The South Is Rap's Past, Present And Future

Started by DKC, Aug 4, 2020, in Music Add to Reading List

  1. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 4, 2020
    Great piece by Briana Younger.

    How much of a loser do you have to be to use the term "mumble rap" still lol

    https://www.npr.org/2020/08/03/897745376/the-south-is-raps-past-present-and-future
    [​IMG]

    "A microaggressive term like "mumble rap," which has been applied so broadly it barely means anything at this point, or the cliche phrase "real hip-hop" are all ways of discrediting the artistic merits of some styles in order to prop up others. It's no secret they are most often deployed against rappers from the South. And the thrust of the intra-cultural conversations still moves the same — from Source Award resentment, to the way No Limit and Cash Money are cherry-picked as quintessential hip-hop success stories only after their empires were built (but Hypnotize Minds is still somehow excluded), to the way Trina (and all Southern rap women this side of Missy Elliott) remain under-acknowledged, to the way Soulja Boy was made a punchline as if he didn't revolutionize the way the genre could exist on the Internet, to the way Gucci Mane was shrugged off for years before a rebrand effectively rewrote history, to the way Rae Sremmurd was criticized for daring to have a good time and make music accordingly (Slim Jxmmi's query of "why we gotta rap about 'momma couldn't pay the bills,' and s***?" still needs an answer) to the initial reduction of Young Thug into "post-language/post-lyrical" sounds rather than an advancement of the tradition. The message is clear: Rap that doesn't take into account bicoastal sensibilities is not rap worth taking seriously or possibly not rap at all. That is, until it reaches a fever pitch, and the conversation becomes moot, the backhanded dismissals just another distant memory. When those who steer the larger cultural discourse let the pattern repeat without confronting the structures it upholds, we are tricked into buying the illusion of inadequacy; time has been the greatest source of redemption and truth."
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  2. Chrollo
    Posts: 4,120
    Likes: 14,336
    Joined: Apr 16, 2016

    Chrollo ♱ كرولو

    Aug 4, 2020
    100% agree. Imagine hating on something that popularized and diversified an entire genre and put it on top of the charts.
     
    #2
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  3. Michael Myers
    Posts: 40,822
    Likes: 82,853
    Joined: Feb 28, 2011

    Michael Myers Moderator

    Aug 4, 2020
    I'm glad I have no idea where most rappers are from. East, west, north, south all have bad rappers and good rappers.

    But dismissing the entire south just cuz there are a few rappers that u sometimes cant make up what they say (not meant offensive)... lol. Dude u got ti, luda, rick ross etc etc etc as well. Not just the few that catch a lot of hate.
     
    #3
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  4. Buddha
    Posts: 3,025
    Likes: 6,032
    Joined: Sep 30, 2016

    Aug 4, 2020
    I haven’t read the article yet, I’ll read it during lunch. Thanks for sharing.

    What exactly does mumble rap even mean? Is there a universally accepted definition?

    As an old dust head, I have always hated the term. To me, it seems like the people who use the term “mumble rap” often tend to use it as a blanket statement to describe the popular Atlanta/trap sound that dominates the genre, airwaves, playlists, viral videos, etc.

    But if you just label everything with that sound as mumble rap, you won’t listen to it, and end up missing out on a TON of exceptional music.

    Is that what mumble rap means? I’ve always been confused because from what I’ve listened to, there aren’t THAT many popular rappers who legit mumble.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  5. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 4, 2020
    Exactly. Like you could classify 50 cent as "mumble rap" because he slurs his words from being shot in the face.

    It's definitley got racist undertones to it cuz it's mostly used to describe southern black rappers who use regional slang and talk with a regional accent that's viewed to be unintelligent by mainstream America.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  6. Kujaku67
    Posts: 345
    Likes: 750
    Joined: Jul 9, 2020

    Aug 4, 2020
    The South is overhyped and slept on at the same time.

    On one hand, the region gave birth to Scarface, Outkast, Three Six Mafia, Lil Wayne, T.I., Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, etc. who all had intense impact on the rap game today.

