's second biggest hit of all time, "Work". He also wrote "Legend" and "Company" by Drake on IYRTITL, "Glow" on More Life, and "Wild Thoughts" by Rihanna. He is credited on all of these.
Work Reference Track
Company Reference Track
Legend Reference Track
Wild Thoughts Reference Track
Shinin Reference Track
Glow Reference Track
You can look for his credits on ALOT OF Rihanna and Beyonce songs...
Starrah:
She has a reference track of Travis Scott's part in the song "Pick Up The Phone", she is credited. Same with Halsey's song "Now or Never", and Camilia Cabello's 2nd biggest song "Havana".
Pick Up The Phone Reference Track
Now Or Never Reference Track
She also wrote Drake's "Fake Love", Kid Ink's "Be Real", Kevin Gates "2 Phones", Jeremih's "Drank", Cashmere Cat's "Trust Nobody", The Weeknd's "True Colors", Big Sean's "No Favors", Nicki Minaj's "No Frauds", Calvin Harris's "Heatstroke", Drake's "Ice Melts", Major Lazer's "Know No Better", Katy Perry's "Swish Swish", and Rihanna's "Needed Me".
She has HITS ON HITS ON HITS. If she is credited on a song, chances are she wrote the hook. To prove it, I went on a random recent Beyonce feature and Starrah is credited as a writer, that song being Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", the Beyonce remix. She's incredibly mysterious, as it's even difficult to find her face in google images... She is a legend when it comes to co-writing / ghostwriting.
Drake
Drake is probably the artist who has gotten the most backlash from having co-writers, but it's only confirmed that he had writers for Take Care, that being The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), and IYRTITL, which is Quentin Miller and PARTYNEXTDOOR. This doesn't stop Drake from co-writing for other artists though, as he has written a couple hits from other artists.
Drake "Yikes" hook for Kanye
30 Hours Reference Track
Live Up To My Name Reference Track
My Love Reference Track
Drake has also written "Facts" and "FSMH" by Kanye, "Un-thinkable" by Alicia Keys, "R.I.P" by Rita Ora, "Fall For Your Type" by Jamie Foxx, and "I Been That Girl" by Melanie Fiona.
Pardison Fontaine
Pardison Fontaine has written for Kanye West, G-Eazy, Cardi B and more. Mans dropped his full-ride scholarship to college for writing music and it paid off.
Cardi B giving Pardison a shoutout / credit during a live show for being a part of her songs.
(Reference track at 0:49)
Cardi B shouts out Pardison, says he co-writes for her. Cardi also calls out other artists and says "You need to ask your favorite rappers if they have ghostwriters" basically calling out other artists for having writers themselves. This happened around April 6th, 2018. Cardi has also acknowledged Pardison at multiple award shows as well. "All these rappers got writers. Even the ones that be saying they don't, they lyin bitch." Kanye has also come out about using Pardison as a ghostwriter on the song "Violent Crimes". He also mentions Cyhi and Consequence as being writers for other artists.
Skillz
Skillz told Forbes that he contributed to hundreds of records back in 1999. He was paid for majority of his writing for other artists, but there are some artists who didn't pay him royalties for his writing. Skillz made a track in 2000 called "Ghostwriter", with the rappers named blocked out in the lyrics and censored in the song.
"Ghostwriter"
He has never admitted the names in the track or came out about them officially, but there is an uncensored live version of the first verse of the song with the names left in. These names include Mase, Foxy Brown, Puff Daddy (Sean Combs), Will Smith, and Germaine Dupri. Skillz was really pissed that night (for some reason) and decided to rap the full song. The crowds' reaction is priceless ?
(Keep in mind this is only the first verse... There's still 2 other verses where he name drops like crazy but are still censored to this day)
"Ghostwriter" (UNCENSORED)
Other Notables:
Migos writing for Beyonce (APESHIT)
Travis Scott writing for Childish Gambino (Feels Like Summer)
Future writing for Beyonce (Drunk In Love)
Future writing for Rihanna (Nothing Is Promised)
Ryan Tedder writing for Beyonce (Halo)
Ty Dolla $ign writing for Beyonce (BOSS)
The-Dream writing for Rihanna (Umbrella)
Notorious BIG writing for Lil Kim (Queen Bitch)
Cathy Dennis writing for Britney Spears (Toxic)
Jessie J writing for Miley Cyrus (Party in the USA)
MF Grimm wrote for Dr. Dre - "$1,000 a bar"
Ice Cube wrote for Eazy-E
Big Daddy Kane wrote for Biz Markie
The D.O.C wrote for Dr. Dre's "The Chronic"
Drake wrote for a bunch of Lil Wayne hits
RZA and GZA wrote for Ol' Dirty Bastard
Rick Ross has wrote for a bunch of other artists
Ant Clemons wrote a shit ton of Kanye songs for Yandhi
Pusha T wrote a shit ton of Kanye songs as well
Jay-Z wrote for Foxy Brown (2 full projects)
Sauce Money wrote for Puff Daddy
Eminem, Royce Da 5'9, Rakim, Kendrick all wrote for Dr. Dre
Jay-Z wrote for Dre on STILL D.R.E
Ice Cube wrote for NWA
Don't be surprised if J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Post Malone, Young Thug, Meek Mill, or maybe even Jay Rock have writers up their sleeves... I believe every artist who has some sort of lyrical content to have other writers assist them in the process and creation of their music. (Except Uzi, fuck that guy he don't need no damn writers). Of course, this doesn't mean a song like "DUCKWORTH." has a reference track attached to it or a rapper came in the studio and rapped the song word for word just so Kendrick can perform it himself, but I wouldn't doubt if he got help from 2 or 3 of the people listed under the writer / credit section.
Why do they ghostwrite???
Why didn't PARTYNEXTDOOR release Work for himself... Or why doesn't Starrah release Pick Up The Phone or Havana herself?
It doesn't take a genius to figure it out:
- They don't want to be famous
- They want to make a guaranteed bag
- They don't like paparazzi
- They don't like drama
- They love writing but hate performing
- They don't want to deal with record labels stopping them from making music
TL;DR, they don't want a spotlight but simultaneously want to make bank.
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