The Problem That’s Killing Hip Hop…

As Hip Hop continues to struggle on the charts, the problem facing the future of rap music may be bigger than anyone could have imagined...

[@vos7361]

The thing is that people don’t want to admit it but hip-hop became the new pop. Even the street rappers became so copy paste with their material

[@MrEOM41]

Facts

[@zeitok8]

that happend since late 90s, not the new pop, just another coctail used by pop, and not hip hop, just the rapper, where are the dj´s, the wall writers and b boys?

[@C.S.Argudo]

I feel like I've finally listened to enough music to know charts dont mean shit.

[@orlock20]

About 1% of the U.S. population listens to Hot 100 music according to Billboard which hasn't been publishing the low numbers for years. Even then, less than 70,000 "equivalent sales" could make a song number one.

[@yehhhhhh234]

We gotta go back 2 old SoundCloud days where mfs used to make hits even without labels Yeah ok the new sc fye yall tap in to lazer nettspend Xavier osamason Ken lone etc etc

[@danielphmc]

buddy can’t type “to”

[@swiftmaster1960]

Naw go back to the days when the gatekeepers made sure the only music that hit radio was good. 90’s - early 2010’s.

[@SkittlezMack]

The soundcloud rapper was the beginning of the end lol.

[@robertodagostini4946]

Side note: From my pov as a small artist doing said above shit. I watched an interview with Kanye that said he actually loses money when he makes music. That made me realize that there is no way in hell I’m going to spend what meaner money I have into any ads on Social Media, KZbin, Spotify or anything. Because if the biggest artist who still doesn’t cater to streaming like drake and lil baby ( no offence to them) can’t make money off music, but has to do it to maintain his influence which allows him to make large amounts of money in other ways, then I feel like my best decision would be to just wait out the streaming BS and try and push for a solution that allows the artist to make money off their albums like CDs and Vinyls. For example, I heard somewhere that the idea was being floated around that Streaming Services might implement a Window of Time you have to pay a normal 10$ for the album. For 2 months, right after you release your project, all the revenue of the paid 10$ to access the album goes to the artist. And then you just download it like normal after. Here’s the reality, not only music has been affected by streaming, but movies. Have you ever seen the CGI from Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, The first transformers? And then look at projects today and see the difference in quality? That’s because movies made more money. They made boatloads at the theatre, and back then more people went to the theatre. And here’s the catch, the PHYSICAL RELEASE. it was like a WHOLE NEW THEATRE RELEASE. The movie would make the same amount of money from physical releases after the theatre. So EVEN IF it flipped at the box office, no one cared because it would make it back on the physical release. AKA NOBODY WANTS TO GAMBLE ON A MOVIE. The money people want to play it safe. All of a sudden a movie that could be EXACTLY what we as audiences want to SEE or in musics case HEAR will never see the light of day because of the current consumption model for entertainment. BOOM. props if you read all this my g

[@swiftmaster1960]

@@robertodagostini4946 Damn, I had no clue Kayne wasn’t making money off of his music. This really explains the commodification of the person rather that the music. Which is exactly what drake has done. Drake was my favorite artist during the mixtape days till nothing was ever the same, but I didn’t realize this is something they had to do to survive. Drake if anyone was the best at he always stayed ahead of the industry and I swear every time you say the mans name he somehow makes more money 😂. I guess streaming services really did do that much damage. For reference I’m 20 so when album sales we going down hill for artist I was still young. I too am an aspiring artist. I was hoping to pick up a record label deal and then try to screw them over. It really seems like there’s three problems with the modern hip hop industry. 1. The industry greedy as hell. 2. The streaming services. 3. Rappers general apathy towards their craft. But I suppose it makes sense from a business standpoint. Look at playboi carti for example, he’s probably more famous than Travis and that man literally disappeared.

[@larongoode2360]

Rap music hit a decline whenever it stopped being a passion and became just a hustle

[@enoschfrancis6641]

This is a wake up call hip hop needs start getting more creative and stop with the trends and laziness 😢😢😢

[@Tbatbatba88]

not happening

[@cartier2312]

To be honest in Hip-Hop and Rap there are a few good artists and rappers that are really talented and making amazing music every one else is copying and pasting!!!

[@BariTheDon]

@@Tbatbatba88Sorry to be a negative nancy but I agree

[@MrDoublebeats]

​@@BariTheDonwhen you place the "bag" in front of the art this is what you get unfortunately

[@RJ-kg5fe]

Not only that we’ve actually had great classic albums over the past couple years that just comes and goes because these outlets think that’s what the mainstream thinks we don’t want to listen to. Jid, Tyler, little Simz, run the jewels, Danny brown, jpeg, Denzel curry, and so many more underground artist that are trying to push sonically and see how far rap can go, but they just won’t promote it.

