Comedian and rapper Lil Duval provoked a not-so-humorous debate on Twitter last night (February 19th), which caused a back-and-forth conversation regarding the longevity of hip hop. In his tweet, the Guy Code star wrote, "Afrobeats might be the death of hip hop as we know it." As a result, Duval sparked a heated argument amongst music lovers.
One user quickly snapped back with "hip hop will never die," while another vocalized reassurance, explaining, "Afrobeats is a fad. It'll come and go just like every other form of music that has tried to bite hip hop." However, fans of the genre were not so happy with Duval's statement, which even prompted pro wrestler EJ "the Judge" Nduka to respond. "We gon’ ignore those outlandish tweets you put out about your kid," the Judge tweeted, "or we gonna focus on how uncultured you are?"
Duval Stirs The Pot Amongst Music Lovers
Deriving from Ghana and Nigeria, afrobeats has gained popularity as a genre that fuses together R&B, hip hop, dancehall, and house. Accordingly, Apple Music describes this category of music as "the infectious but indescribable sound of 21st-century Africa." In recent years, artists like Burna Boy, Tems, and Rema have raised in popularity in North America, with the trio even performing during the NBA's halftime show.
Twitter users were quick to jump at the differences between the two genres, showcasing how afrobeats and hip hop are not on the same playing field. "Hip hop and afrobeats will coexist, and we also bringing dancehall back, we the essence of music," one user wrote. Another brought up the cultural significance of the genre by tweeting, "It stands to reason that the globally recognized sound of black people comes from Africa and not USA anyway. About time hip hop stopped representing us."
Duval's Past Tweets Receive More Backlash
As pointed out by angry commenters, this isn't the first time the 45-year-old performer has sparked controversy. Duval was under fire after old tweets recently resurfaced containing uncomfortable comments about his daughter. Accordingly, the disturbing tweets (the same ones that the Judge referred to as "outlandish") have only added flames to the fuel that angry music lovers are throwing his way.
Do you think that afrobeats threaten the existence of hip hop? Let us know in the comments down below. Make sure to check back later for more music and pop culture news updates.
