Mumble Rap - Either you love it or hate it
Just recently, a certain young rapper's name and fame had blown up all over the internet, because of a song that uses a certain phrase 53 times. Yes, I'm talking about Lil Pump and his infamous rap song "Gucci Gang". Much of his rapping style and mannerism have attracted a lot of attention and controversy, which piqued my curiosity of the genre of mumble rap all together.
Mumble rappers have both immense popularity and face severe criticism. This is a subgenre that caters to young, party loving people. The music videos and lyrics are all about having fun, partying, money and all the materialistic things people enjoy. So this kind of music shares the age old complaint with other mainstream rap styles – of not having any deep or impactful meaning.
This style of rap also gets a lot of backlash for "mumbling" or to be precise, having barely decipherable lyrics and using the mouth to make random noises instead of actual lyrics. Before Lil Pump came and took the hip-hop community by storm with songs like "D-Rose" and "Gucci Gang", artists such as Desiigner and Lil Yachty had brought mumble rap to the spotlight back in 2016.
The general attitude towards this style of music seems to be divided in two categories. On one hand, you have people who believe that the mumbling combined with the strong beats is a form of artistry, where lyrics are not important for making good music. On the other hand, you have the critique that challenges the skill required to make such music and believes that using monotonous unclear ramblings as lyrics is an insult to the legacy of rap.
Personally, while I am fan of a lot of mainstream rappers, this particular style of rap is not my cup of tea. I prefer to listen to clearly pronounced words with catchy and clever rhymes that are only complemented by the beats. But I will admit, songs like "Panda" and "D-Rose" have a certain energy about them which absorbs you into their rhythm. So I can certainly understand the huge following and fan base that mumble rap has acquired.
I also think the supposed "lack of skill" that many people complain about this style of music is actually a credit to the rappers. You have to be very smart and talented to have your songs up at the top of Billboard charts while making it look effortless.
At the end of the day, music preference is entirely subjective and we should definitely have respect for all styles of music. Also, did you know that Lil Pump is a 17 year old musician performing and hosting 18+ concerts?
Mushfiqur Rahman Shanto is an undercover wizard who spends his days quietly observing muggles. Send him new magic spells at mushfiqshanto1234@gmail.com