Let's About Talk Mumble Rap part 2

Growing up we were lead to believe that the 90s were filled with nothing but instant classics everywhere you turned. It was one classic after another, like clockwork. BOOM The Chronic, BOOM Illmatic, BOOM Enter the 36 Chambers, BOOM Ready to Die, BOOM Reasonable Doubt, BOOM Capital Punishment BOOM Life After Death... The 2000s and 2010s have a long list of classics too. They might not be as celebrated as the albums of the 90s but that’s because music journalism changed as well as the way consumers receive music. Rap magazines aren’t as relevant as Anthony Fantano and Complex Magazine. Album reviews are published hours after the album comes out. Within minutes of an album release, there are dozens of song explanations and fan conspiracies on Twitter. We don’t have to listen to a song repeatedly and debate over deciphering lyrics anymore; we have Rapgenius to spoon feed us.

And let’s not act like 90s rap wasn’t super commercial and corny at times. I was still an infant, but I read that ’97 was the year of Puff Daddy and the shiny suits. All of the greats coming out of this era were introduced and perhaps best known for their radio singles. When you hear Big Pun on the radio chances are you’re hearing “Still Not a Player” not “Twinz (Deep Cover 98.)” Biggie is one of the greatest, but songs like “Big Poppa” and “Hypnotize” are what most people know, not “Gimme the Loot” or “You’re Nobody Til Somebody Kills You.” I’m sure the teens of the 90s had something to complain about with rap back then and I’m certain that the old head 80s diehards chastised 90s rap too. With that being said, today’s rap is really not that much different than it was 20 years ago. The genre evolves and the previous generation makes its critiques, it’s a cycle.

To get back to Mumble Rap, another thing that rubs people the wrong way about it is the rappers’ so called “lack of respect for the game.” Before they can come in and make waves, new guys are expected to pay their dues and earn the respect of the O.G.’s. As you can see, many of the newcomers such as Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert aren’t concerned with getting anyone’s approval. They just want to have fun. Some rappers are just trying to make music and have fun. That’s perfectly fine. It doesn’t have to always be for the love of hip hop or to be the illest MC alive or to make it out of the hood. It’s not like every rapper coming out of the 90s was trying to be the best. I doubt Skee-Lo thought he was going to put the game in a chokehold when he made “I Wish.” Had Lil Yachty or any of these Mumble Rappers came in the way they did talking about they want to leave their mark on the rap game and rah rah rah, then there would be a problem. But if they just want to put out music that they like, then go ahead.

Mumble Rap is only a phase. You can grin and bear it, fully enjoy it, or avoid it completely. Although it’s ubiquitous, it’s not the end all be all of current hip hop. Loosen up. Not too long ago, Dubstep was the biggest thing ever and that was honestly a worse time for Hip Hop. I heard a Dubstep cover of Biggie’s "Suicidal Thoughts" at a party and that was a really sad time.

In conclusion, Mumble Rap isn’t ruining rap. There are still plenty of people, mainstream and underground, out there who are all about social consciousness and lyricism.  It’s like Kendrick Lamar said in “Hood Politics” “Critics want to mention that they miss when Hip Hop was rapping/ Muthf-ck ya if you did, then Killa Mike would be platinum” Real hip hop isn’t dead, the problem could be we stopped looking for it.