[@gabbywitt873]

u can say that u can say that again! u can say that again! u can say that again! THEY WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT RAP DYING THAN COVER THESE ARTISTS! THEY SAY ARTISTS WONT SWITCH IT UP BUT THEY WONT PROMOTE THE ONES WHO DO THE REASON BEING IS THAT *ALL MEDIA** HAS GOTTEN USED TO CATERING TO THE *PASSIVE CONSUMER* WHO DOES NOT CARE

[@swanton47]

literally this, none of the creative shit gets the love it deserves

[@MW-dd8vk]

Redveil, Paris Texas and $uicide Boy$ deserve a mention as well 🔥

[@CarlosPerez-jv2fz]

Nah some of those aint underground, they're just not in the limelight and that's ok. Given what the new focus is, someone like Little Simz won't be as promoted as Ice Spice, sadly. Ignoring Lil Simz is from UK so she ain't home soil production

[@simoneb208]

List them

[@IsRea7aia]

This rap is fast food now, 90s golden era hiphop was a home cooked meal. Big difference

[@swiftmaster1960]

Some of those 90’s rappers man. Ice cube, snoop dogg, Nate dogg, dr Dre tho he’s not a rapper. Tupac, biggie, DMX, MF DOOM, Eminem, cypress hill, Lauren hill, lil Kim, nas, lost boys, lil Wayne, come on now. Preach!

[@danielnilsen5555]

@@swiftmaster1960 who tf ever said Dre not a rapper!?

[@banzaigd]

@@danielnilsen5555he’s more a of a producer but compared to like new shit he’s a really good rapper

[@swiftmaster1960]

@@banzaigd Took the words out of my mouth.

[@heroinabuser5980]

Pac is dead for a reason, 2010s cook 90s in innovation and music quality by a fucking long shot

[@lawrencelord9777]

It’s so painful That every single thing in video is what I’ve been thinking for the past 2 years. Perfect video man. Seriously this video is so accurate it hurts.

[@MarkHallOfFame]

Man, I have been saying all of these things longer than that. I haven’t been impressed with hip-hop as a whole since about 2018. That was the year Nipsey dropped Victory Lap, Pusha T Dropped “Daytona”, Mac Miller dropped “Swimming”, Drake “Scorpion”(entirely too long of an album but solid nonetheless), Jay Rock “Redemption”, Travis “Astroworld” etc. That was the last time I saw The Culture producing good quality, music and diversity. Right after 2018 I noticed a huge decline. Trap took over and everything started to sound alike. It’s to the point where everything just sounds like one long ass song. It’s actually quite depressing.

[@swiftmaster1960]

Come on now 2015 was the last good year of music. 2016 was the year music died. The rap generally got slower. There’s nothing wrong with slower rap but listen to the tempo on comeback season or thank me later, hell even nothing was ever the same. Future doesn’t even rap anymore drake barely raps. Uzi doesn’t rap anymore and I can’t even find playboi carti. The speed isn’t even that big of a deal because if they are rapping they either all sound the same or their lyrics don’t mean anything gunna tecca Ian Dior lil baby da baby a boogie. The problem is their over produced instrumentals you literally can’t tell the difference between who you’re listening too. My last problem with the music industry these newer rappers just don’t care about their craft or their fans at all, *cough *cough playboi carti ( seriously where is he are we even getting the album, he probably wherever frank ocean at). Also *cough *cough Travis Scott (he wouldn’t even stop for the ambulance!) People might get mad with this next one but would it kill Kanye to be humble! Listening to his old music is like listening to a completely different person. Then you have Kendrick he’s just about given up rapping because nobody cares. Between the sell outs *cough *cough DRAKE, and out of touch fans Kendrick is done I believe his next album is his last with TDE at least. I would talk about lyrical miracle white rappers but that’s just as meaningless as most of the mumble rap. Ps. I know that was a lot but dang I too am just frustrated. PPS. Shout out to all the dead rappers. Lil peep X Juice MF Smoke Take Off just to name a few.

[@cartier2312]

To be honest in Hip-Hop and Rap there are a few good artists and rappers that are really talented and making amazing music every one else is copying and pasting!!!

[@pengxin99]

@@swiftmaster1960cap 2016 was the beginning of a short domincance of hip hop. Once soundcloud rappers started blowing up there was no other genre competing with rap in sales at the time.

[@swiftmaster1960]

@@pengxin99 Here’s the problem with the sound cloud era, they made Fantastic music however there was a lack of morality that older rappers had. The TLDR is a lot of them got famous way too quickly. Imagine getting everything you wanted and then having it be your destruction. The sound cloud era lead to some of the shortest rap careers I’ve ever seen in my life.

[@entitygotosleep]

The thing that makes me angry the most, is that people be saying "Ah, I want 2017 Uzi back" but when Uzi get back to his 2017 style, people say "Uzi is the same, I want a different thing"

[@elliothammer9485]

Not just Uzi either. Same with Drake, same with Eminem, same with anyone who's had success

[@swiftmaster1960]

Now hold on I Think 2020 is uzi the best. Those unreleased playboi carti features. Drake’s a sell out. I have nothing more to say about that. Eminem got clowned because of his clones. I think the newer Eminem stuff is decent. Ps. I would be more ok with the Pluto baby Pluto or the pink tapes or utopia if we saw more rap. But it’s like rap just disappeared.

[@yanganaperera8500]

fr bro, i enjoyed pink tape, i want to see another experimental album from him, at least, an rock album from him

[@swiftmaster1960]

@@yanganaperera8500 we have way too many experimental albums. We had. Whole lotta red. Then everyone hated it and now everyone is jacking his style several years later. Also there’s nothing really wrong with pink tape… just where’s the rap? If not uzi then where are all of the creative rappers. Tyler Freddy Gibbs, JID. Even playboi carti In his own way is still rapping. Im just afraid Uzi is going to do the drake. By the time he gets back to rapping it won’t be the same and uzi has spit some of the hottest verses of my life time. Edit: I personally wanted to see the uzi carti album especially with pink tape, if playboi was on that it would have been the best album of the century (maybe that’s a little too much but you get the idea). It’s a shame we can’t even find him . We got our leak for the year maybe next year we’ll get an album.

