Mumble Rap Vs Lyrical Rap

“Apna Time Ayega” has become a proof of the rap culture that is taking the world by storm. We saw rap battles in the movie Gully Boy which were not mainstreamed in India. The techniques are highly influenced by the western rap culture. If you are a listener to Honey Singh and thought that was all rap was about, then probably Gully Boy would give a proper insight.

Hip Hop is so culturally evolved that it stems a lot of genres like rap, B-boying, graffiti painting and deejaying. Rap has held top charts in billboards from the time of Tupac and Biggie. Rap today has many types in itself. The most debated is mumble rap, as to whether it can be taken as rap or nah? Lyrical rap is known to be true form of rap. Usually lyrics are used to tell stories, with beats and rhythm. Lyricism is taking a back seat at present. Mumble rap is trendy because of its catchy beats. Hooks are the functional key of these tracks. Repeating the words back and forth makes the song easy to remember and jam on it, like “Gucci Gang…. Gucci Gang… Gucci Gang…. Gucci Gang…” The most attractive feature of mumble rap are the beats with hardly any focus on the lyrics. It has drawn a number of criticisms, like being an insult to talented artists and pinned for glamorizing drug use. Taking it as a new genre, it has to be given enough time to evolve. Rappers like Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty and Playboi Carti are very young and prominent figures in this sub-genre whose music have tremendously evolved like the latest from 21 savage’s “a lot”, which has a very intense theme and lyrics. Lyricism in rap has kept generations hooked on to it. But lately there has been changes in its pace. The rappers like J Cole, Logic, Eminem still hold the lyrical rap culture alive. These tracks can put any listener in the intended mood with the word play and story. Lyrical genius, Eminem’s latest album Kamikaze is evidently a big critique to mumble rap in which he has made it clear that the rap culture is on an evolutionary process but lyrical rap is still genuine form of rap. This sub-genre focuses on word play and rhyming skills.

The origin of rap was pretty much from the clever use of words and sounds. This very element is missing in the present rap culture. This is seen because the present audience is bent towards the beats, EDM and trap music. Rap was seen as the voice of the marginal and establishment of black identity. Today we see it as the product of different cultures, as the Korean rap or the Arabic rap or Indian rap, has its own essence. So be it with mumble rap, which is a reflection of the present youth.