Now this I can almost get behind. However, producers don’t actually get overlooked all that often. Obviously the lesser known producers won’t get as big a return on props per quality as the big names but this is true for any artist in any art form.
Producers have been in the limelight and been receiving widespread recognition for their beats since the very beginning of hip hop. Many producers from the 80s and 90s are some of the most popular names recited by hip hop heads and are also usually considered the greatest.
Producers like Timbaland, Just Blaze, and Kanye are typically celebrated as much as if not more than the artists who rap over their instrumentals. All of whom have notably worked with some of the greatest lyricists and provided the soundscape to some of the most lyrically significant songs in hip hop history.
Lyrics don’t need to take the backseat for producers to get shine.
This is debatable. It destroys hip hop’s limits as a musical genre and makes it more accessible to the world.
On the other hand it will lose it’s most distinct and unique feature. Without a focus on lyrics hip hop is quite literally just pop. Which is neither exciting nor forward thinking.
Even more importantly, it is clear that hip hop is increasingly gaining respectability as a source of literary material. Jay Z wrote a best-selling book built around the breakdown and analysis of his lyrics. The work of lyrical giants such as Nas, Jay Z, and Eminem is being studied in universities in Literature & Linguistics classes, Music History classes, and even classes completely dedicated to such rappers. Even some high school staff members are pushing for implementation of rap studies. An enormous portion of the loyal hip hop following spends hours at a time comparing lyrics in person and on the internet on sites like Genius and KTT.
Furthermore, artists like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, and Lupe Fiasco have all in recent years built successful, even crucial careers on the lyrical strength of their music. Even Drake, who is often ridiculed and mocked for his lyrical content, is still noted for his memorable and quotable lyrics.
Kendrick’s last two albums have both been universally celebrated due to their impressive lyrical content and even more impressive execution. This has earned him a level of respect that an averagely skilled rapper, no matter how popular, can only dream of. This respect is not limited to his peers in the genre or even his predecessors and idols, but to the music industry as a whole including critics and consumers. In fact, because of his lyrical impeccability he has gained a massive group of supporters who place him amongst the greatest of the greats who are also typically remembered for their technique over aesthetic.
The fact is, when hip hop finally makes a full departure from lyrical standard,
IT.
WILL.
DIE.
Plain and simple.
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