Last summer, a Kurt Cobain-loving friend of mine lamented the Death of Rock and Roll to me for a solid thirty minutes. When I laughed at him, he immediately straightened and warned me that hip-hop was next. His total assurance freaked me out, but it also made me curious. Can music genres really “die?" And if they can, what pulls the trigger?
According to Kendrick Lamar, it's the failure to evolve. Any genre that clutches its conventions too closely will eventually bore its fans away. For instance, mumble rappers added enough considerable generic variations in their fun beats and catchy hooks to engage a new generation of listeners – never mind that we don't understand what they're saying. In time, the sub-genre will grow old, and if there's nothing to replace it, then cue the fall of the rap empire.
Enter BROCKHAMPTON, a boyband with around 15 members and absolutely no care to stick to conventions.
2017 Brockhampton line up© Ashlan Grey of Brockhampton
The band was formed online in a Kanye West forum and currently records their projects in their shared Californian home, which they've dubbed "The Factory." In 2017, they dropped two full-length 'studio' albums less than three months apart “because [they could]." The boy band doesn't limit membership exclusively to rappers/singers either. Producers, art directors, graphic designers, and their management team – 4 Strikes, who's LinkedIn About Us section reads, simply, “evolve or die" – are as essential as the vocalists.
Though they're frequently compared to OFWGKTA/Odd Future, BROCKHAMPTON doesn't want to be seen as a rap collective; they're a boy band. Their loyalty to this label is one of the many ways BH questions customs established by societal and rap industries. Why are all-male rap groups not considered boy bands? Why are boy bands considered uncool?
And that isn't the only mainstream idea BROCKHAMPTON aims to flip on its head.
When black Americans built hip-hop, they granted previously ignored issues within the community (such as racism and police brutality) illumination through various art forms, including rap lyrics. However, the African-American community also suffers from hyper-sexualization, stigmatized mental illness, and homophobia, and these ailments were widely diregarded or accepted as commonplace.
But where mumble rap changed the game in terms of flow and comprehensibility, BROCKHAMPTON offers lyrical evolution.
The boyband has memebers of all colors and from walks of life, allowing a plethora of cultures to directly influence their music. Kevin Abstract, BROCKHAMPTON's founder, is openly attracted to men, and several music videos/video projects center on homosexual relationships. Their songs cover mental-health issues, homophobia, internalized racism, and even sexism and rape culture in ways entirely unprecedented not only by rap standards but by the music industry at large.
And that's why the music industry needs BROCKHAMPTON.
Today's music needs to be inclusive because formerly ignored members of society aren't staying quiet anymore. Just look to the vibrant pride parades and the brilliant #MeToo movement for proof. People are tired of hiding. They want music that's not afraid to represent them, as shown by the success of foreign and unconventional songs and artists. BROCKHAMPTON's dedication to musical expression naturally leads fans to relate. Their authenticity shines and prompts listeners to share the music with peers, an audiophilic tradition that will outlive all of us, regardless of genre.