[@heroinabuser5980]

Nobody says that at all lmfao, pink tape was a let down

[@mydogsnameislucy768]

The best Hip-Hop hasn’t been mainstream since at least the early 2000’s.

[@sanderhackerhd8369]

In 2000s hip hop was at it's peak

[@sideshow5X]

crazy, i feel this, ive been a huge hip hop head all my life, now i specifically look up 70s, 80s, 90s hits playlists, i mostly listen to CCR anymore just to hear something thats not garbage

[@sanderhackerhd8369]

There aren't really any 70s hip hop songs, hip hop was created only in 1979, and there were like only 3 rap songs released that year, and 1979 was more close to the 80s

[@einveru6458]

It’s not Hip Hop itself that is to blame for it’s downfall as stated in the beginning of this video. It’s the corporations who are completely exploiting the culture, as well as the algorithms, which are controlled by the corporations.

[@dbk6504]

i think the same thing that happened with hip hop around 2007-2009 is gonna happen. one half of the new artists will come in and make the worst music possible but half of those will lay foundations to spawn a new peak era in hip hop which happened for the entire decade of the 2010s. hip hop isn’t dead pop music is

[@meditationmayham3590]

The difference is that back then Kanye and Lil Wayne carried the mantle. I'm not sure there is a innovator in game right now

[@goldlion9066]

​@@meditationmayham3590 that's why we force innovators, tyler, denzel, jid, ski mask, (as little as bro drops), rashad, earl, dave, loyle carner, cordae, ryan j ii, hell, I think yeat could make good music but he just makes trash for no reason, and DC the Don has a promising style. Many of these artists either are fairly unknown or have major flaws that kill a lot of their songs/careers but if we go against the industry and get these people poppin maybe we can have a good era. There's too much gold in the rubble to waste we as a community gotta do something

[@gtlive7177]

@@goldlion9066 U did not just say yeat 💀

[@RioluLucario1994]

@@meditationmayham3590 My interest in hip-hop has declined considerably, but Kanye's 808s Heartbreak album in 2008 is still something I listen to regularly. Its crazy how ahead of its time that album was. Its BECAUSE of my change in taste of music that I can appreciate the album more.

[@SteveyTV]

@@gtlive7177facts yeat is mega trash

[@levelnupentertainment6113]

Hip hop will never completely die. Once the industry starts mainly focusing on other genres like country and Afro beats, mainstream artists who we are forced to listen to like drake and 21 savage will finally fade away creating a new lane for a new sound..underneath the mainstream curtain, if you’re really into hip hop you would know there’s actually a lot of good stuff out here on all coast! And I mean almost to what it was in the 90s… since 2020-2021 the public has moved on to the new Wave, while the mainstream keeps pushing played out 2010s artists, that’s why hip hop is declining chart wise

[@OnDaLowWidIt]

Personally as a hip hop fan, I don’t think people care as much about commercial success and billboard no.1 spots. As long as we as fans get quality music and effort then we’ll respect the art no matter what the numbers say

[@iangarcia1585]

This

[@thisislenard]

The mainstream industry as a whole appears to be failing in regard to making long lasting pop songs too. I think consumers are running off now to find more authentic and creative music, I'm hoping this will tip the scale and make the influence of large record labels obsolete because nobody is interested in their aggressive marketing anymore.

[@the_konnoisseur]

The funny thing is that last year had really outstanding Hip-Hop Albums, Forever Story and MELT MY EYEZ SEE YOUR FUTURE were really outstanding rap projects that I got to listen to but saw no mainstream attention while they were completely outstanding. Possible of competing with Kendrick

[@joshuagregoire9504]

​@@the_konnoisseurYup. 2022 was the best year for hip hop this decade so far.

[@antmck99]

Na. It is getting boring

[@wildernesswolff9350]

My biggest problem with hip hop right now is that it seems like every mainstream artist does that whiny autotune, low effort sound, thats just horrible. It makes every song sound the same. Also lyricism doesnt seem to matter much anymore which sucks

[@sanderhackerhd8369]

100% agree!

[@TheSonamuTree]

Literally, i have not been able to finish any recent hip hop albums. Something NEEDS to happen.

[@orlock20]

Usually there is a genre change such as grunge after hair metal and punk after disco. This hasn't happened. What has happened is some people aren't listening to music, some people are listening to foreign music, some people are listening to underground music and some people are listening to older acts' older material.

[@jacobkun]

Yeah it needs to go away and you people need to wake up and get off the plantation.

[@joebrat6809]

The lack of sales lately is something I predicted over 5 years ago - it's all trap/drill and sex freak money oriented rap. Oil country - no one is pushing creative boundaries any more or anything with a message and there are only so many times you can rap about 'smokin your opps' or 'im the hottest girl in town and no man deserves me' before it gets played out. People connected with artists like J Cole, Kendrick, Drake etc because they had a personal story to tell, and even the old school gangsta rappers like Jadakiss, DMX, etc actually were telling a story about how they grew up. If you look at the 3 "Kings of Hip Hop" in terms of sales (Eminem, Drake and Jay-Z), they all had a story to tell in their songs which connected with audiences. I cannot connect with people like Cbief Keef or Ice Spice the way I can connect with any of the 3 kings as its just senseless bragging and violence.

