It goes without saying that different generations are going to have different approaches to music, but according to Steve Stoute, some things never change. In a new episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, he weighed in on claims that hip-hop fans no longer value lyrics like they used to. He argued that lyrics weren’t necessarily a top priority back in the day either, using Nas’ 1996 album Illmatic as an example.
“You know what’s funny, it’s so easy for an older generation to talk like that,” he began. “They wasn’t giving a f*ck about lyrics when Nas put out Illmatic. That’s why it took five years to go gold… Young MC didn’t take that long to go gold, they were buying that sh*t.”
Steve Stoute Says “People Have Bad Memory”
“Reasonable Doubt took a long time to go off, look at Reasonable Doubt‘s first week,” Stoute continued. “My only point is that you may like lyrics and all that other kind of stuff, and it may be something that you love, but does it make you buy it? […] You can’t look at generations and go, ‘This new generation, they don’t give a f*ck about lyrics.’ You weren’t rewarding n****s who was making lyrics back then… And people have bad memory around that stuff.”
He went on to claim that streaming has devalued music, as fans are far less likely to spend money on what they could stream for free, even if they love it. What do you think of Steve Stoute claiming that lyrics weren’t valued in hip-hop back in the 90s, as evidenced by how long it took for Nas’ Illmatic to go gold? Do you agree with him or not? Do you believe that younger generations care about lyrics less than older generations, or are they being hypocritical? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts.
She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies.
Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.
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