[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]ee what I did there? Desiigner is the “future”; I can see the collective heads of the Future hive exploding already. Well you can all calm your tits as this isn’t a post on who’s better, although some comparisons are obviously inevitable. This post is all about Desiigner and how I hate to tell everyone, but he’s here to stay. I know, I know, blasphemy; no true hip-hop head would ever say such things, but I JUST DID.
I think the real issue most people have with Future Lite is that on more than one occasion he’s managed to out-Future Future.
First things first, let’s address the elephant in the room from the jump. He sounds an awful lot like everyone’s favorite codeine rapper from Atlanta. Without a doubt his whole sound, style, and way he approaches music has been heavily influenced by Future, whether he wants to admit it or not. But is that really the problem? Like really??? I think the real issue most people have with Future Lite is that on more than one occasion he’s managed to out-Future Future. “Panda” is a number one hit (Future has never had one of those) and “Caliber”, “Overnight”, and “Zombie Walk” are all well above average Future songs that if Future came out with them himself everyone would be all over them like flies on you know what. When your whole catalog is built solely off melody and beats, you’re bound to be copied and pasted.
Product of his enviornment
When I first heard “Panda”, the last place I expected that song to come from was Brooklyn. There’s no way in hell this kid came from the home of Notorious B.I.G, Big Daddy Kane, Jay Z and other legends, but le sigh, that’s exactly where he’s from. There seems to be no traces of the DNA that made Brooklyn and New York rap so special, but I don’t blame Desiigner for that. That blame falls squarely on the shoulders on New York hip-hop. As a kid growing up you’re influenced by what music is out there now, and for the better part of decade (at least) the hip-hop scene has been dominated by the South; in particular, Atlanta. But whereas places like Cali, Chicago, and even Texas have still managed to maintain their sound while still adapting with the times, New York has not. They’ve lost their identity and the “boom bap” era is all but dead. Two of the biggest hip-hop singles to come from New York in recent history have been “Hot N*gga” and “Panda”. The former sounding like New York’s version of drill music and the latter being ripped straight from the Future master class. Not to mention that group from Harlem that could have come straight outta Houston. So I don’t blame Desiigner for sounding the way he does, I blame New York.
Everybody’s a rapper, very few can make songs
It’s the reason why he’ll still be here making songs you pretend to hate long after your favorite lyricist “chose” to go the independent route.
We’ve all been hearing for months now how Desiigner is a fad and a one-hit wonder, and that after “Panda” it’s over for him. I’ll admit I was once a part of that camp; I, like most, thought “Panda” was a cool song but nothing special. Well fast forward to now, and alas Desiigner is still a thing, even as the “Panda” hype seems to finally be dying down. But why? He’s not a lyricist and you can’t understand anything he says anyways. But why is this still even an argument? Has nobody turned on the radio lately or taken a gander at the charts? Over 50% of those artists fall into that exact category. A lyricist he is not, but one thing that’s undeniable is that he knows how to make a song, and a good one at that. “Panda”, “Caliber”, and “Timmy Turner” are all evidence of that. He had the whole hip-hop community desperately waiting to hear what was to come from his simple melody for XXL. Whether you were waiting just to hate or not, you were still waiting (don’t lie). There’s a lot of people that know how to rap, but there’s very few that know how to make a song. Some people have it and some don’t, and Desiigner has it. It’s the reason why he’ll still be here making songs you pretend to hate long after your favorite lyricist “chose” to go the independent route.
All music doesn’t have to be high art; it’s as much of a feeling as anything else, and he’s tapped into that.
When you can call on the likes of Kanye West, Mike Dean, and Pusha T at only 18 years old you’re bound to be successful. People can pretend to care that they don’t know what he’s saying or that he’s biting Future, but at the end of the day the only thing that will matter is that he’s putting out good music. All music doesn’t have to be high art; it’s as much of a feeling as anything else, and he’s tapped into that. I might have to eat these words one day, but until that day, sit back and shut up because Desiigner is here to stay and you’re just going to have to deal with it.
Do you disagree with me? Let me know in the comments below so I can fry y’all with straight facts!
