Why does Modern Rap Suck?
Spoiler Alert: It doesn't, you're just close-minded.
“These rappers aren’t saying anything you know… just ‘F this’ and ‘F that’ and bragging about how many women they sleep with”
My grandma always says this when I play rap in her car. As I stated in my previous post, I enjoy both modern and older music. Naturally, I am drawn to my generation's music. I love rap and hip-hop. My grandma is older and far too poised to enjoy music with swear words every five seconds. However, I do not think it is fair to chop up these lyrics to nonsense.
So many critics claim that rappers are just materialistic, brain-dead, morons. This is quite possibly the worst take I have ever heard. In fact, I just did a quick Google search and found multiple articles restating this claim. “THIS IS WHY MOST RAPPERS TODAY SUCK” or “The Sad State Of Hip-Hop Today: How The Message, The Music & The Art Form Has Lost Its Way — Explained”. Some of these opinions are coming from white hipsters in their thirties.
I am going to make a statement that sounds like it is coming from the depths of my tortured, victimized, self-pitying, Gen-Z soul:
A lot of these opinions are rooted in racism.
Here’s why:
Let’s look at the two most prevalent claims we see in the media about modern rap:
These rappers are just mumbling idiots
These rappers are too soft
It irks me to the point of no return when people say that rappers are not talking about anything important. Yes, sometimes they make fun, silly, upbeat songs that are meant to be played at a party. But other times they rap about real issues. This strikes me as a claim rooted in racism. This is the classic narrative that black men are less intelligent and should not expect to be taken seriously while using ebonics. I speak in perfect English, yet I could never articulate myself the way these rappers do. It’s their story, therefore they get to choose how they tell it.
These rappers may be profane, but they're telling a story. Perhaps they articulate their stories in a more vulgar manner, but they are expressing themselves. Art is subjective. Music is art. People are far too critical of these rappers.
They are telling stories of poverty, infidelity, and loss. King Von, for example, who was known for his violent rap songs and his violent lifestyle, is misunderstood. There is no denying that he was dangerous, but he was an incredible story-teller. His songs are fast-paced with compelling beats. His famous “Crazy Story” trilogy showcases his abilities as a story-teller. In these songs, he tells the audience about a night in his life while living in the hood.
I like modern rap because it is incredibly versatile and possesses so many subcategories. There’s drill, experimental, trap, emo rap and more. The first concert I went to was a Trippie Redd concert. He is a rapper but he belongs to a very distinct sub-genre that, to me, sounds like a mix of hip-hop and hyper-pop. This brings me to the second issue I have with critics of modern rap:
Rappers cannot win. People say “rap is violent” or “rap is so hateful”. But when a rapper emerges with a softer/more peppy image, what do the critics say?
He’s not a REAL rapper, he’s way too feminine.
Artists like Trippie Redd and Lil Uzi Vert dress themselves in haute couture and have vibrant album covers and critics will find a way to spew their borderline homophobic agendas. They call these rappers gay— and not in a way that celebrates their sexuality. How many times do these rappers have to come out as straight? I think the expectations we as a society have of rappers is archaic. Not every rapper is going to be Dr. Dre. In fact, I would argue that some people want rap to be derivative. The genre must evolve. In his new album, Lil Uzi Vert talks on this issue in his song, “Suicide Doors”. In the intro of the song, he plays a snippet of famous Internet personality Charleston White insulting Uzi. In this snippet, White calls him “sissified” and criticizes him for painting his nails. I think this is a bold creative choice on Uzi’s part— most importantly it shows that he does not care what the public thinks. Personally, I think critics need to stick to one argument. Are modern rappers hypersexual and violent or are they feminine and too soft nowadays? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but make up your mind… Because your argument is losing focus.
As I stated in the intro, my grandma does not love ALL of the rap songs I play, but she does like some. I understand her perspective. She’s part of the older generation and did not grow up with rap. My biggest issue with the discourse over modern rap is that the critics are not the older generation— these are opinions from fairly young individuals. Everyday on TikTok, you see a teenager getting praise for claiming to be born in the wrong generation and how they despise modern rap. “Remember when music actually meant something?”. You don’t get a medal for hating 21 Savage. I think, as a society, we need to keep an open mind when listening to rap. I do not expect everyone to like modern rap, I’m not naive. I just hope that people can respect modern rap.