“XO Tour Llif3” rapper Lil Uzi Vert publicly announced on Jan. 11 that he wanted to quit music. In addition, hip hop duo “Rae Sremmurd,” consisting of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi, have been the subject of rumors about the duo breaking up. In light of recent events, music majors have shared their opinions on conflict in the music industry.
“I think there are a lot of different artists in the industry,” Andrew Cates, a junior music, theatre, and art design triple major, said. “Some good, some bad, some good influences, some worse. It’s very subjective a lot of the time.”
Cates commented on Lil Uzi’s stepping away from the limelight and his desire to be normal. “I think it’s actually good for some artists to step back at times,” he said. “Fame can go to your head; it’s not a game for everyone.
Stepping back can be super healthy in terms of getting away from the ‘Hollywood’ lifestyle. Just because you ‘step away’ to be ‘normal’ doesn’t mean you stop making music.”
As for groups splitting apart, Cates said he understood the perspective of the artist Slim Jxmmi of “Rae Sremmurd.”
“I don’t really hold it against him, the wanting to step away,” Cates said.
“It’s understandable that he feels like second fiddle and might want to try finding success on his own.
“We’ve seen it plenty over the past few years in pop groups like One Direction and Fifth Harmony, where Harry Styles and Camila Cabello have found individual success outside of their groups. When you look at a group where initially everyone is equal and someone blows up, it can be really tough on the other members of the group.”
Elizabeth Puskas, a freshman mathematics and music performance major, said she could understand an artist’s reasoning in quitting music.
“A large part of why I’m not interested in being a part of the music industry is the publicity,” Puskas explained. “As much as I would love to share my music on a wider scope, I don’t think that I could entirely give up my privacy for the sake of popularity. I think it’s definitely understandable for a popular artist to want to return to living their lives for themselves.”
Puskas commented on groups splitting up on a more general note.
“As a fan, musical groups breaking up are always disappointing,” she said, “but I think it’s important to keep in mind that each individual’s future is his or her own to decide. Life gives you the opportunity to try things and decide for yourself whether it is for you or not.”
Jordan Green, a junior secondary education, music and theatre major, was disappointed in the breakup.
“It’s always a shame when a musical group breaks up, but it’s often inevitable, even the Beatles broke up,” he said. “Often the members just want to see how far they can make it on their own, but it certainly can be hard on diehard fans.”
Kristel Domingo can be reached at kristel.domingo@student.shu.edu.
