Lyrical rap didn't lose its cool it's just everyone got corny and tried to dictate what hip hop is

Lyrical rap has always been marginalized. In the immoratal words andre. "y'all don't want to here me, ya just want to dance."

Cole, Kendrick & Em are lyrical. It’s just they make good songs. Most lyrical rappers like to write choruses that sound like verses & also don’t usually care about the beat in the way it matters when it comes to making a record. Lyrical rappers just wanna rap.

Lyrics are important. I can say as an Em, Cole, Nas fan. But the beat and production matter as well. It's gotta be a vibe. Not just words upon words upon words.

Basically just have amazing rhymes that are about something other than just having amazing rhymes

Nas once said The human brain has become lazy to analyze lyrics

The younger generation cares about hype. It’s hard to dance and get hype when you’re processing rhymes

To me I'm a poetry fan first, hip hop fan second. I personally like the Aesop Rock's, the MF Doom's, and the Killer Mike's of the scene. If you put those lyrics on paper and read them at a poetry slam, it would still hit just as hard. At the same time, I see the point the new generation are making. Sometimes you just want to turn your brain off for a bit. I could watch Citizen Kane, but sometimes I just want to watch John Wick kill some motherfuckers for 2 hours. I could listen to MF Doom, but sometimes I just want to bop. I get it. There's music you listen too, and music you hear, but it's still music.

I'm sorry. Lyrics still matter.

I don't think someone like MF DOOM really cares what the mainstream finds "cool"...Not every rapper is trying to please the mainstream.

"Its not about lyrics anymore, it's about a hot beat and a catchy hook"- Eminem

Lyrics, bars, rhyme schemes, metaphors, similes, double entendres, internal rhyming, flow, delivery, riding the beat etc. Lyricism will always be cool and what rap is truly about to me. And this is coming from a person who’s favorite rapper/emcee of all time is Hov but I absolutely love Future as a artist . I like all types of rappers for different reason but lyrics will forever be my heart

In today’s rap music too many people believe they either go one of two ways: lyricism or showmanship. Truth is the apex artist can AND should do both.

Lyrical Miracle Spiritual Individual

I’d choose a high concept album like ‘Good kid, MAAD City’ or ‘TPABF’ over most anything that is out today every time.

At age 46, and seeing Hip Hop go through so many movements, I would love to root for today’s rap, just as much as I love the lyrical stuff. The disappointment comes when everything is slapped with age and expiration dates. True, I see the hate on both sides (dudes my age hate on what younger dudes are doing; young dudes dismiss everything before them). In order to change that, we NEED balance. Granted, there is balance here & there, but Hip Hop would and could thrive if young and old quit shunning each other, and try looking from one another’s perspective. You’ll see that we rebelled just as hard when we were teenagers and 20-somethings. It’ll be a while, but we’ll grow into this. I believe it.

I think people who enjoy both lyrical and more sing-songy rap are an unrepresented majority. Your typical hip hop fan in 2020 is a fan of Kendrick and Lil Uzi Vert. Idk why some people act like it has to be all or nothing and you need to cling to one side. That mentality is corny and counterproductive. Different types of music serve different purposes, and there's room for all of it. This silent majority isn't as brash and outspoken as the "real rap" purists who make hating new rappers part of their whole personality, or the kids who feel inclined to push back against them.

The problem with riding the commercial wave is you will always be replaced. Fitting their niche and building your community is setting yourself up for long term success.

Lyrical rap didn’t lose its cool.....people’s attention spans just got really really short. Lyrical raps makes you rewind the track about 3 or 4 times. Who really has time for that now??

Lyrics don’t die and fade out.....trends do tho

Who tf said lyrical rap ain’t cool???

I feel like without talking about the beats, this conversation isn't complete. The evolution of hip hop beats is crucial to the decreased reliance on lyrical content.

Music that has no meaning, purpose, or message always gets forgotten with the pass of time only finest Music stay nail to the heart surviving time and changes

Great post. I don’t think you can separate rap from lyrical quality AND pure entertainment. Rap has its deep roots in both lanes. Didn’t rap start at parties to keep the crowd entertained? Yes it evolved early on into a technical discipline. I want both honestly. Give me lyrical effort but also I do appreciate the best, ad libs, etc.

