Odd Future, Wiz Khalifa, and the Internet-Rap Atomization
Tom Breihan connects the dots between Wiz, Lil B, OF and, somehow, Drake and Kanye in this Pazz & Jop essay.
He concludes with an interesting observation which suggests that critical and cultural acceptance of West’s latest opus was the result of “goodwill” he achieved by “spending months throwing free MP3s at whoever would listen” — a strategy seemingly credited to the aforementioned “limited-appeal” artists.
All of this, Breihan posits, represents a paradigm shift away from attempts to “crossover” in (Internet) rap, and instead finds artists “content to languish in their own self-created worlds.” There’s definitely truth to this, as audience fragmentation caused by the Internet enables all the varied types of artistic self-expression to reach, and resonate with, like-minded fans.
The idea of Drake “priming” music consumers (or what’s left of them) for an openness to nebulous rapper worlds, though, is probably overblown. It’s a tough sell, imo, that a former child-star’s charmed pop life and quiet-storm productions laid the groundwork for “Like A Martian,” “I’m Miley Cyrus,” or “Earl,” to reach an Internet tipping point
If anything, I think that audience disaffection towards Drake’s bland brand of whatever you want to call it did far more than any 80s synth jams could to usher in the era of “Kill Them All.”
Regardless, a thoughtful piece that’s worth a couple of minutes of your time.
-SM
