Bow Wow says there’s a reason no rap artist has scored a No. 1 hit this year — recent releases have been “trash.”
Los Angeles radio station Power 106 caught up with the rapper and actor on the red carpet at Sunday’s BET Awards.
Asked why recent hip-hop releases haven’t resonated with fans, Bow Wow was quick with an answer.
“Stop putting out trash ass music,” he said.
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The “You Can Get It All” rapper made it clear, he wasn’t joking.
“Everything sound alike, everything repetitive, same tempo,” he added.
The CSI: Cyber actor noted that consumers want more artistry.
“I think people are starting to get tired of it, that’s why you don’t see nothing charting,” he explained. “Everything sounds the same, every girl wants to get a bag, get a rich ni–a… it’s time to shake the game up and get it back to what it needs to get back to, and that’s just the real essence of artistry, and real good music that’s gone last forever.”
Asked if he thinks there are any rappers currently bringing creativity to the genre, he mentioned Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.
With the exception of those three artists, Bow Wow said no recent releases will stand the test of time.
“I ain’t heard nothing that I’d say, ‘I’m gonna hear this 30 years from now, nothing,’” he said.
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Although he does think there will soon be changes in the industry.
“We’re finally getting to a point to where, I feel like, now it’s about to shift into the real, where you really gotta have talent,” he explained.
Earlier this month, Billboard reported that no rap release has made it to No. 1 this year on the Billboard 200 album chart or the Hot 100 singles chart.
The publication said by June 2022, six different rappers had put out No. 1 albums — Gunna (DS4Ever), Lil Durk (7220), Tyler, The Creator (Call Me If You Get Lost), Pusha T (It’s Almost Dry), Future (I Never Liked You), and Kendrick Lamar (Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers).
In terms of singles, rap hits from Jack Harlow (“First Class”) and Future and Drake (“Wait For U”) had reached the No. 1 position by this time last year.
The magazine said there are several reasons hip-hop music has lost market share — the “most popular and reliable artists are not releasing projects” this year.
It also said some of the most promising artists in the genre have “fallen victim to gun violence, incarceration, drug abuse, or excessive police surveillance.” The article specifically mentioned late rappers XXXTentacion, Juice WRLD, and Pop Smoke.
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Bow Wow Calls on Rap Industry to Stop Releasing ‘Trash’ Music