*You can have great "turn-up" music and still have bars; just ask Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Anderson .Paak, and Big K.R.I.T., as well as perhaps Freddie Gibbs. Problem is, a lot of younger dudes in my age range (16-25) just use "popularity" as an excuse to disrespect the art of rapping.* *The only difference between Gen X "golden age" rappers and rappers nowadays is that most of the well-known and respected rappers back then had their own sound and they all tried to outrap each other; we can do the same thing if we focus on being trendsetters and not trend chasers/clout-chasers.* *We need MORE guys like Chance the Rapper, Joey Badass, J. Cole, JID, Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, etc. Not less.*

For me, I saw the influences of drake, kendrick, cole, which was eminem, nas, jay z, kanye west, lil wayne. However, its hard to see cole, kendrick, and drake's influence on the young generation. I see a lot people mention future, thugger, more than anything now.

Song are suppose to have “reason” now music is just ... without reason

People who don't recognize Eminem or Snoop or anyone else from the golden age are just sick. These are just idiots. I mean, how dare someone says shit like Drake>Eminem?! Eminem paved the way for most of the rappers that are here today, Eminem made Hip Hop popular than ever. Eminem gave it perfection. And now there's these clowns like 69 and Lil pump

Lyrical rap will always be cool to me. Trends never will.

It's about balancing integrity, lyricism, fun, repeatability, uniqueness and freshness. Those qualities will always maintain top relevancy.

At this point in rap and hip-hop their is something for everyone.

I have no problem with lyrical or conscious rap. The thing is I listen to music to have fun and get away from that real world for a moment. Music is an escape, it sounds stupid but sometimes people don't want to think about reality for a moment.

I feel like it's important to have an equal balance of good lyrics, flow, and overall catchy lyrics or something to remember the song by. Its evident that being technical or having great bars is not the only thing that makes a rap song good. But with many other opinions, this is entirely subjective.

Boy this argument is age old ...Kool Moe Dee was the rappity rap guy vs LL Cool J ,the song maker with style in 1986

I'll be that old man screaming at the clouds. You can't convince me that alot today's music is good. That's not to say I don't listen to some moderN artist that are not lyrical. But to say lyricism has lost its cool is a reach, every a new version of rap comes out and runs it's course. Guess what's left standing,those who can tell stories and spit bars.

I’m into lyrical rap. It’s what I grew up with but at 24 I feel like an old head because I just can’t get into 3/4ths of this new shit. Shits depressing bro.

I’m still mad J. Cole wasted an hour talking to Lil Pump

Y’all sleep on KRIT too.

lyrical rappers are always missing one of these 2 things: a good beat and less saturated bars/voice. Too many good songs they have to just be ruined by a nasty beat. They also need to slow down the lyricism. We’ll get your 16ths and double entendres, relax and synchronize. Some of the best MF Doom lyrics i’ve heard is when he’s featured on a song.

I'm a older head and what's interesting to me, is that from my perspective things actually haven't changed much. I get the point about being well rounded as opposed to a rapper that is just showing you how good they can flip words, however highly lyrical content rarely made it into the mainstream to begin with. Case in point how many people know Salt & Peppers Push it, as opposed to being familiar with Rakim's Lyrics of Fury. If I asked the average person if they heard back that thang up as opposed to music by Binary Star, most would recognize the cash money track. Mainstream music has always emphasized the hook over what was being said, and a lack of substance from folks who craved poetic content has been a complaint two decades before we even got to Kodac. Most cats my age simply want balance., It has often been said that the golden era was not just about lyrics, but it was such an eclectic era of artist ranging from black conscious artist to pimps to storytelling like Slick Rick. It wasn't a matter of are you this or that, verbal or mumble, my point being is the golden era actually captures the well rounded nature of what this video is describing. Think about how danceable an Outkast song can be yet still have depth.

"you can't put me in a box" says every rapper lol...

Lyricism isnt dead though, thats why the Cole and Kendrick, the Em's and the Jays still sell out when they drop music... the name of the game is creating a product that isnt just made for yourself but for your clients, most these rappers dont get the basics of business, big words and long winded raps are irrelevant if they dont connect to the lister... rule number 1 of business have a good product, it creates a long lasting client base. 2. marketing... some of these rappers arent getting their names out there so listeners to their genre don't find them so they perform poorly on sales... rule 2. the market place changes and so should how you brand and market yourself 3.never complain or talk down to the product your dont sell cause that just markets it for people

every new generation has to do their own thing, it'll swing back around to lyrics and content when the hype dies down and balances out

The real problem with hip hop is that it isn't as diverse in its styling as it should be. Every style has a place in hip hop but when its over saturated by one thing it stagnates or deteriorates. There's room for it all in hip hop anything else said is bullshit. There has been a gradual dumbing down of our society and a few things we observe today are exacerbated by this dumbing down of the population. The fall of lyricism is one of them. Also this is what happens when most rappers and media commentators don't actually LOVE the art form. Not speaking of them all just the majority of them. When you don't LOVE or RESPECT something you don't treat it with the care it deserves. When you don't LOVE or RESPECT something you just see it as a tool to get paid. Let's be real most of these guys didn't grow up with a deep love for the art form. They grew up listening to boy bands and similar pop music. Conveyor belt music with little actually soul, just made to hit certain prerequisites in order to top the charts not to express your artistry for the love of it. Just look how they talk about hip hop and rap. They act like rap isn't to be respected. They don't want to be called rappers don't want their music to be called rap? Like rap music isn't the most diverse and versatile genre of music. Rap is to be respected like any music genre. There is no way rock or country would let someone come in their genre of music and say they don't like rock or country. They wouldn't let someone come in and say "oh I don't like rock or country" "I just make rock or country music for money" "I don't listen rock or country" then put no effort into it. Rap is the only genre of music who let's that weird shit fly. And let's not act like you can't listen to a song for the lyrics and listen to the same song and have fun n tune the lyrics out. A lot of consumers of rap are more interested at appearing relevant or riding the newest zeitgeist these days. The framing of this was pretty weird sometimes and lacked the nuance this discussion truly deserves. There is place for it all in this genre people need to quit hating on the non lyrical guys and the non lyrical guys need to quit being so defensive. Its rap, the lyrics are a vital part of it no matter how you try to spin it so of course ppl are going to be critical of that aspect of it; that's what happens when you make "art 🙄" for public consumption. People are going to critique it. That is nothing new whatsoever.

I'm there for the Lyrics fast or slow I just can't listen to music with no meaning or message I wonna hear something on a deeper level

Oh snap that’s me lol

I feel like Cordae is a good example that people sleep on. Bro does new school songs but also shows his skills as well

I still don’t get how this is a big deal. It’s fucking music at the end of the day. Listen to whatever you want and don’t let others force you to change your opinion.

The way young people consume music these days isn't really conducive to "lyrical rap."

I think that, lyrcial rappers, shouldn't always focus on the technical side. They should have more fun with it, Change the sound, don't always keep it the same. If they can adapt to a new sound, and add their own twist on it, it can be amazing. Lyricism/trap is already amazing.

Big Pun was super lyrical, he even had a song titled that. All his hits like “it’s so hard” or “I’m not player” had lyrical verses. He just had image and swag to not make it seem preachy, but fun. I like everything and believe everything has as audience for a reason. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

2:57 Well, Biggie won Lyricist Of The Year over Nas back in the '95 Source Awards going to show that even back then personality and song-crafting >>>>>>>>> sheer lyricism.

The problem is gatekeeping and a superiority complex

I don't know if I hate this video or I just strongly disagree. I really don't like the commentary regarding Nas V. Jay-Z. They're both lyrical artists. Their subject matter differs. The beef wasn't about proving their lyrical ability. Both artists were already legends. It was just insults and name calling. So the analysis of it here as Nas being more lyrical than Jay seems foolish. The key to Jay-Z's success was his ability to produce radio friendly hits AND the album's that showed the full extent of his ability. Nas wasn't as good at that. His lyrical ability was always high caliber but he couldn't produce the album's that kept everyone's attention. I hate the false choice of either you stay lyrical or dumb it down for mass appeal. Too many successful artists easily do both. That has always been true. For example, not every rapper in the 90s or early 2000s were lyrical. But everyone was happy with the diversity. You had a more balanced mixture of commercial and substance. In the golden era, everybody had unique styles even if they were from the same city. Jay-Z, The Lox, DMX, Fat Joe, Busts Rhymes, all had distinct styles. You knew one artist from the other when you heard them on the radio. Outkast, Goodie Mobb, Ludacris, T.I., all had distinct styles. Twista, Bone-Thugs, Eminem, all had distinct styles. The problem now is that everyone style sounds the same no matter where they are from. Fetty Wap sounds like Migos, Roddie Rich sounds like Yatchy, etc. The beats, the lyrics, the production, the content. It all sounds the same with very few artists distinct enough to stand out. Most of these artists aren't impressive as a whole. The freestyles suck, the album's aren't very interesting, the substance is lacking. I didn't think Nelly was a lyrical artist but at least he didn't sound like the Ying Yang Twins. If anybody with a catchy hook can be considered a successful rapper. I don't see the point of calling the music they create rap music. The same way that we wouldn't call anybody who blows a saxophone a jazz artist.

Lyrical rap was always and will always be cool.

I think juicewrld was a good example of the evolution of lyrical rap to this generation. I don't consider juicewrld a lyrical raper as his main craft, because he was really versatile (master freestyler, amazing composser), however by definition most of his songs are telling a story, his rhyme schemes are insane and he basically freestyled all his work. I don't think lyrical rap is dead, I just think it evolved.

Lyrical rap will be here long after the mumble rappers fade into obscurity

Lyrical rap was being considered depressing rap and ppl just wanna listen to a hot beat and dance all the time. At least some ppl can listen to multiple artist and genres. Rappers think its boring cause they cant do it or their fanbase will go down.

Hip hop music was invented on the basis of lyrics, storytelling, this generation will never understand that people be listening to the beats sadly end is near for lyrical rap

Man lyrical rap will never truly disappear from hip hop... but the art of song making in hip hop has shifted. Once upon a time song making was primarily about the bars, but now audiences care less about the words and their meaning and more about the production and the way that song makes them feel. Which is understandable to a degree... I mean music can never and will never cater to only one type of listener, and it shouldn't try too either. There are a lot of artist that are just absolutely lyrically amazing, but they cant make a good song to save their lives, and to be fair to some of those artist.. they aren't trying to make catchy music that people dance too and feel something. Eminem is a prime example... Eminem is an amazing lyricist that used to make interesting music that had content that we all kind of fell in love with. His bars spoke to a whole generation of young white kids that had never been represented in hip hop before even though they loved hip hop. He spoke about things that white america identified with, and also made it extremely entertaining. Even if you were a young black kid from the hood you could relate to Eminem because his story wasn't that different from other people of color that grew up in poverty. Fast forward and now Eminem is older, wiser, and rich as hell.... soooo those entertaining antics that used to get him attention just aren't appealing to a 40 something grown up anymore. His bars are better than ever but he doesn't really have anything to say, especially to the youngsters that are growing up today. No one really identifies with Em anymore in hip hop except the old heads that remember what he used to be, i think its one of the reason why more people are taking shots at him, that years ago when Em was in his prime wanted no smoke with that white boy. People are just making music where they want their listener to appreciate what they have to say. I've been that old head for a long time, anti mumble rap and the whole nine... but ive gotten to this place where I can respect some of the artist that are rising and when i keep an open mind and ears i realize that their is talent there, buried under drill sound, or some banging beat, or some auto-tuned voice half singing half rapping on a track. To my fellow hip hop heads, maaaaann keep supporting good music and promote it whenever you can. To my old heads try not to be too judgmental of the new wave. lol

As a musician, I love hearing lyrical hip hop! Being able to rhyme is an important skill for any rapper today.

Music just compliments the mood and philosophy of the listener. No genre of rap loses it cool. Some may see a peak in popularity in certain era's, but they never really die out

I put on OutKast in a stream the other day and somebody said it was bad rap. Andre3000, bad rap? It seems people now confuse pop with rap because they weren't a fan of rap before it became pop. I have never felt like more of an old man lol

It comes down to definitions, being an artist is judged on artistry, being a musician is judged on musicianship, being a songwriter is judged on songwriting, being a rapper is judged on rapping!

Because 1- ppl don't wanna pay attention to message or wordplay or punchline anymore (even through in the young generation there is still young artists and listener who still care about that), and rap becoming a large access music help in that sense, since most of the ppl who listen to only rap "hit" ain't real hip-hop fan, so they literally just listening to rap as a entertainment only. 2- a lot of them (lyrical rappers) spend too much time on showing they are lyrical instead of making music. I mean Outkast and Slim Shady Eminem (1999-2004) are the perfect examples on how lyrical MAINSTREAMS rappers should be, lyrically but also musically interesting ( whether it's in terms of pure quality or in terms of lit/catchiness) . Not overdoing one over the other.

Man imma come up with these metaphors & punchlines & b lyrical forever . Being lyrical will never go out of style cuz there is the internet. Might not b Mainstream anymore but there’s core lyrical fans all over the net.

Lyrical Rap still gon be 🔥 forever

Lyrical rappers forget that they’re making a song ,great songs have aspects lyrical rappers only rap nothing else is considered so they fail in every other aspect whereas rappers that succeed pay attention to everything equally the beat, hook, raps, melody, being good at one aspect of a song doesn’t make you a great artist that’s why the one who do it all succeed.

I'm going to have to disagree with you when you say that there was less differentiation between rapping styles in 90s. Quite on the contrary, some of the greatest artists of the 90s who were all operating around the same time - lets take Nas, Biggie, Tupac, OutKast and the Fugees, all of whom were at the top of their game in 1996 - had wildly differing styles. Nas' dense, compact rhymes are completely different Andre 3000's slick southern drawl, and Tupac's self-assured swagger starkly contrasts with Lauryn Hill's almost sung, Jamaican-accented verses.

That is why I like watching rap battles, coz I feel like that's the only place were people still appreciate the art form in hip hop

These weirdos have a hit and we listen for a few months. Lyrical content creates music we revisit for years and years after it’s been released. There’s no comparison.

I don’t even know what lyrical means anymore, i just like replayable music with substance

Rapper are getting measured by the beats.

As an artist that truly enjoys and loves both sides of hip hop, I always strive to make music that sounds good when you’re not listening deeply, but that also has the lyricism and substance for when you do listen closely. Great video!

Doom has always been relevant,dude is G.O.A.T of underground rap,dude is in my top five.Dude there's mad lyrical artist's who are alive and well,especially financially

There’s a whole wave of dudes that make amazing lyrical shit; Medhane, Chuck Strangers, Earl Sweatshirt, Mavi, Slauson Malone, Nyck Caution, Kota, Marlon Craft, ect.. just gotta go underground for it.

The true school hip hop, timeless, classic emceeing never lost its cool in the mind of true school hip hop heads only dumb people hate true school hip hop. Unfortunately the world is in a downward spiral it's why music with meaningful content isn't promoted. RAP IS NOT POP IF YOU CALL IT THAT THEN STOP!

Lyrical rap lives forever, most of these new hip-hop music gets old after a few listening sessions 🤦

Good video, great substance and quality👌🏾

If lyricism is becoming less "cool", then what hip hop represents will go away. Hip hop IS about the lyrics. Listening to the artists story, hearing their point of view on popular issues, politics, and life. If it's not that, it's not hip hop. Period.

Lyrical rap is dope. But you HAVE to have good songs lyrical or not

I am so happy that there are some many people who appreciate lyricism in this comment section.

Jay-Z is a very technical rapper who, in many cases, tones it down enough so you, the average listener, understands the puns, analogies and aren't asked to look up words in a dictionary to understand them. It's also why he's a better muscian, not rapper, than Nas, who is very hit and miss when it comes to choosing records. There's a reason why he's wildly known for his debut and why Jay-Z has many classic albums. Jay's the better muscian. He has a great ear for what sounds good to a mass audience, while also bringing the 'hip-hop rapping lyrical' element to it. He knows how to craft a great hook, choose great beats, melodies and verses are the last bit, which justs o happens to be great. In short, he "get's it". He has an ear for what will "pop", and what's filler. A lot of lyricist rappers throw mud at the wall, see what sticks, get one or two hits, and fall off. They've spent TOO much time "rapping and being lyrical" and not enough time putting together a record that can make people think and bob their head at the same time. Why? Because it's difficult. Very difficult. It's easier for a lyricist who spent eveyr waking moment rapping to just 'freestyle' over a beat, with no structure or storyline. It takes greater skill to have that ability AND just have that ear for what will catch the publics attention. When I craft music, I almost always start with a melody and hook, and the versus follow. For lyricist, they're too concerned with the poetry part of a record and not the music part. Jay-Z did it the best. Pac, arguably, second best (maybe 1st if he was still alive). Followed by a few others, but not many. On the flip side, you have some rappers who are better OFF the record, or rapping as little as possible and just "letting the beat ride" without their corny bars and obvious lack of lyrical talent. That's why there's an influx of "instrumentals" and wanting only to hear that backing track without the rapper on it because bad rapping can take away from the greatness of the music alone. A good rapper's sound and bars should add too the music, not take it away. Aga

