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Tulsa Lines's avatar

I feel this 100%. It's the chance for the genre to grow not die. I believe some amazing music will be made in this era. The charts never mattered.

Pandora Villasenor's avatar

“But even this success story came with a cost.” Yes, and I felt this echo in my own life as an old head who came up with these lyrics. I just wrote about that this week on my Substack. So glad I came across this post!

Antonio Pinkney's avatar

Excellent article.

I rewatched Beat Street the other day, and was inspired by the vibrance of early Hip Hop culture. The authenticity, the creativity-- the IMPORTANCE of originality... How it used to be blasphemous to be called a "biter"...

Juxtaposed to how gray and monolithic [mainstream] Hip-Hop has become in recent years...

I share your sentiment. Maybe this shift is for the best. Hopefully now Hip-Hop artists (and producers) quit chasing the next trend, and dive inward.

I'm excited for this new era.