From the 1960s until the late 80s, Rock n' Roll dominated the music scene. Artists, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, Prince, Kurt Cobain and Marilyn Manson to name a few change the scene of music with their edgy lyrics, outlandish looks, rolling stone lifestyle, and striking appeal which would eventually become a standard for musicians. They were celebrated and loved for their individuality and their rebel mentality. They are so beloved that they have managed to maintain a fanbase to this day.
In many ways, the new wave of Emo Rap has become a modern form of these rockstars led by Lil Uzi, XXXtentacion, Trippie Redd, Post Malone and Juice Wrld with other honorable mentions as well.
Emo Rap is a subgenre characterized depressive lyrics often times about relationships, drug addiction, demonic references. Many emo rappers have roots from other genres such as R&B, Alternative Rock, and Punk explaining the ambiguousness their music plays among the genre line.
The music generally has your rap feel production was with heavy 808s, kick, and hi hat, while having melodies and vocals that give off an alternative and R&B feel.
Along with their influences from Rock n' Roll, they share striking similarities with the fashion of the rockstars of the past. Emo rappers are commonly known to have dyed hair, many tattoos including face tattoos, and androgynous apparel.
Artist, Trippie Redd is noted to have influence from artists PartyNextDoor, Kiss, and Tupac, In an interview he stated, "I grew up listening to a lot of different music, not necessarily just rock, I did listen to rock, I did alternative rock before, that's why my style is the way it is now, I just combined it. Cause I'm versatile, so to create my own style, I combined three or four different styles and put em together. That's Trippie Redd style. Hip-hop, r'n'b, alternative rock, and basically pop."
"Money Longer" rapper, Lil Uzi Vert has taken inspirations from a myriad of greats such as Kanye West and Pharrell, but has been most impacted by singer Marilyn Manson. Uzi claims that Manson has as much style as West and Pharrell although it is a little dark. This dark side can be seen in many of Lil Uzi's songs such as "XO Tour Llif3" and "The Way Life Goes". This more so pertain to "XO TOUR Llif3" where Lil Uzi talks about his addiction to Xanax and his lack of concern with facing death.
Recently, artist Juice Wrld, a rapper from Chicago, dropped a genre-defying album called "Goodbye & Good Riddance". The album goes deep into Juice Wrld's inner feelings through his rock-like vocals on top of 808-emphasized hip hop beats. The album is experiencing so much success that the single "Lucid Dreams" has cracked the Hot Billboard top 10 songs as of June 16.
As music begins to evolve and time starts to go by, it makes sense why these artists are influenced by a multitude of different genres. It is in their best interest to admire the artists that were able to obtain success, so they can learn from them and apply what they've learned to their careers. Emo Rap is bound to prosper due to the versatility of the genre and the wide fan base the artists are able to attract.
I'll end with giving my condolences to XXXtentacion, his family, and friends. As a man, he grew up misguided and was never able to fully understand the purpose of his life. This caused him to commit ill-advised acts. Aside from that, X was determined to heal and find a way for himself. X, your music influenced so many people and you truly were a talented artist. Long live your legend!
