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KXNG Crooked Names One Problem With New Albums
Not only has KXNG Crooked developed a reputation as one of hip-hop’s most esteemed and formidable lyricists, but he’s also become an excellent analyst of hip-hop culture. Frequently using his platform as a means of sparking rap discussions, Crook has dropped no shortage of gems worthy of further exploration. Today was one of those days, as Crooked took a moment to reflect on an interesting problem currently impacting the rap game in a major way — even if the long-term impacts aren’t necessarily seen quite yet.
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“Imagine the time and effort put into creating some of these albums that only get played for 7 days..if that,” writes Crook, a commentary on the admittedly short shelf life that many modern-day albums tend to have. On that note, it’s hard not to remember a time where DMX dropping two albums in the same year was a monumental accomplishment — now, it’s a borderline necessary tactic for rising artists hoping to stay relevant.
In the shadow of Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s recent take suggesting that artists need to release music more frequently in order to stay afloat. “You can’t record music once every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough,” he stated. “The artists today that are making it realize that it’s about creating a continuous engagement with their fans. It is about putting the work in, about the storytelling around the album, and about keeping a continuous dialogue with your fans.”
Unsurprisingly, many musicians were displeased with Ek — not only for the seemingly dismissive tone, but because his mentality encourages the same outcome Crooked has raised to be problematic. Not that the music itself is lackluster, but that fans have become so conditioned to expect (and receive) new content all the time, that a given album seldom has time to properly sink in. What do you think — has replay value gone down in the average rap release?
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