boom, clack.

a moment of clarity.


words.

"...Young artists who channel the golden era remain, but they’re less prevalent. Lyricists such as King Los, Fashawn, and Skyzoo even seem taken for granted. But the fact that they struggle to garner high profiles at the rate of Kevin Gates or Future suggests that, though hip-hop conservatives are outspoken, they’re firmly in the minority of contemporary listeners. Likewise, why are vets like The Lox, Redman, and Mobb Deep struggling? It would do hip-hop traditionalists well to spend more time appreciating what they still have than complaining about who doesn’t appeal to them.

Hip-hop conservatives struggle to accept that the further we get from 1994, the less kids will be inclined to proclaim the golden era superior to the one they lived through. The generation gap in hip-hop is over 40 years wide, and we all have to realize it won’t be bridged via incessantly dissing contemporary sounds. Artists like Vert and Staples will become the norm, and they will appeal to young fans who aren’t ashamed of identifying more with 808s and Heartbreak than Hard to Earn."

IMPOSE MAGAZINE: Old Beats: When Young Rappers Reject the Golden Era