[@joebrat6809]

@TruthTV8556 I agree, though Atlanta has more or less been running the game for the past 18 years. But in 2012 at least we had J Cole, Kendrick, Rick Ross and MMG etc. Now we don't have anything even close to that. It's the same over here in Europe - only glorification of crime and violence and the sex freak rap will probably come here soon. No substance whatsoever.

[@taylor00000]

Underrated comment 💯%

[@8eight104]

Drill rap absolutely has stories. The violence is unacceptable though, and I feel like that is why drill is declining in long lasting popularity.

[@8eight104]

Like the audience is young, but they're also starting to get tired of the senseless tragedy.

[@joebrat6809]

@@8eight104 they do but the violence is excessive and some times completely senseless. Only really commercial drill like Central Cee and Ice Spice is still popular, it was really big in my native country Sweden for a while but due to the murder of a high profile rap star in 2021 it has declined over there as well.

[@thisislenard]

Hiphop roots used to be deep storytelling and bringing the community together through breakdancing/DJing and intricate sampling. The modern genre doesn't have the same vision that it once had when it was being built from the underground. Apart from the artists that are still innovating, the record labels have completely turned it into a commodity and have no regarded to grow or shift the culture, they never had a long-term vision for hiphop and just treated like a fast money grab.

[@Sataka23clips]

Well most fruity loops producers can't sample for shiii. People don't want to admit but fruity loops is to blame that software allows lazy uncreative people to make music for free. Back in day u had to buy the sampler had to buy the records u wanna sample so it filtered out alot of in serious people in music production

[@thisislenard]

@@Sataka23clips yeah exactly, everybody is praising how easy/affordable the technology is today. Sure it has benefits, but it can easily wash out a lot of good music with quick n fast solutions

[@216Numbskull]

​@@thisislenard Another thing related to the downfall of Hip-Hop is the community itself IMO. Many figures & artists from every era in the game of Hip-Hop have been destroying artists & the history of Hip-Hop in recent years by telling these ridiculous silly stories of untruths just for a couple bucks & their 15 minutes of fame in the spotlight on social media platforms to be relevant. It's very sad to see & hear all the BS being told out there now today for self satisfaction, envy & greed. It's a real shame it's come to this after all the struggle & fight so many people in Hip-Hop went through & gave up to create this thing we call Hip-Hop to make it the no.1 music genre overall. How very sad & frustrating it is for me as a Hip-Hop fan & B-boy from day-1. Just keeping it a buck! ✌️🤬 "2 B Hip-Hop Is 2 Know Hip-Hop" You Can't Fake The Funk, Knowledge Is Power!

[@bossplayashop7596]

I think producers are lazy as well, most are industry plants in my opinion. They produce copy cat beats which results to copy cat raps

[@msk8533]

Hip hop is just going back to how it used to be before the microwave era of artist. Everyone has their panties in a bunch for nothing.

[@RoarTheRapper]

I’m actually pretty glad that people are taking less interest in artists rehashing the same old stuff, the same old concepts, the same old features. I think that will demand a bit of a focus shift on newer artists, newer sounds, and get to shaking the dust off of the formula that artists have been reliant on lately.

[@heroinabuser5980]

As an underground fan, their experimental shit is fucking horrible and usually sound good sticking to their style

[@Dynxstylol]

The problem is the same fans get mad and hate when the artist try new things or doesn’t fit what they want it to sound like

[@RoarTheRapper]

@@Dynxstylol yeah I’ve seen taste-makers and critics say the same thing and it’s mad weird. They’re mad when artists don’t try anything new, then complain it’s too weird when they do.

[@janetuss6496]

Check out Haegeum by korean rapper Agust D. He wrote, composed, and produced it entirely himself. It's got a refreshing and creative sound you won't hear in western rap, cause he used an old traditional korean stringed instrument and blended it with like a modern trap beat. He storyboarded the music vid too, it's high quality production, looks like a whole neo noir crime film. He played both characters of gang member and detective to show the 2 conflicting sides of himself. His song Snooze is really good too, he asked a famous film music composer Ryuichi to help with the composition, so it's got a more cinematic sound to it.

[@RoarTheRapper]

@@janetuss6496 oh I know about Agust, he’s dope!

[@nickdistef1072]

Hip hop needs a musical revolution

[@slylancey]

Especially frustrating when there's actual real talent out there that deeply cares about the genre, but the Mainstream doesnt want to push because it's not "marketable" smh

[@the_konnoisseur]

Nah man... I am holding back tears because this video was just amazing to watch... Your perspective was really amazing and you really hit the nail on the head

[@Historicutuber]

I totally agree with this video. Hip Hop isn't shining like it used to

[@goonthashooter3586]

I say the problem with hip hop is to many samples getting used and the wrong people hopping on the beat

[@jahleillewis1743]

Exactly! It's like a huge let down

[@goonthashooter3586]

@@jahleillewis1743 facts

[@orlock20]

Title stealing is a big problem too. When a person is looking at a list of songs, they don't know if it's a cover or a new song. For instance, there are a lot of songs and covers called Forever Young.

[@Tris_Crazy_Music_Stuff]

hip hop needs its Nirvana moment

[@OfficialHavocOsiris]

It’s gonna take a lot of creativity for the game to stay on top. And ideally, a lot less gatekeeping on what counts in that regard

[@WeLoveHipHopNetwork416]

I literally said the same thing on my last podcast episode but YOU articulated that PERFECTLY! No lies told AT ALL!!

