@Los216 Ebro makes some really good points at 7:43 if you still need some more clarity on the colonizer shit. I think it also hits a little harder considering he ALSO has a white, jewish mommy.
"By the way, what is YOUR sound?"
First of let me say I understand what Ebro was saying but,
This is just trying to box hip hop in and only make it regional which I only see people doing when they don't like something.
The regional argument in hip hop stopped being valid as the culture got bigger. Before rappers were really moving around and working with different producers at the scale that they do now, the regional argument could be used. Not in 2024.
But now, with how big hip hop is, trying to box hip hop artist into a specific sound is a small minded view.
Not to mention that there are rappers and producers all over that do not sound like the sound that their regions are known for. Also, people always twist the narratives on where people come from or where they grew up to try and make their points.
How many rappers were born in regions and grew up in regions that sound nothing like their sound? Plenty. Same goes for producers.
My belief is that instead of judging a rapper or producer on the classifications on their sound, we should judge their quality and skill level. A great rapper sounds good in any region and can sound good on any style, flow, production. People are trying to make an argument against Drake saying he has no identity and no sound when that's not true. He's from Toronto. What's their sound? Are they not allowed to have their own sound because they aren't in America? Does Drake spending time in Memphis mean that he should have a Memphis sound to his music like 3-6 Mafia? If he lived in Houston is he not allowed to have a Houston sound?
And at the end of the day is he good? Is this rapper or producer that has been in and lived in many regions good at what he does? The answer for Drake is absolutely yes. It's harder to do what Drake does than what rappers who are regional (local) do.
This ain't the 80's or early 90's when the sounds were new. You don't have to grow up in Atlanta to sound like OutKast. Hip hop shouldn't be limited to a few regions and anytime that happens it's usually done to discredit people and not appreciate their talent and skill which Drake has and it's undeniable. So now since people can't deny his talent they will try to discredit him by questioning where he's from or who he is like questioning his Blackness?
You notice that they're questioning his sound and not his skill?
Why?
It's because his skill is undeniable and since people can't deny that they'll look to find ways to discredit him or knock him down.
The last point I'll make is a question.
What's 2Pac's sound?