Let's talk about music really quick.
I usually don't have much to say about hip hop because it generally does not affect me since the only rap I really listen to is Chance the Rapper and whatever new Migos track they play at parties.
And let's get one thing straight before I begin: I know new generation rap isn't meant to be taken extremely seriously but it is the sole reason that rap is in the situation it's in, let's face it.
Recently I've noticed that hip hop is going down a very slippery slope. Since being signed to a label and radio play isn't what defines commercial success anymore, we find ourselves listening to what's considered "hot" at the moment and oftentimes, this leads us to SoundCloud. New generation rap is like it's own genre, there is a certain aesthetic and sound that goes along with being part of the new generation.
I've spoken to several people about this subject and many say it's just because I can't get past the "ignorant" part of rap, but I've never felt that rap was promoting self-destruction, self-hate, and hardcore drug addiction until this new generation. Not to mention, most of the people who are up and coming in hip hop (i.e. Lil Pump, Lil Xan, Lil Skies, basically anything that starts with "Lil") right now are social media personalities and not real artists.As opposed to the rappers we were listening to before who actually took the music seriously. I'd like to point out that up until now we've been listening to rap from people like Drake, J. Cole, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye etc. These artists gained credibility through their record labels and the airplay they got from hip hop stations. New generation rappers are gaining credibility through streams on SoundCloud. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but when you realize what type of people we are allowing to succeed in this genre, it is a little discouraging.If Tekashi 6ix9ine and Lil Xan are what the kids decide is "hot," then so be it, but it just seems unfair to give so much attention to people who make music to feed their xanax addiction instead of people who are making real music. There is still good hip hop to be heard but is it receiving the attention and streams it deserves... that's the real problem. Not too long ago the XXL freshman lineup of up and coming rappers included rappers like Logic and Mac Miller and Travis Scott.
Music is always evolving but is the hip hop genre evolving in the wrong way? Rappers like Lil Pump and the "catch me outside" girl are making a joke of the genre. We are allowing people to be successful in the genre solely based off of their controversial social media presence. Let's be honest, we wouldn't know who Tekashi 6ix9ine is if he weren't being prosecuted for a sexual offense and we wouldn't pay much attention to Lil Pump if he weren't so obsessed with Miranda Cosgrove.
I'm not disregarding the fact that "new generation" rap is meant to be light-hearted and fun but my concern is that we are glorifying the wrong people. After Lil Peep's death, maybe we should focus our attention on people who have actual things to say, as opposed to people who think it's funny to black out on prescription meds.
