I just think there are a lack of singles/artists willing to take a risk.
Hip-hop runs its self, it shouldn't be corporations and algorithms dictating what is play on radio and when. If the south had the drive and freedom to push their own record labels (No Limit, CMR) and had some content and substance to their music besides ass-shaking, I think things nowadays would be 100% different.
A recent example is this song. It should have been all over the radio, pumping from car radios, on the block, etc...But people aren't going to listen to the likes of Nas and other artists who "wanna kick knowledge"
Also, our people are to blame too. Just because an image is being pushed to us, it doesn't mean we have to consume it. There are probably 99% of 100 black people who can name all the Jordan releases this year, but won't be able to drop knowledge on any political, race or current event because they have no vested interest in educating themselves
People are only enslaved when they let themselves to be.
Lyricism != boring, non club music