There are no Gen Z rap super stars

[Remote]

Yeah I’m gonna say rappers now are just trash.

You can’t sit here and say it’s because Pop Smoke and JuiceWorld were killed.

The 90s saw a bunch of talented rappers go and the music was still at a high level well into the mid 2000s.

 

[DatNkkaCutty]

Pop Smoke, Xxtencion, Juice, Kay Flocka, Sheff G, YMW Melly, King Von, PnB Rock, Big Scarr, Foogiano, Poo Sheisty, Quando Rondo, (possibly) Tay K, etc, ETC. There's also too many NY and Philly artists to list.

This been said 2+ years ago (as it was happening). This era lost a WHOLE generation of rappers/artists to death or incarceration. At miminum, careers were totally upended, or derailed by legal troubles. If they're not able to get on, then they're unable to put on other affiliates, or potential stars in the future.

You have to assume that the biggest stars within their lane who are buzzin, "got da ear" for their sound, and vision. Thats why when Drake gets on, PartyNextDoor comes after. When you get a Lil Baby...you then getta Gunna. Like another said...imagine how much material, collabs, classics, ETC were lost wit these few artists.

 

[DrBanneker]

Now everyone want to be streamers. So there’s no nikkas out here with actual artistic talent.

Also, a lot of the GenZ with superstar energy and charisma go into streaming instead.

Yeah this. A lot of the YNs I know want to be social media stars or streamers. Those are the people who would have aspired to be rappers 30-40 years ago.

Also, just my theory, music genre creativity takes a nose dive once the money gets too huge. Same thing happened to Rock in the 80s and rap was able to rise up of a bunch of creative dudes with literally crap resources.

Finally, even though it had less an effect on rap, a lot of musical talent was trained and put out via the Black Church. Gen Z is the first generation of Black folks to be almost wholly disconnected from Black Church culture and their musical talent development has suffered as a result.

 

[DatNkkaCutty]

Y’all gotta stop bringing up that xxx guy in these conversations. I’ve literally never heard any of his songs anywhere when he was alive. And he was only trending when he got beat up for talking shyt or when he abused his girlfriend.

Dude was a total crashout and nothing about him or his music had mainstream appeal. He would have been Lil Durk status at best, not a superstar.

Maybe you just weren't in the loop, cuz his music was everywhere and being played. WTH? And Durk was a superstar, right before he went into the building. You're buggin. Let Durk beat this case, and watch how much bigger he becomes. If he comes outta this trial...he's goin to the moon.

 

[Big Blue]

People mention Pop Smoke, XXX, and Juice Wrld, and though none of them are my demo, they were probably the closest til their unfortunate deaths. I feel for the current gen though, they really just have Youngboy, Lil Tecca, Lil Nas X, Ice Spice, and Destroy Lonely to look forward to.

Pop Smoke and Juice definitely would have blown up to that status. Such a shame.

 

[King Poetic]

Because White Executives/Labels already cashed out pumped and dumped Rap Music for their riches… there’s nothing else to get out of rappers with only two or 3 who actually moving records

The biggest problem is social media

You used to have rappers from NYC, LA , then Philly, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and then u had a few from Detroit, New Orleans and Memphis

But now every fukking city has 100 rappers from Portland, Phoenix, Columbus, Maine,etc rapping about nothing and you add these terrible female rappers who only talk about their birkin bag, p*ssy delicious, ass phat , your main buyers white and Hispanics like

Why u think EM at 50 plus still doing good in the states

STREAMING HAS DESTROYED everything

 

[Ol’Otis]

I tend to listen to more female rap

Geigh ass nikka


Naw just fukking with you

 

[Ol’Otis]

Tell people to stop killing these rappers

Tell rappers to stop doing street shyt

 

[Sinnerman]

Most of the Gen Z stars across genres are women. Even when you look at other genres like Country(Morgan Wallen and others) or Latin music(Bad Bunny) the male stars tend to be Millennials.

The women are making more interesting music and like others said, most of the men are aspiring to be streamers nowadays among Gen Z

 

[Fanservice]

Maybe you just weren't in the loop, cuz his music was everywhere and being played. WTH? And Durk was a superstar, right before he went into the building. You're buggin. Let Durk beat this case, and watch how much bigger he becomes. If he comes outta this trial...he's goin to the moon.

Superstar status is reserved for those who become household names during their run (Drake, Kanye, Eminem, etc). If there was a popularity tier list, these artists would be S-tier. Durk would be b-tier aka “hot”.

There’s levels to this

 

[Barney Rubble]

No organic growth through grind or A&R's to develop artists. Even Kendrick had to grind in the underground for years to hone his craft. It's going to be extremely unlikely someone who is incredibly skilled, charismatic, and able to write hits comes along any time soon.

 

[Premeditated]

The conditions today don’t allow superstars. Celebs are way too accessible nowadays.

pop music doesn't seem to have the issue
Sabrina, Chappel Roam, Tate, Billie

all young-mid gen z

 

[TEH]

Y’all gotta stop bringing up that xxx guy in these conversations. I’ve literally never heard any of his songs anywhere when he was alive. And he was only trending when he got beat up for talking shyt or when he abused his girlfriend.

Dude was a total crashout and nothing about him or his music had mainstream appeal. He would have been Lil Durk status at best, not a superstar.

Keep out of this conversation about hip hop, please. You sound like you have some Morgan Wallen tickets because you have no clue what you're talking about.

 

[Fanservice]

Keep out of this conversation about hip hop, please. You sound like you have some Morgan Wallen tickets because you have no clue what you're talking about.

Who tf is morgan wallet

 

[TEH]

To address the topic:

The music industry is struggling and changing fast. Streaming has pretty much killed the way things used to be. I think these labels wish they could go back to selling physical copies like CDs and vinyl, because they made more money and people could hold something in their hands.

They’re probably spending a lot of money trying to figure out how to bring back physical sales in some way. But until they can sell a physical album for around $20 and people are willing to pay that, it’s unlikely things will go back to how they used to be. The industry has changed a lot, and it’ll take time and new ideas to get close to what it used to be.