This is not a review of a review, but it is a review of society’s view on the lack of significance of a certain band. As a lover of ignorant, loud, and violent music, I idolize Waka Flocka, Gucci, OG Maco, and the like. Sometimes I want nothing of substance to blast me out of reality into a world where nothing exists but blaring beats, hysterically rapid high-hats, and lyrics that put me in trance … “it’s a party, it’s a party it’s a part.”
Today, this is becoming one of the most prevalent species of hip hop, enjoyed by people looking for escape from the monotony of every day, or the harsh realities of life, where getting rough and rowdy is like a therapy session. As a middle class white male I really get that.
Anyway, from where did this style evolve? How did we get this blend of such hardcore music accompanied by simple, meaningless, ignorantly beautiful lyrics? There is only one correct answer, and that is intelligent design. So who was the designer?
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You’re goddamn right it’s Fred Durst. BUT WAIT HEAR ME OUT!! Really, there’s nothing intellectually curious about Limp Bizkit, it’s just ignorant ass music, which is exactly my point. These guys took a little metal, some simple lyrics, grabbed a D.J. and started yelling like Cookie Monster into a mic. That curious combination produced absolute gold. They don’t deserve the heat that they get from critics or society at large, they’re not even close to the worst thing to come out of Florida…
I won’t get into the history of the band right now, stay posted for that update, but the parallels in today’s popular hip-hop is more similar to the work of Limp Bizkit than Big L. Word play is rare in today’s hip hop, it was also rare with Durst’s lyrics. He actually rhymed “here” with “here.” Seems like Weezy owed Freddie that Young Money deal for borrowing that eloquent line.
What attracts people to this music? I don’t know I’m not a psychologist. What I do know is that people like it. To much of Gen X’s chagrin, Limp Bizkit was HUGE in 1999 and a little while after, until Linkin Park ruined NuMetal. At that love fest known as Woodstock ‘99, Limp Bizkit had the entire crowd ready to tear each other apart. They were gods! Today, we have people in their late teens to early twenties lining up to see A$AP Ferg (who actually has clever wordplay), 21 Savage, and Migos. These guys just rap about ignorant shit while the crowd comes dangerously close to rioting, and IT IS GREAT! We all deserve an escape, and ignorant music that comes dangerously close to coaxing you into violence is therapeutic and necessary. It’s fantastic to see hip hop developing along the evolutionary track that other genres have journeyed.
Once hip hop moves out of its ignorant phase, the pendulum will swing hard in the other direction, much like rock/indie/metal music in the early 2000s. Artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Xxxtentacion, Juice WRLD, and Trippie Redd are going to carry hip hop to the other side of the “feelings” spectrum, and get real poignant with it. That’s right, hip hop is evolving, and its next phase is Emo.
Until then…..
Fitchpork 