Sort of like the economy, the current state of hip-hop depends on who you ask. There were the reports last month that, for the first time in 35 years, no hip-hop song had reached the top 40 on the Hot 100 that sent much of the rap world into an existential crisis. Even so, while rap’s metrics might be down, it’s influence is clearly going strong, as three rap albums make up the nominees for Album of the Year at next year’s Grammys. Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia, Clipse‘s triumphant comeback album Let God Sort Em Out, and, naturally, Kendrick Lamar‘s GNX. Even if rap’s been somewhat absent on the charts this year, it makes up for more than a third of the Album of the Year nominees.
The two things might in fact be related. The most impactful mainstream rap of the past year has come in the form of craft-driven, full-length projects that, with the exception of Kendrick and SZA’s chart-dominating hit “Luther,” leaned heavier on album cuts than the types of singles that play well on the charts, especially in the current algorithm-driven environment. Chromakopia finds Tyler, the Creator grappling with the realities of adulthood, and takes on a distinctly narrative approach. Similarly, Let God Sort Em Out, is as technically precise a rap album has been released in recent memory, and eschews obvious pop-baiting hits for pure raps.
Kendrick Lamar, among the few rappers this year to dominate the charts this year, achieved a combination of both with GNX — a rousing and bright offering that balanced the expectations coming off of his high-profile vanquishing of Drake, and delivered on a well-constructed assembly of his greatest strengths. With each of the rap albums nominated for Album of the Year, it’s clear that as far as the artistry goes, hip-hop is in fact, in a pretty good place. In fact, it has been for some time, despite what naysayers might think.
The nominations follow last year’s Grammys, where Kendrick Lamar’s zeitgeist-defining diss track “Not Like Us,” took center stage garnering him the award for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.” He could complete something of a hat trick — a Grammy for Song of the Year, a Super Bowl Performance, and another Grammy for Album of the Year — with a win this year. For Clipse, the nomination marks the duo’s first in 22 years — since 2003, when they were nominated in the category Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for their track with Justin Timberlake, “Like I Love You.” A win for Chromakopia would be Tyler’s third Grammy win, and would follow his rousing performance at last year’s show.
All of which is to say hip-hop remains clearly at the forefront of culture, especially in music, and chart performance, especially in a world of alleged streaming bots and viral one-hit-wonders, only tell part of the story.
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