[@yaboyegreja7750]

People be like: "why is hiphop death" Rappers: milking the same sound for the better last of the last decade*

[@lebronjordan3098]

That's because it sells.

[@yaboyegreja7750]

​@@lebronjordan3098not anymore

[@Osei_Bean_8ryant]

I like that you give it real & you think beyond the surface. My first sub in over a year

[@tmac3549]

I used to love hiphop.

[@yomama9114]

2006-2008 (R&B & hip hop) 2009-2013 (electro pop & dance music) 2014-2017 (edm & Latin) 2018-2020 (trap & rap) 2021-2023 (pop rock & country) Music has various peaks and valleys. No genre can stay constant forever. It has to change and evolve. I think rn we’re in a transitional period. I think what’s missing a superstar that really changes things up. Like when Gaga stepped on the scene in 2009 and made electro pop and dance music the next big thing. Its more complicated now though because of the overstimulation of media and how quickly trends change. And also, there are no more superstars. Nobody that has debuted in the last 10 years has the star power of a Beyoncé, a Kanye, or a Rihanna.

[@qzthalabel7382]

Couldve said that any better

[@trumoneydame]

this!

[@jmbeats3308]

Mainstream hip-hop has definitely been on the decline and personally, I strongly believe that hip-hop years from now will become a wave of different subgenres. It's for the best as a wave of subgenres will offer something for everyone and take away the factors that are making mainstream hip-hop decline.

[@Jay-jb2vr]

Yea like rapping about the same old tired bullshit...

[@LARAKKA]

It's OUR music. It's YOUR money. That's the Problem

[@andrelamarr]

i agree I'm really tired of hearing the same songs over and over

[@BionicleJuice5]

The younger audience should really consider going back and listening to stuff from the 90's. A lot of the subject matters and beats still hold up to this day and I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at the diversity of unique MCs and producers there were just doing it for the passion, not just a quick bag chase. I didn't even start listening to the older stuff till about 6 years ago and I'm in love with it. It was definitely the golden era and it's a shame a lot of people dismiss it becuase it's "old" or a lot of the rappers from back then aren't topping charts today. I think when people kill the whole thing about rappers needing to be relevant to be worth a listen thing, the more people will actually appreciate the art. I'm not an oldhead by the way before I get labelled as one.

[@Vladimav1996]

Any recommendations? (aside from the popular 90's stuff)

[@goldlion9066]

The thing here is while yes that's a good idea we NEED to establish we can still make good music. Appreciation of the 90s is great and all but if EVERYONE started going back what future is rap gonna have? We're really saying "yeah give it up let's go back to the womb with ts" I'd be terrified if all that was on the board were sings that had already existed instead of new music

[@BionicleJuice5]

@@Vladimav1996 Gang Starr is a great place to start. It consists of rapper Guru and well renowned producer DJ Premier. There's a lot of chemistry between them. I'd say Moment of Truth is their best project. A Tribe Called Quest have a fantastic library consisting of jazz sounds too, all of their albums are chill and are easy listens. For more solo acts, Big L and big Big Pun are worth a listen. They never quite get the credit they deserve from the larger audience despite them being top lyricists. Royce da 5'9" while not strictly 90's also has a very underrated catalogue and still puts out great projects today. In terms of individual songs, Flava in Ya Ear Remix, The Gangsta The Killa and the Dope Dealer, Tonight's Da Night, Quiet Storm and Last Dayz are some of my favourites. Also a special mention to 24 Deep by Brotha Lynch Hung, it has one of the best beats ever made. I hope this helped!

[@BionicleJuice5]

@@goldlion9066 I never said we should replace the new with the old. They should co-exist with each other. Older fans shouldn't disregard everything new and younger fans shouldn't disregard everything old. The problem with newer rap music is that most of the rappers at the top play it too safe. How many more trap "bangers" are we going to get before Hip-hop just dies out because artists can't and/or won't develop their sounds. We're lucky to have rappers such as Denzel Curry, J.Cole, Kendrick, ASAP Rocky, Tyler, Travis Scott and so on to break the mold and do their own things, but until 1) Having your own unique sound is more widely expected by the industry and 2) The fans themselves make an effort to diversify the rap music they consume and not only what the industry wants them to, can Hip-hop begin to recover from this mainstream appealing place it's in.

[@orlock20]

Ms Dynamite warned us this would happen with her song It Takes More.

[@Delly986]

Country went stale for decades. Now it’s back. Hip hop will be back on top in time.

[@CuLeRiNhO]

Most people have sheep mentality when it comes to music...

[@illuminated_crown]

As an older hiphop fan. One thing about new rappers back in the day is that rappers felt like people everyone couldnt be like. They were street certified and Industry chosen. Women were attracted. What ever... Now adays. Any high skool kid can could get put on. The bar of entry is to low.

[@virginlamo8202]

What’s happening to hip-hop is just what happened to rock. Over saturation and promoting the safe stuff

[@UrbanNinja123]

It will always be quality over quanity, artistry over mediocrity, soul food over fast food, talent over industry plant for me know the difference people.

[@Guythatlivesaquietlife]

I won't think It will be the end of hip hop. Rock and metal faded to obscurity, but still managed to survive. But rest assured if that happens, hip hop will not have as nearly as half of a commercial impact that it used to have.

