Juicy J is concerned about the state of rap music, and he wants to band his peers together to do something about it.
Taking to his Instagram with a PSA of sorts on Sunday (October 8), the Three 6 Mafia hitmaker spoke on Hip Hop’s alleged “40 percent decline” in 2023 and what can be done to bounce back.
AD LOADING...
“I know a lot of people don’t want to hear this but I’m being real,” he began. “Rap music is down 40 percent this year. I’ma say it again. Rap music is down 40 percent. Check the charts, check the math. I don’t make the rules. I do not make the rules. It’s down 40 percent. What are we as rappers, producers, composers, etc, gonna do about this shit? ‘Cause it’s down 40 percent this year. Check the charts! Do your research. This is a fact.”
He continued: “Let’s have a conversation! What are we gonna do? As rappers, producers, composers, songwriters, engineers – what are we gon’ do, man? Rap is down 40 percent, man. We gotta figure some shit out. We gotta sit down and talk. Let’s have a meeting. Let’s meet up somewhere… Let’s talk about this shit, how we can turn this shit around.
AD LOADING...
“Because this is how we eat… Rappers – we make money off rap, shows, publishing. Aight? This is how we make money. This is how we eat. This is how we take care of our families. It’s down fucking 40 percent, n-gga. Real shit. But I’m willing and I hope you willing to figure out something to keep this muthafuckin’ money train running.”
Check out Juicy J’s Hip Hop address below:
It took all the way to the end of July for a rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023 – which Latto achieved thanks to her “Seven” collaboration with BTS star Jung Kook. It was certainly a curious situation after Hip Hop spent the last half-decade as the most popular genre of music in the U.S., statistically speaking.
By the midway point of last year, Future and Drake (“Wait For U”) and Jack Harlow (“First Class”) had topped the Hot 100, even amidst Harry Styles’ historic 15-week run with “As It Was.”
AD LOADING...
Hip Hop was facing a similar struggle on the Billboard 200, experiencing the longest drought of a No. 1 rap album since 1993. That was until a few weeks ago when Lil Uzi Vert’sPink Tape broke the curse.
The Philly rapper’s long-awaited third LP debuted atop the chart after moving 167,000 equivalent album units in its first week.
Prior to Latto and Uzi’s respective success, Billboard speculated that Hip Hop’s chart struggles were largely down to a lack of releases from heavyweights like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Future and Kanye West.
They also cited the overall stagnation that has plagued the charts this year, pointing out that just five new albums had topped the Billboard 200, along with the same number of new songs on the Hot 100.
AD LOADING...
Travis Scott’s Utopia went on to top the charts in August, however, moving 496,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. And as of press time, Drake is predicted to secure a No. 1 with his new release, For All the Dogs later this week.
Hip Hop’s recent chart slump may prove to be nothing more than a blip, but only time will tell.
