In a genre thats no stranger to controversy, rap music has always seemed to find a way to shock us. From the stories of real life tragedies to the glorification of street culture, rap music has always found a way to express every part of life. I would be wrong to say the genre is the only genre that allows a safe space for illegal activites like backpack rappers and new age rappers like Swae Lee dont exist. But thats not the argument I’m here to make today.
When Trap Music became a thing, I never wondered why it was labeled as something other than just rap music. When Thug Motivation came out, I was a good 15 or 16 and was too young to compare my environment to what it was I was hearing in music back then. But as an adult who has watched this flourish into a mainstream sub genre I can see why now. See even though rappers frequently rapped about selling drugs before, these Atlanta based rappers seemed to paint a more vivid picture. The content was so raw that the actual drug house was branded as “The Trap”. Given the events that followed these rappers lives there were no questions that these experiences were real. Regardless of how the relationships ended between rappers and well known street idols, the affiliations were real.
Now here is the difference between Drill Music and Gangster Rap. When Drill Music was first branded I immedialtely knew why this was different. Coming from Chicago and experiencing the Drill Music wave I can merch (vouch) that these artist were never out to create a new genre. They were following a trend that was already set. The difference was they actually were living up up the trends. As a kid who grew up in this culutre I can remember arguing with my guys about rappers not being real because they werent living the same lives as us. maybe they used to live it but they most certainly weren’t living it today.
Now before I upset my older fans let me say I am in no shape or form discrediting your whole generation. This article isn’t even aimed at the artist who dominated the 90’s. I was born in 89 so I can only give you my own experience. But I believe both generations created an environment forartist to exaggerate a life they never experienced. Not to say they didnt grow up surrounded by it but they were not as gangster as they may have made themselves seem. and before you get offended hear me out. Today in 2021 studio gangsters do not exist. and if they do emerge they are quickly exposed. Take Tekashi 69 for instance. And he was actually from New York regardless of how fake the industry paints him out to be. But when i was a kid there was plenty of Tekashi 69’s, in the midst of the C Murders. There was a time where Ja Rule was running shxt. Murder INC had the game in a choke hold all until 50 Cent came along. I dont think there is any question that 50 Cent is who he says he is. I dont believe that there is any question that Camron and the rest of the Diplomats are exactly who i thought they were as a kid. But a lot of rappers from that era are questionable.
I can remember a time where rappers were praised for being shot. A time where the fans thought that made you gangster. I can remeber a time where rappers would make tributes about losing friends in the streets and would hardly ever put a name on it. And whats even more wild is when they did no other rappers took credit for the murders.
The difference bewteen rap beef compared to whats going on today is so far off you even start to question the artist who died in the midst of it back then. Its no question that Suge Knight is exactly who he portrayed himself to be. I’ll even give Snoop that same credit. But 2Pac is what I would consider a studio gangster. I’m not taking away from his artistry or his legacy. Im not saying he was a fraud. He was a black man who experienced the struggles of black america first hand. His ties to the black panther party are legit. He was definitely a stand up guy. A soldier. A man who was willing to die for his people. But that don’t make you a gangster. Growing up in a gang there were plenty of people who hung with us who weren’t gangsters. They were really from where we were from and could even fight as good as anyone of us. They may have smoked weed with us but they didn’t sell drugs. And if they did it was short lived. They may have fought with us at the park. They may have cried with us when someone we all knew and loved was killed. But when the gang went to war for our dead homies they weren’t involved. Remember on Boyz N The Hood where Cuba Gooding Jr asked Ice Cube to let him out of the car. I belive 2 Pac was Cuba Gooding Jr feeling as if he was Doughboy. I think if 2 Pac ever did kill a man it would eat him up inside. Because 2 Pac didnt grow up in South Central LA. He grew up in New York and moved to Baltimore and then to California. He became a Blood as a grown man. He sung California Love like he was really fom there. 2 Pac really thought he was Nipsey Hussle. Lets be honest rappers today hardly ever make it out of their own city. So to imagine a rapper joining a gang in a new city in 2021 and being as successful as 2 Pac is far fetched.
Drill Music did not introduce Hip Hop to real street culture. What it did was fully authenticate the environment. Not only did Drill Music brand the enemy as the “Opps” these artist were only teenagers. These artist even started to emerge as young as Bow Wow. And given the events that followed them there was no question that the content was real. The content was so raw and authentic that these lyrics were filled with the names of the murder victims they were rapping about. Another major difference is these artist didn’t follow the trend of shouting out all the gangs in their city. These artist dissed rival gangs on the regular. Even though these artist emerged expressing a conflict with the opposotion, this isn’t what you would call rap beef. Even though the opposition will respond with their own music videos these were just artist rapping about what was really going on. The same thing that was supposed to had been going on in rap this whole time. Though some artist have found success avoiding incarceration over these murders or retaliation from rival gangs we can not say the same for most of their affilates.
Today’s rap scene is different. Even though street elements still exist they are not dominant in the curation of mainstream content. It’s more of a sub genre. Now days it’s more room for artist like Drake and Kanye West. Artist who still seemed to stand their grounds when apporached with rap beef but dont have to portray a tough guy image. Guys like Wiz Khalifa who seem to get along well with everybody. The days of rappers portraying a life of crime and us not witnessing the downfalls of it are long gone. When Drill Music first emerged I never thought these wuld be considered real videos. Or even real rappers. But blogs would make dead rappers famous as soon as they died. Rappers from my city even I had never heard of. Your city too. I would never compare 2 Pac to Tekashi 69. But he sure wasnt a Lil Boosie.
