Hip hop music was once known as the genre responsible for sending mothers into fits. Every parent’s wish was that their child never gets in contact with Hip hop music. In their eyes, it was dangerous opium for their children. 

Although that perception is slowly changing, it doesn’t mean that the genre has a wider fan base. The complaints about Hip hop music have been around longer than even most of the people complaining.

No one cares about lyrics anymore, just beats

This is probably the most common complaint about Hip hop today. If anyone above the age of 30 hears Jay Polly shouting, Amaboko back in their day”hejuru!...they would throw a tantrum and remind you how music back in their day was great.

Well, if the masses didn’t embrace rapping back in the 90s, none of that would even be happening right now. In the early days of Hip-hop, the rapper’s job was mainly to hype the crowd up with "Yes, yeah, hands in the air…” and such. All the DJ did was to mix and keep the party moving.

Only terrible rappers get air play

Listening to Bull Bog’s Cinema, one would think that mediocre artistes get the most attention. But that’s just how radio works. The recent storm in Kenya about local artistes receiving less airplay can be attributed to this. If the same was raised in Rwanda, I would say that complaining that your favourite rapper doesn’t get enough radio play is like complaining that they don’t get written about enough in The New Times. If you’re annoyed by what’s being played on the radio, that’s your business. Technology has created hundreds of apps to listen to the music of one’s choice.

Hot Crew Boys went mute after their amateurish song, Ibanga. The wannabes claim to be kings of Hip hop but have a problem getting airplay on radio.

Every song sounds the same nowadays

Admittedly, this complaint seems pretty legitimate. If all the songs you hear sound the same, you’re just listening to songs in the wrong place. Or it’s probably because you’re the exact market they’re targeting, whether you like it or not.

Yes, in the recent past, the trend of trying to sound like Jamaican dancehall Buju Banton or American rapper/actor Snoop Dogg has been growing. Most artistes – including non-rappers - have neglected their Rwandan heritage in favour of a more western style.

These songs are avoidable, though. If you’re hearing them, it’s because rap is a trend-driven medium. Once something gets huge - no matter what part of the world it emerges from - it’s going to be copied by scores of rappers hoping to use it to achieve similar success.

Incorporating influences from different styles is how any form of music evolves. Sure, there will always be those who overdo it or clearly just take up a new style for financial gain, but people see through that and those artistes eventually disappear. This could be the reason why artistes like Black Punisher or his song Rap Ni Amateka are less known.

Hating rap music is actually a good sign

No matter how refined your appreciation may be when it comes to rap music, no doubt you have a few artistes you hate with intensity. Artistes like Diplomate may not have a good rap flow but his lyrics are the best in the genre. So, however, much you hate a lot of the rap music you hear, you will somehow appreciate it and want it to be better. That’s great!

Most listeners enjoy a little variety. And because Rwanda has a majority young population, singers like rappers will keep succeeding by largely collaborating with R&B singers.

Over the years, those collaborations have flourished to the point that rap is a lot more like afro beat. There are dozens of subgenres but that’s not to say people should stop complaining when it’s clear that a trend is getting out of hand. I’m just saying it’s nothing to lose your mind over.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw