The rap game has been derailed for quite some time now with mumble rappers like Desiigner of “Panda”, Young Thug of “Lifestyle”, Lil Yachty of “One Night”, and more colliding with Lyricism to make “Mumblism” ever since 2013.

If you haven’t heard of a mumble rapper, please allow me to educate you. Mumble rappers are rappers who rose to fame from random ad-lib in songs, or mumbling on well produced instrumentals.

The first time I encountered this “Mumblism” was March 11, 2012 when Chief Keef released “I don’t like”. He mumbled and ad-libbed his way to fame. I remember how idiotic my peers sounded when they would rap his music.

“Bang bang.” Up and down corridors, at teachers, to their girlfriends—it just didn’t end! I went to Marquette, a predominantly white percentage of students attend it. Their view of ‘great rap’ had me laughing the year away. One hit song of his after the next.

June 5, 2015, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan dropped “Lifestyle” with Rich Gang. “Been-libin-not-light-beginning” is all you could make out from Young Thug. He actually says “…livin’ life like beginners”. Not as good when you actually know the lyrics.

Mumble rappers have taken the game by storm, claiming spots in the billboard top 20, misleading what the Hip-Hop and Rap is meant to be and destroying lyricism. We ask ourselves “what happened to quality rap” and “what are they even saying” more than “wow! What’s next?”

Since rap became a way of life and a statement to society, NWA would provide the youth the means to stand up against oppression by the designation of the amendments. Yet the media, as it is now, is putting away with great rappers and promoting the Mumblists we know today. KRS-One, Nas, Rakim, and Common have been influential voices of the black community, elucidating the struggles of black families. Nas, providing the chance to struggling youth to fight and know themselves—the intelligence and prospects in life they can acquire although the world surrounding does not provide. KRS-One combating the police brutality and exposing the fake rappers.

Alas! A rapper who has become a major face of the rap community has proven himself. He released his album in 2010 titled Overly Dedicated which hits against several other albums. However, 2011 came and Section.80 was then released. “Rigamortus”, “Blow my High”, “HiiiPower”, and more shot Kendrick Lamar to the charts. 2012, brought “good kid, m.A.A.d city”, which released full album of bangers that landed Kendrick in the same level of Drake and Lil Wayne.

In 2013, Kendrick Lamar featured in Big Sean’s “Control”, releasing a murdering verse to challenge competitors. Proceeding his work, To Pimp A Butterfly and untitled unmastered. rose to the top. Barack Obama invited Kendrick Lamar on Jan 11, 2016 to the White House. Their meeting was videoed for The Pay It Forward program that promotes the mentoring of the inner city youth. Obama also expressed his favorite song by the rapper in 2015 was “How Much A Dollar Cost”.

With his newest Album DAMN. Toping global charts, and top ten in over a dozen countries on Spotify, Kendrick is really showing the truth of the fight—a fight regarding the black community, cops, youth, politics, etc. Top tracks such as “HUMBLE”, “DNA”, “LOYALTY”, and “God” make the album completely stand out. “HUMBLE” taking number one on the billboard with 20 mediocre/mumble rappers following. J. Cole at 21.

If you haven’t heard his album yet, get to it because damn.