Superproducer Jermaine Dupri recently shared his sentiments on the state of hip-hop. In his words, “Hip hop is hurting…!”
Over the last few years, much public discourse has been held on the state of various genres of music. There are two genres in particular in which different industry professionals in the Black community have taken a vested interest: the state and future of R&B and Hip Hop.
In 2019 HipHopDX dedicated a piece to the status of hip-hop, entitled “Hip Hop in 2020: We Gon Be Alright.” The article cut straight to the heart of the matter, indicating that “the same discussion continues without resolution.” And it’s true. Three years ago, Tory Lanez expressed how rap, a subset of hip-hop, was in a horrible place.
In an April 2022 interview with the Washington Post, RZA, founder of the legendary group Wutang Clan said Hip Hop lacked wisdom. And now Jermaine Dupri has added to the conversation.
Jermaine Dupri
Dupri, who has been in the music business for decades, is known for producing some of the hottest acts in R&B and Hip hop. However, as of late, his focal point has shifted to R&B, which has yet to be recognized. So in a recent interview with Vibe, Dupri was questioned on that recent shift to making R&B his priority.
Dupri kept it honest. He’s taking the projects that come his way. He said, “As a producer, people continue to want me to produce R&B records.” And at the end of the day in business, you turn to where the money is. However, while he shifted a bit, he still didn’t leave hip-hop hanging. And he didn’t close the conversation without name-dropping the current rap artist with which he’s been working,
“I want to say this: I’m dropping a rap project with Curren$y.”
Dupri On The State Of Hip Hop
Although Dupri’s conversation with Vibe began as an exploration into the rationales behind his current focus, it quickly shifted to the state of hip hop. It was evident that the current state of hip hop has become a concern for the producer, which might also explain his change of focus. According to The Source to Dupri, “Hip hop has grown stale.” But he didn’t stop there. His subsequent statements perhaps add context to why he believed the genre was suffering. According to the producer, there’s been a drop-off in the quality of hip-hop artists, especially in Atlanta. He said, “Right now, Atlanta’s dropped to two top artists: Lil Baby and Future.” And that’s a far cry from what the Atlanta market was putting forward a few years ago. And to dissuade confusion, he went on to clarify what he meant by top-tier artists.
“I’m not talking about artists making records, but No. 1 songs. Artists that other people feel define the game.”
However, he also quickly acknowledged that the drop had nothing to do with the presence of talent. And that’s all that matters at the end of the day.
It’s All Cyclical
This issue of the waxing and waning of the state of hip-hop remains a sticking point in the music industry. But unfortunately, it is an issue that isn’t going to dissipate. Like any other market, the music industry is in flux. There will be high points and low points. But given the cyclical nature of markets, it’s incredibly likely Hip-hop will return to a climactic moment. That is, as long as talented artists are willing to hustle and get the work out there and fans are there to support them.
