‘’Let’s Start Here’’, Experimentation and Rappers Shouldn’t Have To Be Experimental to be Respected

After a recent hot streak of collaborative efforts with the Michigan rap scene, Michigan Boy Boat, and the SoundCloud released song ‘’Poland’’ which caught fire and eventually ended up being put on streaming, Yachty is back with Let’s Start Here.

Throughout this album Yachty’s direction sonically is drastically different than from previous albums, but it does remind me of his debut in a sense. Where even though wasn’t a fan of it, I appreciated it, because making something that doesn’t exactly align with your core sound isn’t easy. Especially for a debut.

The reason It Starts Here rubs me the wrong way isn’t necessarily the music itself, which I think is respectable and enjoyable at times. It’s more of the intent. One thing about experimentation and going outside of the box is that the intent shouldn’t be simply to get nods, or simply to ‘’please’’ a subgroup of people. It should be because you want to make that. That’s what makes art, art. I don’t think this project is bad by any means, but Yachty’s presence on here is noticeable yet faint.

I think experimentation is a great thing for hip-hop and music.

HOWEVER

Is it really experimentation when you aren’t fusing yourself and particular musical elements to make something original? Like earlier, what’s the point in art if theirs ulterior motives outside of something YOU want to make because YOU, not everyone else.

Which leads me to the point that rappers shouldn’t have to be experimental or making something outside of their genre/sub-genre to be taken seriously. Hip-hop is a spectrum and should be treated as such. I really hate when rappers call themselves artists. Because it depreciates such a diverse art form. And it makes out the genre to be a stepping stool or second fiddle when it isn’t that. It’s a very human feeling to want to be taken seriously. But, the acceptance from ‘’the masses’’ is a slippery slope.