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Renowned artist Lil Yachty recently expressed his disappointment with the current state of hip-hop in a bold and daring manner. On his podcast, A Safe Place, he shared his views, echoing a sentiment that has been increasingly prevalent in the music industry.
“Hip-hop, once the reigning king of genres, has seen a significant drop in its popularity and support. It has been overtaken by the likes of country and Latin music,” stated Yachty.
The musician, known for his hit album “Let’s Start Here”, revealed this unsettling number game that is plaguing the music industry.
According to Yachty, the hip-hop genre has been witnessing a steady decline in its once unshakeable position for about a year or two. The genre, which had been leading the charts for over a decade, has now fallen to third place, trailing behind country and Latin music. This shocking revelation clearly indicates a shift in musical taste and preferences.
“Even record labels have pulled back on funding of hip-hop as far as like what contracts are looking like and what budgets are being put into…hip-hop artists,” Yachty continued.
As a direct consequence of this trend, record labels have started to cut back on their support for hip-hop artists. This has resulted in smaller contracts and reduced budgets, creating a challenging environment for artists in this genre.
Lil Yachty also pointed out that the quality of content in hip-hop music has seen a noticeable decline. He believes that this is one of the main reasons for the diminishing support.
“The facts is that people aren’t supporting Hip-Hop like they once did because there is a decline in content.”
During a conversation at the Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians event, Yachty reiterated his concerns about the state of hip-hop. He criticized the landscape of the genre, pointing out the lack of originality and risk-taking.
“Hip-hop is in a terrible place,” Lil Yachty said. “The state of hip-hop right now is a lot of imitation. It’s a lot of quick, low-quality music being put out.“
Yachty believes that the problem lies in artists being too cautious, sticking to a safe zone, and not taking enough risks. This, according to him, has led to a surge in imitation and low-quality music.
“It’s a lot less risk-taking, it’s a lot less originality…People are too safe now. Everyone is so safe. I rather take the risk than take the L.”
Lil Yachty’s critique of the hip-hop industry serves as a wake-up call for artists and music lovers alike. It’s a plea for originality, risk-taking, and a return to the quality content that once made hip-hop the leading music genre. Whether his words will spark a change in the industry remains to be seen.