    -T.I., Jeezy, and Gucci paved the way for trap music.
    -Wayne is arguably the most influential rapper on today's rappers and he has two famous rap stars, Drake and Nicki Minaj, on his label.
    -Scarface paved the way for the vulnerable, emo, introspective, and horrorcore style hip hop that Tupac, Eminem, DMX, and many others are known for.
    -Three Six Mafia also influenced horrorcore and their whole sound is still being emulated today
    -Outkast paved the way for the hipster/alternative/leftfield s--- that Kanye and others are known for
    -Lil Jon introduced Crunk music and put Hyphy music on the map by producing "Tell Me When To Go"

    Without the South, hip hop as we know it today would collapse. Yeah...Eminem, Kanye, and Jay might still have thriving careers but hip hop would by dry and week af and probably wouldn't make it past the year 2014 commercially.

    However, the South is also overhyped because of how dominant its sound and style is throughout all regions. It's to the point where even East Coast and West Coast rappers can't get on without sounding like a watered down Future/Thugger clone.(I'm looking at you Roddy Rich) And a lot of teenagers consider non-trap lyricists "dusty" and "outdated" which lowkey has caused many hip hop heads to have spite towards the South.

    But the South doesn't deserve blame for this. Hip Hop or mainstream music consumers do.
     
    #6
    0 0
    Mar 29, 2024
  7. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 5, 2020
    I think it’s kinda a rubber band effect, where the more old heads call new music trash the more younger fans are gonna call more traditional rap dusty
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  8. Buddha
    Posts: 3,025
    Likes: 6,032
    Joined: Sep 30, 2016

    Aug 5, 2020
    Interesting, I never considered the term to have racial undertones mainly because hip hop is a predominantly black culture so why would people be racially biased against the south but not other regions? Hmm you’ve given me something to ponder.
     
    #8
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Michael Myers like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Michael Myers like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  9. joeyp363
    Posts: 15,375
    Likes: 24,261
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011

    Aug 5, 2020
    LOL

    Midwest is easily the best region for rap.
     
    #9
    0 0
    Mar 29, 2024
  10. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 5, 2020
    I don't think most people mean anything consciously racist by it—but it does show implicit biases.

    The way artists like Thug, Future, and Kodak Black talk/rap is uniquely black and southern, and the assumption is that because they talk this way, they're stupid or their music has no value or substance. It reinforces the idea that you have to talk a certain way to be intelligent. It pools together a bunch of artists that don't even sound alike and is dismisses them solely for having southern/black characteristics.

    If Kodak had a New York accent I can guarantee you he would be beloved by "real hip-hop" fans.
     
    #10
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Buddha like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Buddha like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  11. Michael Myers
    Posts: 40,822
    Likes: 82,853
    Joined: Feb 28, 2011

    Michael Myers Moderator

    Aug 5, 2020
    Yeah I still dont get this either. I mean u think southern rappers are s--- but think 50 cent, jay z are great... while they are black as well. Dont see how u can turn this into a race thing. But thats just me, in america this subject is a lot weirder (more different) I guess.

    I make fun of people living in the south of Holland because of their 'belgium' accent all the time (and we all do). And pple from amsterdam call people from the east 'farmboys'... that happens everywhere I think lol
     
    #11
    1
    Buddha likes this.
    1
    Buddha likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  12. Kujaku67
    Posts: 345
    Likes: 750
    Joined: Jul 9, 2020

    Aug 5, 2020
    I wouldn't say it's racial per say but there does lie a perception of Southern rappers being slower and less sophisticated than other types of rappers. For instance, I remember a few years ago some "real hip hop" types regarded "Bad and Boujee" as a "mumble rap" song while heralding Kendrick's "Humble" as "real hip hop". The irony is that Migos was actually spitting better bars on their single than Kendrick did on "Humble." That's just one of many examples of subliminal bias against the South.

    I also, lowkey, feel Yelawolf not properly blowing up like Logic or NF can be attributed to him having a thick Southern accent. Not saying that's the only reason obviously but Southern rap isn't as accessible to "real hip hop" types unless you spit like an East Coast rapper like Jay Electronica or J Cole or make alternative music like Outkast and Goodie Mob.
     
    #12
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Winter like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Winter like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  13. pHiLLip fARkLe
    Posts: 5,531
    Likes: 9,207
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: Paradise

    pHiLLip fARkLe @farkdoodle

    Aug 5, 2020
     
    Mar 29, 2024