Rap Music in Today’s Society

 

Music has been a major part of our lives for hundreds of years, but rap music has only been around for a few decades. Rap music is a way for artists to express how life really is. Rap is more than just music, it’s a culture. Rap gives the audience a chance to connect with their music. Rap is always evolving and we as an audience must decide where we want it to go. The sheer popularity of rap music makes it nearly impossible for it to not influence today’s culture.

On this week’s episode of OEL the ladies and their special guests rap enthusiast Donavan and Chauncey tackle rap music in today’s society.

The Evolution of Rap Music

Let’s take it back to the 80s-90s where you had to make demo tapes and take them to producers and radio stations in hopes of being offered a deal or agree to play your music. Today there are social media outlets like YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, Sound Cloud, Facebook, etc. where you can upload your music and build a following in a matter of days. It’s a free easy way to market yourself and become famous.

Back in the day rap was something that was hard to get into and even harder to stay in. Back then you couldn’t get by with just a fancy beat and some auto-tune, and you definitely couldn’t repeat the same lyrics 100 times in your song. In the 90s, you had artists like Biggie Smalls, Eminem, Nas and 2pac.These artists worked day and night to make sure their lyrics were on point. Back then rappers talked about real social issues in their songs. Rappers had a different style to their music. Their lyrics were clearer, the instrumentals had a lot of variety and you saw more groups together.

Rappers 2Pac, Biggie Smalls and Jay Z are recognized for changing mainstream music. Specifically with Jay Z, where you can track a steady evolution of his music and see where he’s pushed himself in terms of potential. With Biggie’s song, “Mo Money Mo Problems”, it was a song that was not only relatable to rap fans, but also worked well for a pop song. The track has a lot of singing and a variety of different artists to make the music more social.

 

The Current State of Rap Music

Today’s rap provides a little more diversity with its artists, there are more female rappers and younger artists appearing on the scene. Social media played a big influence on the rise of the female artist, making it easier for them to be accepted. Back in the day, there were few female rappers and most were used in features, not too many had their own records.

There’s no variety with modern day rap and it’s becomes less artistic. Everyone sounds the same, because sales are prioritized compared to actual songs. Today’s rap artists are afraid to take chances, and you don’t see too many rappers working with artists from different genres to add variety.

In the late 90s and 2000s rap was at its most competitive state and you would see artist’s freestyling to get a record deal. Freestyle rapping is spitting lyrics in ciphers (or alone) that you make up on the spot. Freestyling would showcase who was actually good and who needed to go back to the drawing board.

Too many rappers are coming into the game with little or no talent, they make millions because people today like the way the beat sounds and if they can dance to it. Many of today’s rappers tend to display a superficial image that most people idealize but can’t actually relate to. The lyrics have less reliability, with rappers talking about clubs, being with models and talking about how big their homes are. It’s an idealized lifestyle but not many of them talk about their struggles which make them relatable. The lifestyle of modern day rappers is completely different. It raises the question, do people today really care about the lyrics in rap music or are they too concerned dancing to the beat?

Another noticeable difference between old school and new school rap is storytelling. Today’s artist don’t tell stories, they don’t rap about struggles and relatable topics. Artist Eminem rapped about his struggles and his rise from poverty to fame. He is arguably one on the best rappers in the game and has been for many years. There are still artist that tell great stories but today’s culture only seem to care simple lyrics and a catchy beat. Most rappers today have become lazy with their instrumentals. Not only do a lot of them rely on snares, they don’t connect with the producer, the lyrics are repetitive and have little meaning.

Rappers like Nas and Jay Z remain relevant because their music connects with the people as they get older. Jay Z makes great business deals as well as great music so that he’ll never have to worry about keeping up with the trends. Nas has one of the most popular albums of all time and has earned him a lot of credit. He is constantly taking chances, but quality in his music is consistent. It’s clear to his audience that he’s a true artist and his music will stand the test of time.

A relevant question is why record companies continue to sign artists that can’t really rap? The answer is simple, they have a social media following and companies can make huge profits from them. All rap is not bad rap, there are still plenty of good artists that put out good music, some are underground and some choose to not sign record deals fearing they will lose creative control.

 

Conclusion

We are in a strange place with music today, not with just rap music, but all music. It seems as if the quality of music has gone down and artists are too willing “to leave good music on the floor”. The industry has changed, artists now make more money from merchandise and tours than ever before. Record labels are in no hurry to change. As long as people keep going to shows and downloading music, the record labels are happy.

 

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• Rap music today places a huge emphasis on beats rather than music

• Social medial makes it easier to get a record deal, the more followers you have the more appealing you look to record executives

• Today’s artist have to put out music more often than old school rappers in order to stay relevant

• Modern day rappers are being criticized for the overwhelming mediocrity of their music

• Today’s rappers show a superficial image that most idolize but can’t actually relate to

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