Mainstream rap is on a whole other level than it EVER was & most of it is extremely disposable in the internet age. Producers are killing it but for rappers nowadays it's very easy to be garbage as fukk and get "put on" as long as you got the right image and a social media following. It's a different playing field

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The newer generation can be just as great as any other decade when it's all said and done but due to the accessibility of everything in the modern-day internet era, theres a hell of a lot more music out there that's even more accessible than it's ever been and a lot of mainstream shyt that is pushed out & promoted is extremely manufactured by labels & corporations. There's always been whack rappers, copycats, biters, etc. in every decade, but back then "the rap game" wasn't as huge as it is now & the music industry was much more structured & contained... whereas in 2016, we can literally see millions of rappers out here on the internet all trying to be heard & the industry itself doesn't even know how to contain the internet effect, and is only just now adapting. It's a much more accessible & over-populated playing field than it has ever been. Every generation will have their greats and their moments, but ours is much much larger & more diluted. The quality of music is still there if you can sift through the sea of bullshyt that's pumped out & thrown in our faces 24/7