Why rap music is, and will continue to be, the most important genre of music

At this year’s Grammys, prolific rapper Kendrick Lamar declared in his acceptance speech for Song of the Year that “nothing [is] more powerful than rap music” – and he’s right. Whether sonically or stylistically, rap music has always been at the forefront of musical innovation, expression, and boundary-pushing creativity.

However, this cannot be said for other genres: while certainly some have evolved and innovated within the medium, most genres of music [pop, country, etc.] have stuck to the same formula, with minor changes here and there. Rap, on the other hand, continuously evolves and pushes the boundaries of music to the point where musicians in other genres even take inspiration from it.

An example of such includes pop singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, who has expressed her long-time admiration for rap music on multiple occasions. 

“I remember sitting on the corner of my bed and ‘Heartbeat’ came on and I was like, whoa,” Eilish said in an interview with XXL, referencing a track from Childish Gambino’s 2011 album “Camp,” which was released when she just was 11 years old. “I just felt like I had been completely missing a world.”

A March 2020 New York Times article encapsulates the impact of rap on the musician’s style: “Crucially, Eilish has also absorbed an at times cartoonish, outlaw essence from the world of rap — without actually trying to rap. Eilish cites Tyler, the Creator, Childish Gambino…as her guiding lights of self-presentation, and her music incorporates now-ubiquitous elements of trap production without feeling forced.”

Although she was criticized in the same year for a comment she made about “posturing” in rap music, the influence of the genre on Eilish is clear, and even extends to her fashion—she is known for wearing baggy clothes and backward hats, outfits which are heavily inspired by the mid-2000s hip-hop aesthetic. 

“Everyone needs to give hip-hop credit,” Eilish said in the New York Times article. “Whatever you’re doing, you’ve been influenced by hip-hop.”                                                                         

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to discuss the genre without mentioning the ever-divisive figure that is Kanye West, who is now known as Ye. As a long-time fan of his music, it has become increasingly difficult to separate the art from the artist, especially with his most recent barrage of antisemitic and other troubling posts on Twitter / X.

With this latest controversy, it is apparent that Ye uses shock value and controversy to promote his next album or project, operating under the belief that “all publicity is good publicity.” This has been consistent throughout his career, such as his infamous “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” declaration in 2004, his interruption of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech in 2009, and his “slavery was a choice” comment in 2018—and this has seemingly only gotten worse.

But it was not always this way: while Ye has almost always been a contrarian who goes against the grain and unapologetically speaks his mind, there was a time when he was primarily known for his ambitious musical endeavors.

His 2008 album, “808s & Heartbreak,” with its minimalistic production, pioneering use of autotune, and emotionally charged lyrics, as well as his dark, experimental 2013 album, “Yeezus,” were particularly innovative. Both albums helped pioneer new frontiers for music, and many popular musicians, including Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Lorde, and even Beyonce cited the albums as a huge inspiration for them.

Beyond music itself, rap has also had a huge influence on culture. Since its inception, rap has offered artists a platform to express themselves freely and authentically. While some, like Ye, exploit this to stir controversy, others have used this to address social issues, such as systemic racism and police brutality. Perhaps no other genre can do this better than rap: just imagine someone like Sabrina Carpenter, for example, trying to sing about something like economic inequality or gun violence—it just wouldn’t quite work or resonate in the same way. Thus, the genre has given rise to artists like Kendrick Lamar, who use their voices to address relevant issues to inspire both reflection and societal change.

And yet, anyone who has heard Lamar’s “Not Like Us” or most of the songs on his most recent album, “GNX,” such as “Squabble Up,” “TV Off,” and “Peekaboo,” to name a few, also knows that, above all, rap is a lot of fun. Even when addressing serious social or political issues, the fun that can be had listening to rap music is apparent. In my own experience, before I realized that Lamar’s 2015 song “Alright” was a commentary on racial injustice, it was a consistent anthem for me. Similarly, Lil Baby’s 2020 single, “The Bigger Picture,” which was released after the murder of George Floyd, is something I frequently reference with my friends from home, often not in its actual context.

This is exactly what makes rap so great: the capacity to be both substantial and insubstantial, serious and fun, political and apolitical. In the same album that Ye criticizes modern society, consumerism, and the self-destructive nature of fame, he declares “I Am a God” on the second track of “Yeezus”—a moment of excessive braggadocio (arrogant behavior) that borders comic relief (although, with him, it's often hard to tell). To give a more recent and fitting example, on “GNX,” Lamar contemplates reincarnation and even has a conversation with God about why he deserves entrance into heaven, only to follow it with a song where he yells “mustard” for nearly 10 seconds straight— a shoutout to DJ Mustard.

Overall, rap not only inspires other genres and musicians, but it also has a direct influence on the culture itself. Evolving from a niche subculture to a mainstream, global phenomenon, the genre blends substance with fun, while also pushing the boundaries of the art form through innovation.

It’s simple: nothing is off-limits for rap. While some have argued that the genre has become diluted over time, as long as there are things to rap about and instrumentals to rap over, it will continue to be the most important, influential, and powerful genre of music—just as Lamar rightfully said.

Zachary Mawby is the head editor for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.