Upcoming rap, not hip hop artist, Skizzy Mars and a couple of his latest songs featured on his own Soudcloud page.
Including sounds of Summer11, Coming Down, and Sideways.
Check it out, can't say I hate it. I literally just discovered his music. I'm letting it settle in my ears and understanding it. I do love it so far, I probably found a new favorite artist.
Now for more on that "Rap, not Hip Hop."
What does that mean? A lot of rappers these days are not hip hop artists. Just like all singers aren't opera singers, R&B singers, country singers, soul singers, disco singers, etc. Rap is an action, not a genre, as most people would get confused. A lot of people like to group "rap" and "hp-hop" as the same thing, whereas one is a verb, an action, and the other is an actual genre with tons of subgenres... arguably, everything rap related is hip-hop, or with hip-hop roots. But as one may argue Chief Keef not being "hip-hop," the same can be argued with artists like Chiddy Bang, B.o.B., and Lil Wayne. There is nothing similar with these artists in their art styles, and the only thing they have in common is their vocal style of reciting lyrics, called "RAPPING."
I figured if no one else would take the time to clarify, I should. Going back to Chiddy Bang, B.o.B., and Lil Wayne. Within hip-hop exists sub genres such as Trap, Electronic, and Alternative. Titled correctly as "Trap Hip Hop," "Electronic Hip Hop," and "Alternative Hip Hop," in my opinion. These artists need to be titled correctly with or without the "hip-hop" label in the end of the genre title.
I feel like these artists can be called "Trap" artists, "Electronic" artists, and "Alternative" artists, whether you decide to add "Hip-hop" in the title or not. Because the style of reciting lyrics, again called rapping, does not define the whole song, as any song isn't defined solely upon reciting lyrics, but by the beat, the breakdown, the vocals, the effects, and more.
And if this still doesn't make sense, let's cover Chief Keef's credibility in today's hip hop, and in hip hop as a whole.
Many old school hip hop heads can say that Chief Keef took a stab at hip hop and ruined it, however as a successful artist labeled as "Hip Hop," this can either mean hip-hop has evolved, or hip-hop just isn't as simple as we may think it is or label it to be. As if the controversy of new artists haven't been challenging this way of thinking already... But the truth is, artists who make their way into the industry of music are slowly killing the label of what was once a simple genre, and creating more, opening doors for new artists and innovation.
That being said, I think it's safe to say without any negative notation, that hip-hop has died, but brought life and shed light upon new beginnings of what hasn't yet been created in the urban society of music and entertainment...
So, ladies and gentlemen, readers of Wolf At Midnight, I present to you, Rap, Not Hip Hop artist, Skizzy Mars.
Note: I must add that after writing all of this, it gave me enough time to listen to this man's art and make sense of it. I do love his music, his audio art is undeniable. The drive he has, for me to just be discovering his music really says a lot.
I haven't mentioned this to anyone yet, nor explained it, but as a music and culture enthusiast, I find power in good music artists who I've just discovered. I usually find artists as they're budding into full-blown flowers, so I figure this guy has a long, successful road ahead of him, and I'm ready to see what's in store for us in the future from SkizTheRapper, aka Skizzy Mars.
