Editorial
ROCKSTAR "Are rappers the new rockstars? The age “Rap is the new Rock n’ Roll. We the rockstars,” proclaimed famed Chicago rapper and producer Kanye West during his discussion with Zane Lowe about the cultural impact of rap music in a 2013 interview with BBC Radio 1. Kanye’s answers in the interview nearly reached meme status in the music community due to West’s intense delivery, but this quote proved to be quite controversial and also seemingly inspired other rappers to embrace the sentiment. The Playboi Carti track “iwokeuplikethis*” features a Lil Uzi Vert intro where he repeatedly declares “I’m a rockstar.” “Meh,” from Carti’s newest album Whole Lotta Red , finds Carti claiming “And I feel like I’m the only rockstar, the only one.” Just within the past few years, both Post Malone and DaBaby have released huge hits named “Rockstar” that seem to glorify rappers as the rock and rollers of the new era. The growing number of references to rock combined with the crowning of rap as one of the most popular genres in the world beg the question: was Kanye right? The increasing influence that rock and roll has on rap appears to be the likely cause for the self-crowning of rappers as the new rock stars. In the earlier days of rap, the involvement
Spring 2021
44
of rock and roll was seen mostly through collaborations between rappers and their rock star counterparts. Aerosmith and Run D.M.C.’s collaboration “Walk This Way” or Jay-Z and LINKIN Park’s Collision Course EP are two of the more memorable collaborations from the past. In recent years, rappers have been incorporating different rock styles into their own music in creative and innovative ways. For example, Kid Cudi’s critically unacclaimed album Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven pulls heavily from various rock styles; much of Denzel Curry’s music utilizes ideas from heavy metal and hard rock, with Curry even covering Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” for his Like A Version performance. The Playboi Carti album Whole Lotta Red takes much inspiration from punk rock with its aggressive instrumentals and often yelled vocal delivery. The album art even references an iconic cover from Slash magazine, a punk rock publication, featuring David Vanian of The Damned. Rock and Roll’s influence has even become prevalent in rap concerts, where attending a live rap show can feel more like a punk show than the rap concerts of old. Mosh pits erupt at Travis Scott’s shows when “Sicko Mode” plays and
