J Cole-a decently close second in terms of popularity-is also a supremely talented lyricist.Īdditionally, I think some critics of mumble rap fail to realize just how massive hip hop has become. Kendrick Lamar is the most popular rapper in the world right now and also happens to be one of the most gifted lyricists the game has ever seen. I also believe critics’ worries about the subgenre are misplaced for two reasons.įirstly, mumble rap is not the death of lyricism in hip hop. They see the blatant disrespect shown to hip hop greats by popular mumble rappers as sacrilege.Īs an avid hip hop fan, I’m kind of ambivalent when it comes to the style. Some believe that mumble rap is a dangerous trend and are concerned about how it will affect the trajectory of hip hop’s future. Regardless of who invented the style, Wiz Khalifa helped popularize the phrase itself in 2016 during a Hot 97 interview saying: “It ain’t no disrespect to the lil homies, they don’t want to rap.” The phrase has blown up since Wiz’s comments and it’s taken on somewhat of a pejorative connotation.Ĭritics of the style are vocal. However, if you look further back into hip hop history, Fu-Schnickens and Twista have been challenging listeners with indecipherable lyrics for decades. So, where did this divisive term come from, and what are its implications for the future of hip hop? A few names you’ll hear “credited” (if you can call it that) for the popular style are Gucci Mane, Future, and Chief Keef. That’s because mumble rap has become a catch-all term that describes any rapper with trap influence who has a perceived (or real) lack in lyrical skill and more specifically, pronunciation. You might notice that even within that small selection of artists, there’s a pretty wide sonic variety. Currently one of the largest subgenres within hip hop, artists such as Migos, Lil Yachty, and Desiigner are all considered mumble rappers. I am, of course, talking about mumble rap-the magical land where promethazine is perceived as a food group and ad libs are more important than lyrics. There will always be the old heads hating on the younger generation and romanticizing the “good ole’ days.” If you’re a fan of hip hop, you might already have an idea of where this is going. Whether it’s societal, political, or technological, it happens in all walks of life. For as long as humanity has existed, we’ve resisted change.
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