Though plenty of rappers are putting in work releasing quality material, not everybody thinks so highly of the modern-day hip-hop era. In fact, there are many who would go so far as to declare hip-hop "dead," though that tends to happen every generation. In any case, the legendary producer Southside is among those who stand unimpressed by today's rap lineup, going so far as to issue a scathing assessment on the topic during an Instagram story captured by Akademiks.
As he tells it, the game can essentially be broken down into two categories. Those who deserve his beats -- a notable minority reserved to five unidentified parties -- and the rest, which he declares to be "ass." "A lot of ya'll rappers ass its' like 5 people that I would send beats to rite now," he declares. "Ain't no excitement in this shit. And a lot of these producers maken water down 808 shit and signing they life away and they beats for nothing."
While it's unclear as to who the five lucky names are, it's likely they can be inferred based on his recent collaborative habits. What's curious is his cynical assessment of those who aren't so lucky, as well as his suggestion that much of today's production has become redundant and repetitive. He's not the only person to criticize the wave of similar-sounding tracks and shameless imitators, and he surely won't be the last. Check out his message below, and sound off if you think there's merit to Southside's claim.