By Randy Gregorio

Throughout the years, we have seen hip-hop music and culture go through many phases. Story-telling “boom-bap” type music dominated the 80’s and 90’s; loose clothing, tilted caps, “crunk” and snap music dominated most of the 2000’s; and more traditional-sounding hip-hop music from Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole topped the charts in the early 2010’s.

However, midway through the decade, the rise of “mumble rap” (a style of rap where the flow and ad-libs are prioritized rather than the lyrical content) was clearly evident. Popular rappers and producers like Future, Migos, Carnage, Zaytoven and Metro Boomin helped pave the way for the young rappers currently on the rise to fame.

New Wave of Hip-Hop Artists

With the emergence of mumble rap, several young artists have taken advantage of the increasingly popular style. Lil Uzi Vert, 22 years old, hopped on the scene with songs like “Money Longer”, and “You Was Right”, both charting on the Billboard’s Hot 100. He was featured in the Migos’s platinum hit “Bad and Boujee”, which reigned at the top of music charts for several weeks.

Lil Uzi Vert was recently interviewed on VFILES alongside Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti. Lil Uzi stated, “We’re what you call ‘mumble rappers’. It’s a whole bunch of ‘ayes’ and a whole bunch of ‘yeahs’. I say ‘yeah’ after everything and make it rhyme no matter what it is. That’s all I do; it’s just lit.”

Lil Yachty, 19, has had much success with the new style as well. His rise to fame started only a few months after he started making music. Most fans of hip-hop recognize this young sensation because of his bright red hair. His hit single “1 Night” peaked at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his collaboration with D.R.A.M. in “Broccoli” peaked at #5 on the same chart.

Thanks to hip-hop legend Kanye West, 19-year-old rapper Desiigner rose to fame despite only having released one single, “Panda”. Kanye sampled “Panda” in his album The Life of Pablo, and the song took off from there. Desiigner’s debut single managed to top the Billboard’s Hot 100.

Artists like 21-year-old A. Boogie and 24-year-old Young M.A. opt to go for a more traditional style. A. Boogie mainly uses his singing voice to rap, and his rhyme schemes follow a traditional pattern. As a result, he has two singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Young M.A. is more of an aggressive, traditional hip-hop rapper. Her hit single “OOOUUU” peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Broward Rappers

Local rappers have also found themselves on the fast track to success in the music industry. From Broward County, Kodak Black, age 19, garnered national attention from hip-hop fans when he received a cosign from hip-hop artist Drake for his hit single “No Flockin’”, which he made when he was only 16. Songs like “Like Dat”, “There He Go”, and “Tunnel Vision” kept his name buzzing in the music industry.

Some new artists have detracted from the trending mumble rap theme and become successful in the music industry using other styles. 18-year-old rapper X (short for XTENTACION), another Broward County native, rose to fame due to his variety of music styles. He claims that his music ranges from old-school “boom-bap” rap, soul, and even alternative rock and metal. In spite of this, he is still mainly considered a hip-hop artist. His hit single, “Look at Me!” peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, and some of his other songs have garnered millions of views on music platforms like SoundCloud and Apple Music.

Reactions from Hip-Hop Critics

The explosion of new hip-hop artists has received mixed reactions from critics. Usually, the young hip-hop fans are the ones that appreciate the styles of the new artists. Old-school hip-hop heads view the young artists as untalented and a shame to the name of hip-hop. Hot 97 radio host Ebro Darden publicly criticized Lil Yachty on his show for not being able to freestyle over a boom-bap beat and for calling the late old-school hip-hop legend Biggie Smalls “overrated”.

Rap legends Snoop Dogg and J.Cole have also dissed the new rappers. In an interview with hip-hop magazine XXL, Snoop Dogg imitated and mocked the flow made popular by Migos, stating that everyone uses this kind of flow now. In his song “Everybody Dies”, J.Cole states, “I hate these rappers, especially the amateur 8 week rappers; Lil ‘whatever’, just another short bus rapper…”

My Opinion

My taste in music has changed drastically over the past couple of years. Two years ago, I probably would’ve hated the artists on the come-up while praising more lyrical artists like J.Cole and Kendrick Lamar. However, I have learned to appreciate the new styles that the young rappers have brought to the spotlight.

Personally, my favorite rappers of the new generation are Lil Uzi Vert, A. Boogie, Kodak Black, and X. Lil Uzi’s rapid delivery, complemented with beats from Zaytoven and Maaly Raw, definitely hypes up a crowd.

1. Boogie’s slow songs like “Still Think About You” and “Jungle” give off a “chill” vibe, something that is much needed considering how hyped other artists are.

Kodak Black and X are, by far, my two favorite rappers of this new wave because they are both South Florida natives. Kodak’s raps about his struggles and ambition serve as an inspiration to me. X’s ability to make slow songs and “scream-rap” songs is definitely something that I have never seen before. I went to one of his shows (Section 47 Showcase) before he blew up, and it was the most lit performance I have ever experienced.

All in all, this new wave of hip-hop is something that was much needed. The variety of styles that these young artists possess, along with the great beats that producers create now, make for great-sounding music.