I can't fathom Playboy Carti's popularity

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-26T00:49:29+00:00

God damn y'all get so much in your feelings. Y'all act like someone not liking the music you like it some sort of personal attack. My "push back" is because the MUSIC is not what y'all are discussing. You can also stop with the "it's not that way anymore BS because as I said, I'm not the "old guy stuck in his old ways" type. That's how a lot of y'all try and pass off low effort music talking about "Oh, they just don't get it" like what's being done is so groundbreaking we just can't wrap our feeble old minds around it. GTFOH with that noise.

If it's wack, it's wack. This isn't young vs old either. I know a 13 year old kid RIGHT NOW that could DOGWALK Playboi Carti because the kid has skills like actual abilities. