Welcome to the 154th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we investigate hip-hop’s claim to fame, explaining how rappers like Playboi Carti and Tyler, the Creator became the rockstars of tomorrow.
Modern hip-hop has shifted our perceptions of infamy in just over half a decade. The genre’s overarching influence has become undeniable as rappers sell out arenas and top charts with unreleased singles. Surpassing all previously established marks of notoriety, the world’s youth has ultimately dominated the music industry, using equipment as basic as an iPhone to create platinum records time and time again.
But how did we get here? It feels as if just yesterday classic Rock n’ Roll was all the rage, operating as a social alliance in every stretch of the name. From Fleetwood Mac to Metallica and AC/DC, while diverse, the blanket genre was much simpler just three decades ago. Uniting adolescence of the 90s, rock would set a precedent for fame, but would come toppling down at the turn of the millennium.
Sales had dried up as interest faded, inciting a scurry for the new “it” sound. All this commotion caused critics to discover the 2000s newest obsession, pop, in its purest form. Artists differing from obsessive names like Taylor Swift or Rhianna would embark on a new genre of music, combining soulful undertones of 90s rap with hot, replayable choruses. Creatives like Ye would begin their climb to social hierarchy, putting 808s to use under pitched samples and fast-paced tempos.
Stepping into the 2010s, Drake would infuse rap and pop as listeners grew tired of spineless melodies. Simultaneously, we’d begin to see a general surge in underground artists like Tyler, the Creator and Kendrick Lamar. An aggressive tone came in pair with a heightened interest for style and appearance, paving the way for the following generation of creatives. Shortly after, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and Carti would aid in rap’s crowning as the world’s most popular genre in 2017, a mere precursor to the influence we see today.
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