There's been a lot of talk this year regarding the evolution of hip-hop, specifically in regards to the generational shift between artists. Many artists have been criticized for doing something different or not respecting what came before them, especially artists like Lil Yachty, Ugly God, and 21 Savage among others. In recent interview with VladTV, Talib Kweli has added his voice to the conversation, and rather than taking the side of those criticizing newer artists, Kweli has their back.
"Older artists, traditional artists, legacy artists have to learn from newer artists," he says in the interview. "Learn from the 21 Savages and Lil Yachtys and the Ugly Gods I guess that I just heard about just now. People get confused by thinking you gotta like the music, you gotta relate to the music. Music is emotional so people respond to music emotionally, and if it's not something they grew up on, or something that's not speaking their language that they relate to, they're automatically dismissive of it without understanding the movement. They dismiss the movement along with the music."
It's refreshing to hear an older rapper not be so dismissive of the new wave of rappers, instead choosing to respect that times have change and they're providing a reflection of their generation. Not every rapper is influenced by the same music, and instead of choosing to criticize artists that take a completely different approach, it would benefit artists to learn from each other. Watch his full interview above.
