Decline in rap quality is correlated to literacy. These rappers now don't read books,don't write, illiterate. No longer intense path b/w poetry to rap

[DraymondT]

Shawty spittin that shyt make alotta sense I even go as far as to say alot of these modern rappers cant read at a certain level lol not just dont read

It actually not just rap we been knew the literacy and math level in schools for students been on a steep decline. Special needs raps like Playboi Carti directly reflect their times and youth that why rappers like him that just yap and croon so popular now

Thoughts?

 

[Damnshow]

Majority of rap these days is made for angry antisocial crash dummies who are nothing but a statistic. You'll rarely find a smart successful person listening to music about shooting another man, selling drugs, etc. It's not an uplifting music, it's made to drag you down just like emo music.

Also there is a trend of young MAGA voters listening to rap heavily. It fits their persona: illiterate, ignorant, antisocial.

Basically it's not going away anytime soon because a lot of Americans are dumb. Live in a 1st world country but be dumber than someone from a 3rd world place.

 

[Spliff]

Over half adults in the country read below a 6th grade level.

Rap being inherently subversive, it’s no surprise the industry prioritizes and celebrates retarded shyt.

But hey, the beat knocks

 

[Fanservice]

Rap music has always been juvenile and filled with “too cool for school” type brehs.

 

[A Tribe Called Quest ™]

A lot of them nikkas in the 90s was dumbasses too. Look at Nore , even when I hear Nas talk on interviews I be confused tbh is the same dude that spits that shyt?

 

[DontEemTry]

I been saying this. Say what you want about the so called elitism of early 90's new york hiphop, but that's the only region that championed actual mic skills and displaying some level of literacy in your rhymes.

Been downhill ever since nikkas started being afraid to call out all this remedial level shyt

 

[King Poetic]

Rap has become a quick money grab by the majority who has no idea of the past artist or the history of the greats

Technology makes it easy for any dummy to pick a phone and record them saying anything and putting it out freely on YouTube or any platform and calling themselves rappers

 

[KingDanz]

I been saying this. Say what you want about the so called elitism of early 90's new york hiphop, but that's the only region that championed actual mic skills and displaying some level of literacy in your rhymes.

Been downhill ever since nikkas started being afraid to call out all this remedial level shyt

New York elitism kept everyone on point

 

[Zero]

"My teacher told me I'd never be shyt "

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

You can say the same about young professional athletes. Go look at some of these young players autographs. Most of them only write their initials or literally scribble lines. It’s bad. Reading and writing is a lost art.

 

[DontEemTry]

You can say the same about young professional athletes. Go look at some of these young players autographs. Most of them only write their initials or literally scribble lines. It’s bad. Reading and writing is a lost art.

Now that rap money drying up they taking their "skills" to podcasts tawmbout "why women who wear polka dot draws don't give good head?"

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Vocabulary is one thing but actually knowing what they are saying is another, plenty of 90's rappers were spitting some high tense vocabulary without knowing the shyt they were saying LOL..analysing some of my old mix tapes and underground collection can be bit crazy and upsetting LOL

 

[African Peasant]

A lot of them nikkas in the 90s was dumbasses too. Look at Nore , even when I hear Nas talk on interviews I be confused tbh is the same dude that spits that shyt?

An illustration of OP's post.

 

[THE 101]

It's a lot of reasons.

I think just a big thing is the barrier to entry is lower. Every mf with a laptop can make music now. Even something like having to book studio time was a hurdle that meant you had to be serious about this shyt.

And additionally you've got all the corners being cut, things like ...the punch ins, the "producers" who ain't producing shyt, just recording punched in verses one time, no real musical vocabulary. None of these mfs listen to anything but rap music of the past decade. Ghostface was taking influence from soul music, Rakim was listening to jazz, etc etc

And then there's the death of artist development at the labels.

It's death by a thousand cuts, there's no one reason but the bar has been lowered and lowered and now due to streaming most people treat music as disposable entertainment. And that includes the artists themselves.

 

[FTBS]

Vocabulary is one thing but actually knowing what they are saying is another, plenty of 90's rappers were spitting some high tense vocabulary without knowing the shyt they were saying LOL..analysing some of my old mix tapes and underground collection can be bit crazy and upsetting LOL

Separate the weak from the obse...lete

It's all about the audience. People gravitate towards and in turn reward ignorant shyt. There are rappers that read. They aren't getting a big push though. Just look at Kendrick. Dude's weakest, most juvenile song in the back and forth with Drake won him the battle and was the song of the year. All because the beat knocked and "a minooooooooooooooooooooooooooooor" and giving nikkas something to chant at the end. Dude might have legit lost if he had just put out Euphoria despite it being a perfectly crafted diss.