Hip hop legend Fat Joe, known for his influential contributions to the genre, has openly shared his thoughts on the current state of hip hop, particularly the sounds dominating the streets today.
In a recent interview with Complex, the rapper expressed his confusion and concerns about the direction of the genre, especially the rising trend in hip hop that contrasts sharply with what he grew up listening to.
“I encourage the youth and I love the youth, [but] I’ve sat in traffic and [heard the music] — I felt like they were playing devil music right next to me,” Fat Joe said, visibly reacting to the overwhelming shift in the soundscape of contemporary hip hop.
His comments came from a place of both admiration for the younger generation and bewilderment at the rapid evolution of hip hop culture. “I’m like, ‘Yo, what the fuck? That’s Hip Hop?! They got some weird shit going on.’”
For Joe, the difference between the old and new school is stark, and it’s not just about the beats or the lyrics, but the overall vibe that modern hip hop exudes. “Hip Hop’s so diverse — we got Lauryn Hill, we got Biz Markie, you got Eric B. and Rakim, you got Nas… You’re not gonna open this shit and hear the same shit,” he said, highlighting the variety that defined hip hop in its golden era.
To him, the richness of diversity within the genre is what made it so compelling. However, he admits that lately, he finds himself hearing “the same shit, the same beats,” particularly when tuning into the youth of New York. This repetition leaves him feeling “numb” and confused about how things have spiraled to this point.
Fat Joe’s frustrations aren’t just about sound—he points to a shift in lyrical content as well. “If we had a love song, it’d be LL [Cool J] going, ‘I need love / Sometimes I stare at the room, I hear my conscience call.’ [Now], if you hear a love song, it’s over the same beat and it’s, ‘I’ll kill you! Fuck ya mother!’” For Joe, the change in content reflects a larger shift in culture, where the softer, more reflective side of hip hop has been overshadowed by raw aggression, often expressed in ways that can feel disorienting to someone who grew up with a different set of values in hip hop.
Despite his confusion with the current state of the genre, Fat Joe remains supportive of the younger artists pushing boundaries in their own way. “I fuck with them, I’m always gonna salute them,” he said.
His respect for the hustle and the success of these artists is clear, but that doesn’t mean he fully understands or agrees with everything they’re doing. Joe’s comments underscore the generational divide that often occurs in music, where older artists, who helped define the genre, find themselves struggling to connect with the sounds and trends that their successors create.
Perhaps the most definitive statement Joe made was about his own creative future in the context of today’s evolving sound. “That’s definitely not in the works,” he said emphatically, ruling out the possibility of him ever venturing into the “sexy drill” sound that’s become popular in New York, a smoother take on the gritty subgenre that artists like Ice Spice and Cash Cobain have embraced. Despite his love for the genre, Fat Joe made it clear that his personal style and preferences don’t align with this latest trend.
Instead, Fat Joe is focused on projects that remain true to his legacy. “I got a love song with fucking Babyface,” he added, suggesting that while the modern sounds may leave him puzzled, he’s more comfortable staying rooted in the style of music he knows best.
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