Before you chalk this op-ed up as a piece of hate literature, please understand that the ears over here are pretty liberal with appreciating hip hop in its various forms. The playlist is riddled with songs by Playboi Carti, Lil Keed, Rio Da Yung OG, Lil B, Coi Leray, as well as lyrical gods J. Cole, Rapsody, Jadakiss, Drake, and so forth. So, there are no limits…well, so I thought.
It’s never a good idea to dump on anyone’s dreams. First off, you never know who will actually “make it.” Second, you wouldn’t want someone to sh– on your dreams. So, off top, props are due to the identical rappers, Kodiyakredd and Flyysoulja, who are not sitting in their parents’ basement hoping, wishing, and dreaming of someone making their dreams come true, but instead are putting the effort and enthusiasm behind their chosen profession to be rappers.
However — and that however is from the back of my throat — the music video for “Wicked Way” illustrates the mockery that hip hop has become. The rap game is being infiltrated by a bunch of live-action cartoon characters — that, doesn’t even make sense! Their profile is usually identified by the stereotypical rapper look that consists of idiotic tattoos scribbled all over their still-maturing faces, hairstyles often subscribed by Black people, and the “rapper costume,” complete with designer belt, mouth grill, and the ode to prison culture, sagging pants.
Rapping styles are pretty much cliche, as well. Perpetrators will be quick to jump on records using autotune and repetitive beats that are segued to the same words being used over and over again. Oftentimes, the gimmicky approach to rap works because the people supporting these types of rappers are middle-class White youth with a hunger for “cool culture.”
In the music video for “Wicked Way,” the two artists unintentionally spoof rappers, particularly Kodak Black, incorporating all the cartoonish traits described previously. At first sight, the video feels like a joke. But, by the end of the five minute song, it’s clear these guys are serious about their craft. Unfortunately, the authenticity of living this hood life that they speak of doesn’t seem real at all. Viewers caught on to the disingenuous rappers instantly.
It’s not that their rapping is unbearable — it’s just not genuine. It won’t matter, though. To be honest, the way rap is going, Kodiyakredd and Flyysoulja have a good chance at signing with a major label, being invited to music festivals like Rolling Loud, and getting clout from money-hungry artists who are willing to co-sign their credibility with a feature for a bag.
The exclusive gates of hip hop are non-existent, but respect the genre and come correct.