[@veilscarecrow]

I was initially a metal head, and when metal started to decline in the early 2000s, I found myself back in the rap game.

[@Guythatlivesaquietlife]

@@veilscarecrow me too.

[@coldloner7453]

The cool thing about the rock scene is that it’s underground and kind of thriving. Also I’m no metal head but I herd that it’s picking up steam again.

[@Kevinomens]

@@coldloner7453as a metal head I can confirm it’s thriving rn

[@MW-dd8vk]

@@coldloner7453I agree there’s so many amazing bands out right now, but they’re not getting the exposure they deserve from a mainstream perspective. Although it’s true that the genre is definitely having a resurgence in recent years.

[@emperorkaishi1]

I say its a blessing because it allows for more people with a different and alternative style to be put in the spotlight rather than the same typical styles we been seeing.

[@jaredhicks1370]

Underground hiphop is fine. It's what's mainstream that's dying really.

[@elnick1659]

But country music is in the mainstream and guitar rock and pop is making a comeback with all of it.

[@jaredhicks1370]

@@elnick1659 I was talking about hip-hop specifically. The video is about hip-hop in the mainstream. What's your point? But if you want, No, guitar driven music isn't "coming back". Turn on rock and country radio and it's oversaturated with artists who had their biggest years in the 80's and 90's. (Rock is especially egregious in this regard) And modern country? They use Trap beats and drum loops. Is that really "back"?

[@elnick1659]

@@jaredhicks1370 The decline of US hip hop is reflected throughout the world

[@MonkeMan69867]

Thank god all the good Rappers are Underground

[@e.be.so.fr.]

Like who

[@MonkeMan69867]

@@e.be.so.fr. billy Woods, joey & brae, vano 3000, Viktor Vaughn

[@jamesholdername]

injury reserve. ​@@e.be.so.fr.

[@skproductions8495]

u spittin fr💯

[@Bangk0kdanger0us]

One of the main issues I'm having with modern Hip Hop is relating to the music. Like man I'm broke right now hell most of us are I don't wanna here about people flexing and gold chains, that's kinda why I've been going back to the early 2000s underground rap era. What happened to mainstream hip hop talking about social issues nowadays that's seen as corny but the mass amount flexing in my opinion is corny. Not to mention I'm getting tired of hearing the same fucking beats, it was cool back in 2016 but its been almost 8 years when is someone in the mainstream gonna stop using high hat Trap beats, there's also no appreciation for the art or an attempt at making something original. And I don't wanna sound like an old head but Drill music isn't doing Hip Hop any favors, granted Gangsta rap/G-funk in the 90s wasn't any better but at least it sounded better. Honestly if someone told me that 2016-2020 was gonna be the last good era of Hip Hop I would've laughed...but damn it ain't lookin to good.

[@sneakersville728]

facts !! , especially what you said about the hi-hats, however what can be used as an alternative to the hi hats problem ?

[@user-tq8sj7vr7v]

💯💯

[@Bangk0kdanger0us]

@sneakersville728 Honestly bro I don't know, maybe going back to the boom bap stuff, maybe something with a more jazz like sound, just something that's not Trap beats its just played out like the minute I hear it in a song I instantly turn it off. You know it's bad when even the old SoundCloud rappers like Bones aren't using it as much anymore either, honestly who's beats I'm actually fucking with the most right now is Jpegmafias especially on the Album Offline and that new shit he did with Danny Brown

[@Pmos-mv2tb]

Maybe we should give Lupe Fiasco a little more recognition.

[@BigTrux]

Best take on hip hop this whole year great video!

[@ProdByAngus]

Third, Scaring The Hoes is the REAL aoty

[@iangarcia1585]

Based

[@bossplayashop7596]

It's good mainstream rap is almost dead ,so we can have a variety of artists again, like we use too

[@brandonfrmnyc]

Lyrical rap needs to be highlight more

[@SeamanTheGreat]

I feel like hip hop is going down the same path as rock where the innovation stopped happening so the genre slowly faded away. Not saying that no new rock music is good it’s just that in both rock and rap not as many people are making a splash

[@Tayajoh]

Thanks for the upload Fantastic. This might explain why the country SEO seems good right now.

[@illusha3861]

It's all gonna sound the same till people get bored and then go out of their way to find new music to blow up.

[@jhollymont9240]

Billboard is trash, music charts are trash. Not being on there means your music is genuine.

[@c0rxpseb0i13]

Most of the hip hop fans are to blame as well they make the mainstream artist famous

[@CarlosPerez-jv2fz]

This is a blessing in disguise, so next time JID blasts a new album it will rightfully be on top

[@visualspark6308]

Not to mention that mainstream rap listeners gravitate towards the same trash and few artists

[@Teyland]

Hip hop is in a weird state but it’ll survive. I think the industry is just dropping the ball and the indies are slowly running the game. If you miss 2014-2018 Cole/Kendrick like music check me out 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾!

[@kadet_701]

Word. Got a link?

[@Teyland]

@@kadet_701 it won’t let me post one. You can find my music under “Teyland” on all platforms.

[@chrishenniker5944]

I’m no hip hop fan, but you make some good points. It’s two trends going on in parallel. I’d say the mainstream hip hop is becoming formulaic, but the more experimental stuff being brought to the fore.

[@Sakima205]

Lotta good amazing artists that get no push and are overlooked.

