Fabolous has admitted that top-tier lyricism is a little harder to find in Hip Hop today, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone.
Hosted by Big Tigger, the veteran MC was a guest on a new episode of Rap City Beyond the Basement which was released on Wednesday (October 18).
Coming out of a discussion about which MCs will “carry the torch” for the next 50 years of Hip Hop, the conversation then turned to lyricism in today’s rap music.
“I think it’s still here, in a sense. It’s just not always pushed to the forefront,” Fab said. “I think people need to hear lyrics that push them, that inspire them, create memories to. They need those. Every song can’t just be party, turn up. You need something that gives you…”
“Balance,” Big Tigger responded, before Fab added: “We’re getting [lyricism] in little spurts.”
He referenced an earlier part of the conversation where the panel members (Tigger, Fab, Bow Wow, Kenny Burns, and DJ Jelly) spoke about “what’s getting pushed and who’s pushing it,” and that those decisions account for why lyrical rappers don’t always get the biggest commercial looks.
“But I believe [lyricism is] here and I believe even now, the audience has the power to research it,” Fab conlcuded. “They could search online, they could find those guys.”
You can see the discussion below, beginning at the 22:46 mark.
His statements on Rap City Beyond the Basement aren’t the only time that Fab has weighed in on the contemporary Hip Hop scene. This past July, he shared his thoughts on the current batch of female rap stars.
“I love hearing female rappers talking some real shit,” Fab wrote on his Instagram Story. “Women are so strong. Have so many stories and perspectives that we need to hear in pure form.”
He continued: “No disrespect to any female rappers out there but I think there’s only one style of female rap/Hip Hop being promoted, programmed and looked at as successful now.”
Bow Wow, who was also on the Rap City panel with Fab, recently shared his thoughts about the current state of the music industry and how those involved need to take more responsibility about what they put out into the world.
On Monday (October 16), the former So So Def star posted a series of tweets in which he addressed the dominant subject matter in mainstream music and how he believes it’s detrimental to Hip Hop.
“Can we please bring back artist development at these labels,” he wrote. “Do these labels even care about these artist? Yall be throwing them on platforms knowing they not ready. A boxer is trained and taught before battle. We just keep throwing these subpar ass artist out here with no proper teaching.
“Its too many real ones out here on the come up like symba west side boogie i can name so many more lady london, lola like new artist that GOT IT! who deserve the push… but instead … man im done even speaking on it haha shit be getting me hot.”
He added: “Stop pushing that bs on us! The fans are waking up and hip hop is about to change for the better. Stay in the house if you playing and move over and let the real ones play.”
I always found “lyricism” to be a little geeky. You dontbuse these big dictionary words and metaphors on the streets, so why are you using them in street music ? I never understood why a song about sellingbcrack or robbing banks needed references to some famoud dead person or some historical event that makes you sound like a college professor. Just a southern perspective…
Hip hop and particularly rap was not always performed by the criminals on the street back in the day. There were just normal street dudes who were rapping. You have to understand the steers before the crack era. Hip hop was born before the crack era. Life was not great but the crack era birthed criminality at an unprecedented scale with the 90s bringing the young ones born into the crack era. Your view of hip hop being criminal is incorrect there were street poets etc before that.
I always found “lyricism” to be a little geeky. You dontbuse these big dictionary words and metaphors on the streets, so why are you using them in street music ? I never understood why a song about selling crack or robbing banks needed references to some famous dead person or some historical event that makes you sound like a college professor. Just a southern perspective…
Lyricism is not using big words or “foreign “ words that is not used on the street..it’s about putting words together in rhyme schemes , double and triple entendres..I’ll be happy with just the art of story telling smh rap ain’t the same
@Maybe I’m just stuck in the 90’s I totally agree with you. I second that.
“Lyricism” for me isn’t just the use of big words. It’s also subject matter. These pop sounding rap records could use some big words, but would still be trash. If it can’t blow up on TikTok, the labels don’t want it. It’s microwave rap.
Please, stop posting.
This year’s BET awards showed us that hip hop is dying for real none of the new acts can fucc with Rakim, LL, Jeezy, TIP and Fab’s performances and they were performing song that’s been out for decades
Too bad Fab raps like Nicki Minaj now 🤣