Ghostface Killah Criticizes Hip-Hop For Lack Of Storytelling And “Substance”
Ghostface Killah feels Hop-Hop is currently lacking in the storytelling and substance department, something he feels was prevalent during his era. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Starky Love shared his thoughts on the current state of Hip-Hop affairs after promoting his new album, Set The Tone. The Wu-Tang Clan emcee recalled the ’90s being full of material that painted a picture of where the artists were from, who they were, or their skill on the microphone through songs that tell a story. In today’s landscape, he feels that rappers are more concerned with the club scene instead of the art of rhyming from the heart with skill.
“I don’t hear ni**as doing storytelling no more, man. There might be Nas. You might still got [Slick] Rick out there doing it… Raekwon, [GZA]. A lot of stuff be regular darts, regular raps,” the Sun God opined. “Everything with this new generation is about clubs. A lot of pu**y getting thrown around and sh*t. It ain’t like with MC Lyte. Even when Lil’ Kim did it, she was gangsta with it. She was a rapper’s rapper. She was Erica Cane with it. But the Lauryn Hills of this sh*t [are] gone.”
He continued, “But I guess time changes. Because we was rhyming about ‘smoking woola’s at 16.’ Now you’ve got these ni**as [talking about] pills off the meat rack with the lean and shi*t. But at least we had substance in our music. Everything is the same now. We’re the type of ni**as that can rhyme about an eyeball falling out your face, and having the police pick it up and put it in a plastic bag. These ni**as can’t do that.”
Later in the conversation, the Hip-Hop legend shifted his vibes into a more positive and accepting tone. Kind of. He name-dropped Lil Baby and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and celebrated them for their use of melodies along with rapping, claiming they “changed the game.” But he did have a message for those who aren’t “doing [their] own sh*t,” saying, “I like some of that sh*t. But sometimes you got all these other motherf**kers biting ni**as and all of y’all sound the same. Why you got to sound like him? Why do you got to sound like Lil Baby? Why you got to sound like this ni**a? Why you ain’t just doing your own sh*t?”
If you’re wondering what Ghost thought about the tired Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud, let’s just say he didn’t care for it and wanted it to stop because someone could die. Ghostface Killah insisted that “his era” of Hip-Hop beef was “respected” more because it wasn’t a mudslinging match and more about teaching emcees “how to use that pen.”
Ghostface recently dropped off his 12th studio album, Set The Tone, on Friday (May 10). The LP features appearances from Jim Jones, Nas, Method Man, Sheek Louch, Kanye West, Trevor Jackson, Fat Joe, AZ, Raekwon, and more.
Check out the album above.
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