[@arberkumnova5900]

Another big factor that explains the decline of mainstream rap is that we lost arguably the 3 biggest new rising star in xxxTentacion, Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke, they all sounded so different and refreshing than the rest, RIP. 🙏

[@raidhills]

rap instagram page be posting everything but rap

[@Jayden-wd6lz]

I think the real problem of hip hop is the fans. There’s so many people out there with terrible attention spans and basic copy paste, cookie cutter music taste. A lot of “rap fans” only wanna hear basic easy to consume catchy TikTok music because they can’t understand anything past shooting, killing, fucking, cars, body parts, exes, or money. None of those aren’t bad but they only wanna hear basic rappers put those in basic ways. That’s the problem with rap now, everything is basic but fans won’t actually listen to anything that isn’t basic. These labels and pages would promote actual good music if the fans would care, there’s a reason artists like Pusha T or Denzel Curry or JID don’t get that much promotion it’s not cause they aren’t good, it’s cause they don’t dumb down their music for average brain dead rap fans who only care about catchy hooks and beats. Labels see that and so they don’t promote them and use their money and resources on people like Ice Spice and Sexy Redd because to them, they are easy to promote

[@MoonRacing23]

another problem is the media keeps pushing women trap rappers, who are horrible. Tory Lanez was honestly a breathe of fresh air (rather u liked him or not) because of his diverse style. but they cancelled him because he allegedly shot at megan. while cardi b admitted to drugging and stealing from men but she’s basically the poster woman for rap rn

[@ArKaneAcrumProductions]

😂😂😂

[@MoonRacing23]

@@ArKaneAcrumProductions u think megan thee stallion is good?

[@ArKaneAcrumProductions]

@@MoonRacing23 😂😂😂

[@MoonRacing23]

@@ArKaneAcrumProductions yea ik she’s bad i agree 😂😂

[@goldlion9066]

for a very split second i thought u was gonna say tory was good for rap cuz he shot megan 💀💀but yeah cardi and megan never hit like that for me. Maybe some woman with doja's skill and lauryn hill's subject matter will carry the female rap scene but who knows when that'll happen.

[@EnzoMingo]

I wish this title would leave my timeline. Rap had gotten so big we don't all listen to the same artist, we're at different tables enjoying the culture it took decades to build.

[@RIPAlien]

Hip-Hop is thriving and entering a new golden era.

[@Getsomebooty12]

Underground rap is coming back 🔥🔥🔥

[@gravegaming2023]

In terms of lyrical quality, yes but it's slow and still undoing the damage done in the 2010s

[@damonheard5080]

great delivery of context

[@victorviera405]

Usually when this happens the commercial will go underground and saturate something or someone from the underground like it always has been. Hip hop isn't about the commercial it's always been in the underground

[@PrettyboyAshtun]

uzi just dropped an album and he already onto the next album like what

[@supernaturalnarcissist4693]

that’s what he’s supposed to do lol

[@quinnnewman9538]

To be honest the saturation that rap had during the late 2010s made the bed for this moment. Maybe now this will be the avenue by which artists like Danny Brown, Denzel Curry, and Injury reserve can take advantage of.

[@heroinabuser5980]

Injury reserve makes music that only sex offenders enjoy

[@kamau506]

Ayo Nas and Hitboy are dropping Magic 3 this Thursday. Bump that real shit

[@godspeedlife550]

This style of Hip Hop is gonna die, Rap is a constantly evolving genre. This shit will be seen as obsolete and maybe corny by future generations, more affiliated with repetitious, uninspired music, some of the worst in the game, controversies and cheesy brand tie-ins. As it stands now, the genre is in hybernation, it's in a cocoon for a minute, waiting to become a beautiful butterfly.

[@FOMOMix_com]

Agree. But ALL music has gone down that route, so we should have NO no. 1s at all?!?!?!?😂

[@ViktorMiranda1]

The industry definitely is doing what they do best and that is milk a genre and using it as a money factory. It’s sad. I did enjoy Hip Hop getting the attention it deserved but i don’t like how it’s currently being affected. I’m sad but at peace with it not being on top of the charts.

[@ajstayfaded16]

😊😊

[@jcash5202]

Glad to see Yachty getting praise, I’ve been listening to him a lot lately

[@Juelz_GnW]

Another banger video👍 Hope the griselda members blow up to the mainstream

[@kaleidoscopekingdom]

All this new innovative music 🎶 I'm hearing from hiphop artists all that crazy styles of clothing I saw at the bet awards hiphop is evolving ❤

[@PharoahBlack-ti1sc]

After the Fall off Album by J.cole, I don't know what's going to happen to Hip Hop, but hiphop cannot die when it's only just 50 years old, it's too young

[@orlock20]

50 years is a long time for a genre. Hip hop might be the last musical genre at least in the West.

[@Bogfrog1]

I think the most noticeable symptom of Hip Hop’s declining popularity is that there is no “new crop” of rappers to look out for (in the mainstream) It’s just the same rappers post Soundcloud Era (2016) with a few Drill rappers sprinkled in.

[@briansantos2287]

The degradation of hip-hop is so complete the subject matter and sounds are nearly indistinguishable from pop music. Hip hop used to be about experimenting with sounds from the past and making somthing unique. not about applying a formula that eqates to higher stream numbers.

