T.I. Backs Up 21 Savage's Statement On "OG Rappers"

BYAron A.46.5K Views
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In this handout photo provided by One Voice: Somos Live!, T.I. poses in the pressroom at One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert For Disaster Relief at Marlins Park on October 14, 2017 in Miami, Florida.
T.I shares his wisdom on the criticisms young rappers face.

Earlier today, 21 Savage spoke out on criticisms the younger generation of rappers face when it comes to carrying hip hop's torch. Whether it's their delivery, the lack of lyricism or the constant glorification of drugs, it seems that some of the OG's in the game are reluctant to embrace what the new guys are doing. However, like every generation, it's bound to face some disapproval from those that led it prior. After 21 Savage spoke his peace, T.I. quickly came in to reiterate 21's point.

T.I. posted a screenshot of 21 Savage's post to his Instagram. In the caption, he wrote a lengthy message but first started it off by mentioning the reality of the genre.

"@21savage lil bro speaking real truth tho. The fact of the matter is... There's been good,bad, great,mediocre artists,&otherwise in EVERY generation .... Even ours(2000s) , The Founding era (80s) & the golden era of the 90s," he wrote.

After mentioning the fact that there's never been an era of strictly incredible music, he addressed the fact that many think this generation of hip hop are the only ones to make "user music." He mentions Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Three 6 Mafia's "Sippin On Some Sizzurp" as examples of older generations who openly spoke about drug use in their music. 

He later goes onto mention that right now is the time of the youth and no one should be trying to deter what the younger generation are trying to accomplish musically.

"Regardless of the subject matter...This is THEY TIME. Couldn't nobody tell us how to run ours,or make us sound how they thought we should... Live ya life & do ya stuff young'n," he wrote, "Just bare with us,&try to understand .... y'all niggaz kinda different & take some getting used to. As the elders gotta understand they're SUCCESS JUSTIFIES the CHANGE. The Numbers DONT LIE!!!"

It's an interesting response especially because of T.I.'s legendary status in the game. In the whole conversation, which initially started between Pete Rock and Waka Flocka earlier this week, T.I.'s mediation is necessary for everybody to try and understand each others perspective.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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