Though the meme-worthy indecipherable lyrics were memorable for just that, it was the first time that everyone started hearing mumble rap. Young Thug came out of the mumble rap gate in 2013 when he was featured on Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle.” But now, the more experimental, the more ignorant, the more off the beaten path, the better received the song is. A decade ago, a song like “Gucci Gang” by Lil Pump would not have piqued as much interest as a new hard-hitting Eminem track. Undoubtedly, the accessibility of Soundcloud allowed unprecedented music released on the daily. Read next: What is Vaporwave? A deep-dive into the definitive Millenial music genre The ease of recording, uploading, and sharing music digitally legitimized Soundcloud as a record company of its own – one where everyone was signed. Soundcloud is credited with much of mumble rap’s success.
JUICE WRLD MUMBLE RAP LICENSE
It’s obvious on first listen that there are influences of hip hop as well, what with the melodic undertones and creative license to essentially do whatever on the beat. The genre got its legs in the American south and was born, naturally, out of trap. “It ain’t no disrespect to the little homies, they don’t want to rap.
The term itself was coined by Wiz Khalifa back in 2016 when he did an interview with HOT 97’s Ebro in the Morning, but the genre itself has existed since the early- to mid-2010s. A little bit different, sure, but definitely not any more difficult than it’s ever been before.” It’s nothing new, so the process of transcribing and decoding lyrics isn’t any more difficult. As Genius’ head of lyrics Stephen Niday said, “There have always been artists who were hard to understand, whether it be because they don’t fully enunciate all of their words or they rap really fast. In discussing mumble rap, it is important to analyze its roots as well as its branches as it grows. There’s no denying the power of the true mumble artists: 21 Savage, Future, Kodak Black, Playboi Carti, Migos, Cardi B, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Pump, Young Thug. Still, most of the chart-topping rap artists today are or once were mumble rappers themselves. Some of the greats took digs at the microgenre, from Eminem to J. Even so, calling someone a mumble rapper has become an insult. Because of the emphasis on the overall song and performance rather than strict lyrical execution, what results are more emotional, creative, and multi-layered songs that have a wide range of influences across countless other genres. Mumble rap is often difficult to decipher, since the lyrics blend naturally with the melodic undertones. The term “mumble rap” is simply one that stuck, though the genre itself is much more multifaceted than that label infers. Mumble rap is different in each song, because each rapper puts a different spin on it. Mumble rap, or Soundcloud rap, is the term given to a genre that strays from the succinct pronunciation of Chopper rap and opt for a less clear, non-emphasized vocal foray.