The Disdain For Current Mainstream Rap Is Getting Louder

Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast co-host Wallo had a few things to get off his chest on Sunday (October 8). Taking to Instagram, the 44-year-old laid into the current state of rap, calling for the powers that be to wake up. He claims the rap industry landscape is “undergoing a remarkable transformation” and insists fans of the genre have grown tired of the monotony ruling the charts.

“It’s intriguing to observe that many artist teams have yet to catch up with this evolving dynamic,” he wrote in part. “The era of relying solely on flashy jewelry, ostentatious fashion choices, references to drugs, and flaunting firearms to capture attention is fading into obscurity. What truly resonates with audiences now is not the gimmicks but rather the power of authentic, high-quality music.

“For a significant period, it seemed like attention-grabbing antics and manufactured controversies were the driving force behind the rap game’s success. However, this era is gradually drawing to a close. The numbers, particularly those on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, Apple charts, are painting a starkly different picture. They reveal that it’s not the manufactured motion or shock value that propels artists to the forefront but the quality of their music and the genuine connection they establish with their listeners.”

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For the past few years, rappers like 6ix9ine and Lil Pump were able to skate by using social media to generate controversy. 6ix9ine seemed to diss a fellow rapper every week (dead or alive), while Lil Pump criticized Eminem, one of the biggest-selling artists in music history. Wallo continued by noting how important it is to put the time in to becoming a skilled rapper—not just picking the right collaborator in hopes of blowing up.

“In this transformed landscape, the practice of paying for a feature from a more established artist no longer guarantees success,” he said. “It’s increasingly apparent that each artist has their own unique impact, and success is often built on individual merit rather than collaborations alone. This shift underscores the importance of honing one’s craft, producing compelling and resonant music, and cultivating a genuine fan base.

“In essence, the rap game is experiencing a significant metamorphosis, and artists and their teams must adapt to this new reality by prioritizing musical authenticity and the cultivation of a devoted fan following, rather than relying on outdated gimmicks and manufactured trends.”

Wallo is the latest to express his disdain for current rap. Juicy J recently shared a similar sentiment, as pointed out by TMZ. In a clip, he talked about the 40 percent decrease in rap album sales and implored rappers, producers, composers and engineers to “turn this s##t around.”

AllHipHop attended an event at the Recording Academy in Santa Monica last month, where Xzibit and Layzie Bone also lamented the state of rap. The discussion continued to wander through each participants’ respective careers but kept returning to where Hip-Hop stands as a culture. The overall consensus was painfully clear—something needs to change.

“Everything sounds the same,” Xzibit said. “Listen, there’s two factors that I believe are stifling music. Because Hip-Hop is so huge and it made so many people so much money, they think anybody can do it. For example, if you go and say, ‘I love football,’ but you won’t take your ass down there, suit up and get on the field when it’s time, you won’t do that. Everyone feels that Hip-Hop is so accessible that anybody can do it. It’s become a mockery of itself. That’s one.

“Number two, I think it’s become too accessible. Back in the day, there was a time that you had to go into somebody’s office and get an investment into your career. Now, if you have a laptop and WiFi, you can be an artist, which just crowds the whole lane. You’re doing yourself a disservice by participating in that.”

Layzie Bone chimed in with, “It just f##### the whole game up,” to which Xzibit said, “First of all, we should have unionized. We should have had some kind of union and a board and organized ourself. Right now, 50 years later, we still don’t own s###. Until we own it, until we control it, until we have a say on who gets to f###ng call themselves this and call themselves that like everybody else, it’s going to continue to spiral out of control.

“That’s why we aren’t on Billboard because nobody is in the pilot seat, guiding us where we’re supposed to go. We went to thousand to millions to billions—this is a billion-dollar industry—but until we take the focus and clean up our own backyard, then it’s not going to have the same respect that it’s garnered in the past.”