This guy literally said that 90s rappers indistinguishable besides their lyrical ability. Then had the nerve to put Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes in the same picture... Ethos dead.

Anyone thinking of logic's career and how he chose to evolve from a hardcore lyricist to a more mainstream rapper instead. Still keeping a go flow and could rap like crazy, but choosing to do more of a different style sometimes

Lyricist should stop rapping over the beat and rap with it

How is top teir lyricism not cool when, Jay Em, Kdot and Cole outsell all mumble rappers and its not even close.

My musical taste is all over the place, I guess I could be considered an old head given my age but I enjoy conscience rap, “lyrical miracle” rap, or mumble rap, depends on the mood I’m in tbh. My main issue is the artists that don’t have respect for hip hop and the genre as a whole. They wanna use hip hop influences to sell records but have no respect for it.

Mainstream follows the money if u love the art you’ll find the music. This has always been true wether it was singing or rapping....

Good lyrics were never enough. It takes charisma and the look is always a factor. These days artist just lack the package. They would rather make a melodic hit for a quick buck. “Lyrical Rappers” just decided to make more of a contextual project over the years. Unfortunately these type of projects don’t sell as many records so artist default to the easy route ... Lyrics and fast rapping don’t go hand and hand by the way. Also, the shit that is selling the most isnt necessarily the best out. It’s just marketed better. A lot of this shit is smoke and mirrors. Long story short, like what you like. Don’t contribute to the mainstream opinion. Music is in a beautiful place right now. There’s sooo many vibes and unforgettable talented artist , just do some exploring. And what lil yachty said about “serious rap” made me lose every ounce of respect for him. Man doesnt have one good song. He essentially won the lottery when it comes to this rap shit. Garbage catalog. In the long run, the serious/talented rappers will win. These SoundCloud guys had a nice lil run but it’s clearly over. All these “Lils” are just MC hammer clones. Gimmicks. Not gonna last long. One hit wonders. It’s so obvious the artist with talent and morals win at the end of the day.

The TikTok & KZfaq shorts have shorten attention span and hence catchy chorus and hook grab more attentions than lyrical geniuses over 3 switches

I listen to all kinds off rap: lyrical, mumble, melodic, etc

Lyrical rap is the foundation of hip hop. No matter what trend is happening, you can never erase the pillars of rap. Autotune is a trend just like bone thugs/twista type rap. It will always come back to who has BARS. Kendrick, Rapsody, etc will live on forever. Lil pump, boat, baby, etc will be just like crucial conflict and others that have come and gone

I'm not trying to dissect double entendre's and have philosophical debates about some bars at the club, im trying to have some big booty thots dance on me while I'm having fun smoking and drinking. That's the kind of music I enjoy, lyrical rap is cool but some people try to flip it and talk down on people who don't listen to lyrical rap like they're unintelligent and that's not true for the most part. So it comes off as corny 🤷‍♂️

Lyrical rap is still strong its just that other styles have gotten even more popular cause there are more 9 year Olds listening to hip hop now then ever

Jay being more "successful" than Nas being the downfall of lyricalism is the Mr. Fantastic of stretches...dont most people consider both lyrical?

I like lyrical rap. I have to listen to music that's telling me something, like a story. It doesn't even have to be profound or deep. If a dude is gonna talk about drugs, cool, but be more than that. Even as a hobbie, I don't write shit that has no meaning.

There should be a balance rappers being lyrical whilst still allowing us to turn up I'm pretty sure there are some great artist who have hella bars in a turn up song an artist would be hella successful if they had this new watered down style to appeal to hype beasts and have lyrical songs to appeal to the more lyrical audiences

Good one bro

almost nobody bring up denzel currys name for some reason