Is hip hop in its hair metal phase?
The most important musical movement of the last 30 years is in desperate need of a shake-up
The evolutionary parallels between rock music and hip hop are undeniable. Both started as a rebellious creative outlet for the young Black American underclass and grew to forever change popular music. Mainstream rock was saturated with commercial interests by the end of the 70’s, and the 80’s were dominated by a type of musical baby formula that’s not well remembered by almost anyone.
Arena rock, hair metal — whatever you call it — took the most saleable musical elements of hard rock and turned them into a pop formula. It also took its predecessors shocking visual presentation and made it a cartoon. The appeal was all aesthetic. Hot bodies in crazy outfits making music that was safe, digestible and ultimately forgettable. Just like modern rap.
Hip hop — a genre that’s commercially and culturally dominated the music landscape for the last 30 years — hasn’t had a number one charting song or album in 2023. Billboard suggests this might be due to big name artists like Young Thug and Megan Thee Stallion stepping away from the spotlight for one reason or another, but in the past, the culture has filled in the gaps. A viral sensation would emerge and steal hearts with a summer anthem. A star would become a legend after lending their voice to a social movement. An up-and-comer would force the world to pay attention by manifesting their hunger into something undeniable.
With that in mind, maybe there’s a different explanation as to why hip hop isn’t reaching the top of the charts. Maybe it’s just not reaching people anymore, either.
It’s worth noting, before we go any further, that hip hop’s underground is arguably in a better place than ever. Much like rock music in the 80’s, the talent and ingenuity is still there. It’s just not packaged in a way that appeals to culture in a broad sense. Which is fine. Those genuine creatives probably look at commercial hip hop and want nothing to do with it.
The major label hit machine has success all figured out. Put 18 or more songs on the album to maximize first week streaming numbers. Drop the beat *here* to go viral on TikTok. The results are predictably watered down. The hubris of mainstream music gatekeepers is that once they find a working formula, like they did with 80’s hair metal, they’ll keep feeding any old garbage through the system until (and sometimes well after) it stops working. With modern hip hop, we’re at the point where the shit coming out the other end is practically indecipherable. Well, we have two choices — a blue version and a pink version.
Let’s face it: is there any real difference between Gunna and Durk and Youngboy and Lil Baby? Is there any difference between Saweetie and Latto and Megan and Cardi B? Admittedly, any type of music that speaks to people will spawn imitators, especially if financial success is involved. Eventually, imitation leads to saturation and the so-called market needs something new. This wave of hip hop, however, feels especially disappointing because it’s completely divorced from what makes the genre appealing in the first place.
This shit is not even fun, let alone emotionally or intellectually captivating. The genre built through block parties and club functions is now dominated by guys whining over minor key piano arpeggios about committing homicides and falling asleep on opiates. The poetry that people used to pride themselves on molding in their own image, to the point where fist fights would break out over stolen rhymes, is now a Mad Libs book of PG13 hedonism. Hip hop, in the spectrum of broad culture, is currently missing so much of what made it undeniably appealing. Its biggest impact isn’t in the club or in someone’s headphones, it’s on a fuckin spreadsheet being circulated in the Spotify offices.
I probably come across like an old man yelling at a cloud right now. I don’t mean to. I have faith that, much like Nirvana took underground rock and throttled it into mainstream consciousness, hip hop’s thriving subcultures will be fertile ground for the hitmakers of tomorrow. I’m just saying— with all the boring rap on the scene — that moment can’t come soon enough.