[@randyescanuelas1565]

Ticket sales are down as well, this really finna expose who really has money & who doesn't

[@unlikelyvillain7301]

I feel like artists in this new generation don’t have an eclectic taste in music all they really listen to is trap/drill so thats why it sounds all the same they have no influence from any other genres hence the lack of creativity

[@DeaconDee80]

Hip hop is about to downsize, and this is a good thing. The same thing happened to jazz, blues, and other types of music that was once king of the hill. Now, they are niche art forms that only the best artists are still around. Quality and innovation will return.

[@kamekakarot]

Hip-hop has never been taken seriously outside of its core audience, which doesn't seek outside validation anyway. And no one should give a crap about charts unless they work in the industry.

[@olajadeyemi]

Pop smoke was supposed to change the sound 😢🪦🙏 Our last hope is Ye’s next project and what drake is teasing

[@KrissyKayyy]

He did😭he’s literally the reason ny drill became so mainstream after his debut

[@mvxxderxnxx3078]

On god bruhh

[@taurus3alexis]

The genre is heavily over saturated. It needs rest for a couple of years

[@sl33penjoy3r]

my theory about country becoming popular is that its audience is largely made up of people who pay for music directly, as opposed to streaming like most rap fans, and the chart values purchases more so country charts higher. that doesn't mean that rap *isn't* going creatively bankrupt, but it's just that the divide may not be as big as it seems.

[@jordanj1738]

But that’s not true. Country is dominating the STREAMING charts as well as billboard. If buying physical copies of music impacted chart placement as much as you said, songs off of Utopia shoulda went #1 thanks to the bundles he was selling

[@orlock20]

Billboard has recognized that the Hot 100 doesn't represent popular anymore and doesn't publish the numbers. The last tie it was constantly doing so, a number one song could have less than 70,000 "equivalent sales" in a week. About 1% of the U.S. population listens to current Hot 100 music and that has been the trend for years. Slight trends are meaningless because that could mean that 10,000 people are listening or not listening to something.

[@luke_cohen1]

Country is dominating in both sales and streaming because people want wholesomeness and calmness after the pandemic and George Floyd riots. Plus, rap is currently going through a period of what I like to call "trope exhaustion". It’s what happens when consumers tire of the same subject being overused in a very short period of time with a certain type of media and so they take a break to find something more interesting to engage with in another type of media. If a consumer wants to get their anger out, they now turn to rock and metal. If they want something focused on relationships and family (aka grown up music), country along with r&b can do that job. If they want something mindless and fun, pop, afrobeats, and edm can easily do just that. Rap is simply no longer the be all, end all for consumers. It will also take a while for the genre to regain its footing since the average rap fan/artist is now stereotyped as a degenerate drug addict/pill popper as well.

[@the-seed-sower761]

Spanish music and Afro beats are dominating. I dont know anyone listening to country

[@orlock20]

@@the-seed-sower761 Country music is very popular in the flyover states.

[@eliasvargas6332]

HIP HOP still LIVES ON PAKA THE PLUG

[@simoneb208]

Lil Uzi carrying hip hop

[@chrishandsome9458]

Nice joke 😂😂

[@ServantofthaMostHigh]

It’s up to the consumer. The listener has to choose better quality and push it forward.

[@c0rxpseb0i13]

Honestly I’m doubting a little bit that’ll happen Some people are too brainwashed

[@iangarcia1585]

​@c0rxpseb0i13 Most of them sadly, not me tho lol

[@TC.._]

We just have to be able to make our own platform and stop signing to labels and have no creative control. We're missing the creativity, originality and uniqueness that used to come from different "artists".

[@DynastyLuminous46]

The industry has a long history of fucking things over completely in the shallow pursuit of money. Pair that with not even clout chasing so much as virality chasing on socials. The mainstream has had this tendency of commodifying art and watering it down to fit algorithms. At the same time, the underground has seen some of the most artistic and experimental developments in years now, and I'm completely on board with the notion that the failure of the industry will most likely result in an artistic revolution, because when everyone fits into the same mould and consumers get bored, it's time to start standing out.

[@KaiOfAspen]

last 4 minutes insightful asf

[@tdwwxyz]

Short answer: shallow. And it’s not surprising this caught up with them either

[@Cardojames160]

How do u solve this problem

[@thefspjones9537]

Not a big hip hop fan, but the type of every genre's iceberg is trash, especially country

[@patrickrichardson2518]

I know I personally lost interest in rap in general several years ago when the genre began to feel too diffuse. What was considered "traditional" was just one trap beat after another and the "innovative" stuff was full of influences from the punk and emo spheres of the early aughts. It can be extremely tricky - if not impossible - to draw a line between when the music changes and when our definition of the music changes, so I hesitate to say something like "rap stopped being rap" but there has definitely been an irreversible and very rapid shift in what we call "rap" (hip-hop, whatever) in the last 10-15 years. The genre has opened itself up to so many new influences that it has really stretched the boundaries of what would've been considered a rap beat 20 years ago and probably more prevalent is the art of "rapping" itself. It becomes pretty difficult to consider what some current "rappers" do as actual "rapping," be it that singy-song stuff, autotune crooning, muffled/restrained whining, and of course the curse of the mumbles. The problem becomes an issue of maturity and distinction. These various sounds and styles have yet to coalesce into something truly novel and inspired. The influences are too raw and too much of what made rap its own artform has been abandoned. Most people like cheeseburgers and most people like cake, but to eat both simultaneously would yield something decidedly inferior to each one by itself.