The song is a reference to the sudden growth of popularity given to the Mumble Rap genre during the late 2010s, in which Vin Jay plays 2 different characters, making a comparison between the flow and style of both lyricist rapping and mumble rapping.
"Mumble Rapper vs. Lyricist" by Vin Jay is a thought-provoking and introspective examination of the ongoing debate between mumble rap and traditional lyricism in hip hop. The song highlights the contrasting styles and ideologies of mumble rappers and lyricists, offering a critical analysis of the current state of the genre.
The song begins with Vin Jay assuming the persona of a mumble rapper in the first verse. This section of the song embodies the characteristic traits associated with mumble rap, emphasizing materialism, shallow lyrical content, and a repetitive flow. It depicts the mumble rapper as someone focused on indulging in a lavish lifestyle, with references to money, jewelry, and women. The lyrics convey a sense of superficiality and shallow creativity often attributed to mumble rap.
Vin Jay then transitions to the perspective of a lyricist in the second verse, directly addressing the mumble rapper. He questions the widespread adoption of the mumble rap style and criticizes its lack of originality and substance. Through clever wordplay, Vin Jay asserts his own skills as a lyricist and criticizes the mumble rapper for relying on a repetitive flow that lacks complexity and creativity.
The third verse sees Vin Jay returning as the mumble rapper, defending his style and dismissing the criticism. He argues that rapping about materialistic pursuits is all he knows and claims that his popularity is evidence of his success. This verse reflects the refusal of some mumble rappers to embrace more thoughtful and intricate lyricism.
In response, Vin Jay, as the lyricist, challenges the mumble rapper's approach in the fourth verse. He emphasizes the importance of incorporating intricate wordplay, metaphors, and diverse flows in hip hop. He urges the mumble rapper to step up their game and deliver more skillful and intelligent rhymes instead of relying on repetitive patterns.
The following verses continue to highlight the contrasting perspectives. The mumble rapper glorifies money, possessions, and simplistic rhymes, while the lyricist stresses the need for creativity, originality, and a deeper understanding of the art form. The lyricist evokes legendary figures from hip hop's past, such as Big L and Big Pun, to shed light on the loss of complexity and artistry brought about by the rise of mumble rap.
Throughout the song, Vin Jay uses a variety of techniques, such as wordplay, metaphors, and internal rhymes, to showcase the skills of a lyrical rapper. The mumble rapper, on the other hand, relies on simple and repetitive hooks. This stark contrast aims to emphasize the importance of skillful lyricism and the potential stagnation of the genre if it continues to prioritize popularity over artistic growth.
Ultimately, "Mumble Rapper vs. Lyricist" by Vin Jay serves as a commentary on the ongoing debate between mumble rap and traditional lyricism in hip hop. It raises questions about the artistic integrity and direction of the genre, urging for a return to the days when emcees showcased their lyrical prowess and delivered thoughtful messages. The song is a call to action for the preservation and revitalization of the art form, encouraging artists and listeners alike to value substance and creativity in their music.
Mumble rap is a loosely defined[3] microgenre[5] of hip hop music that largely spread via the online audio distribution platform SoundCloud in the 2010s.[6] The term implies a mumbling or unclear vocal delivery by artists, and has been used to describe rappers who do not share the genre's traditional emphasis on meaningful lyricism.[7]
While the term mumble rap has been taken as derogatory,[8][9] some have reappropriated the label,[10] and various critics and artists have defended the style as a new phase in the evolution of the genre.[11][12][13]
The term "mumble rap" was first used in 2014 by VladTV battle rap journalist Michael Hughes, in an interview with battle rapper Loaded Lux about the style's emergence in mainstream hip hop.[14] There is disagreement over who first rapped in such a style, although its creation has been attributed to rappers such as Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Chief Keef, Young Thug, Migos, and most notably Future, whose 2011 single "Tony Montana" is often cited as the first mumble rap song;[3] however, there have been sources dating as far back as October 2011 of even older releases by other artists. The term was first used to describe rappers whose lyrics were unclear, but the use of the term has expanded to include rappers that some critics claim generally put little emphasis on lyricism or lyrical quality. Some have claimed that artists such as Das EFX and Fu-Schnickens rapped in a similar style years before the term was created.[15] "Mumble rappers" generally rap about drugs, sex, money, jewelry, designer clothing, and partying.[16][17] Rappers labelled as "mumble rappers" also tend to use the "aye" flow, where they add words such as "yeah", "aye" and "uh" to the start or end of their lines.[18]
"Mumble rap" is nearly exclusively used as a derogatory term in reference to a perceived incoherence of the artist's lyrics.[19][20] Oscar Harold of the Cardinal Times stated that "mumble rap" is misleading, arguing that the rappers such as Future rely more upon pop melodies and vocal effects, such as Auto-Tune, than mumbling.[21] Justin Charity, a staff writer at The Ringer, argues that the term is unnecessarily reductive and does not in fact refer to one specific type of rapping. He wrote that many of the artists often scapegoated in conversations about the subgenre do not actually mumble, which "is the red flag that the term isn't a useful subcategorization."[10]
There are disputes as to whether some rappers are mumble rappers or not. There is also conflation between mumble/SoundCloud rap and other new generation-led evolutions or niches such as trap and cloud rap. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Troy L. Smith writes that 21 Savage unfairly gets classified as a mumble rapper.[22]
It would be irresponsible to discuss the artistic value of a certain style of rap music without acknowledging the political ways artistic and cultural value is determined in American society, which marginalizes Black people through nearly every aspect of its structures and institutions. While the previous section demonstrates that we can evaluate mumble rap by Golden Age standards and it proves to be culturally valuable, we must also acknowledge the issues with those standards the way mumble rap disrupts them. Rose alludes to this point back in 1994 too, saying that:
FLORIDO: The rapper known as Takeoff died earlier this week, killed in a shooting outside a Houston bowling alley. His record label said it was a stray bullet. Officials are still investigating, but the 28-year-old singer's death has left the hip-hop world in mourning. Takeoff was a member of the rap group Migos, and their innovations in the genre made them hip-hop superstars. Their style became so influential over the last decade it was dubbed the Migos Flow.
CARMICHAEL: Yeah. I mean, Migos basically started as a family trio, you know, and it was actually Takeoff who convinced his uncle Quavo to start rapping with him. And, you know, eventually Quavo's cousin Offset joined the two of them, and they got discovered by Gucci Mane. They eventually become the first act to get signed to Quality Control, which has now grown into a really powerhouse label in Atlanta at the same time that that Migos has grown into a powerhouse group. And they went on to really change the sound of rap. I mean, their song "Versace" - it's a early hit that breaks big in 2013. And, you know, this was really the era when Atlanta rappers were being denounced as mumble rap. But, you know, Migos' flow was full of triplets, which basically meant they were rhyming in double time and squeezing in even more syllables into every beat.
CARMICHAEL: I mean, I think the strength of the album, one of the strengths is that it really gives Takeoff room to shine. See, Takeoff, he was always really the quiet member of Migos, the least flashy of the crew. You know, if Quavo had the melodic hooks and the charisma on lock, and Offset, he had the slick dance moves and a wife named Cardi B, Takeoff was always the one who was, you know, laying in the cut. But something about that consistency really helped him emerge as like, the best lyricist in the group over time. And he was finally at the point where he was starting to get credit or get the credit he deserved, and really, he was coming into his own.
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