Three Requirements To Be The “Future Of Rap”
In their upcoming issue, our friends over at VIBE magazine have hailed Florida rapper Plies as the “future of rap”. While an obvious marketing tool to strike up debate and get the streets talking, some standards need to be placed on what exactly constitutes an artist rightfully being named “the future” of this thing we call hip-hop.
In the disposable era we live in, we all are quick to deem what is hot now will always be hot. As any head will know, hip-hop is straight ruthless when it comes to gassing up a rapper one day and then dropping them the next. Anyone deemed to be the “future of rap” needs to earn that title.
I have my own criteria that should be applied to any rapper before such a title is bestowed. From the jump, I think its important to point out I’m not trying to jump on Plies. Is he the future? I don’t know. But I think its important to size dude up and see if he should even be considered .
Maybe Plies should be, maybe he shouldn’t. Let’s get it:
1. You have to put out at least two albums
To qualify for even having a future in hip-hop, let alone being the future of it, you need to successfully break the sophomore jinx. This will separate the one-hit wonders and the fads from those who have longevity in the game. If your second album bricks, you’re out.
Plies wins on this one. Both The Real Testament and Definition of Real went gold, and in this climate, that’s no small feat. Although, I’m not sure if Definition moved units on the strength of Testament . But I’ll definitely give him the benefit of the doubt.
2. Your joint is a “must have” for hip-hop fans
Hip-hop has always been divided into coasts, but it is now further divided into regions. We all know that the south is blowing up right now – and I have love for them. But to be considered the future, you need to have a certain kind of universality: heads in NYC need to bump your ish as hard as your own hometown does. Backpackers, hustlers, hipsters, skateboarders, goons, gangsters and casual listeners need to all bump your tracks.
You have to be so hot, a head would have to forfeit his hip-hop credentials if he didn’t cop your joint. Snoop Dogg did that. Li’l Wayne, did that. Eminem did that. Outkast, Kanye, Jigga, Biggie, Tupac, Dr. Dre, T.I., all did that. These dudes transcended their origins and created a pan-regional fan base. It didn’t matter when you’re from, you were checking these dudes.
I’m not saying that Plies doesn’t have fans all over, but its difficult to argue that this man has the same universality as the others listed. You need to sell hard everywhere. Sure, “Shawty” was a monster. Now, I would argue that had something to do with the Vocoder bandit , who was on fire when this single dropped. But even still, Plies gets the props – it was his single. But “Shawty” aside, Plies doesn’t have the strength to go far beyond the FLA. I don’t have any of his albums. Enough said.
3. You must move hip-hop forward
This last point doesn’t have anything to do with sales or popularity, but it arguably the most important attribute any “future” artist should possess: Eminem increased the reach of hip-hop way beyond its previous borders; Dre created the G-Funk era and laid live instruments on his tracks; 50 Cent created a massive buzz through his use of artist based mixtapes; KRS-One created “conscious rap”; Kanye West brought soul samples back while elevating rap to a higher art form; Lauryn Hill showed you could sing and rap and sell; Outkast broke barrier after creative barrier.
Diddy was the first music mogul. Lil Wayne sold 1 million in his first week. Nas had everyone gassed over Illmatic . Even Soulja Boy showed that there was a market for ringtones and Internet-based buzz could translate into album sales.
Besides going gold, what has Plies brought to the table? What unique quality has he presented that will keep him relevant for years to come? From what I can see, he’s just another rapper. Period. What makes him different from other spitters like Jadakiss, The Game or Rick Ross?
There is a distinct difference between being in the pack and leading it. Is Plies proper? Sure. He does his thing and I respect it. And I may be the first dude digging in with a knife and fork to eat my words if his upcoming Da REAList is the greatest thing since The Chronic . But I can’t predict that, and neither can VIBE.
Does Plies have a future? Yup. Is he “the future”? Nah.
Tags: Plies, VIBE magazine
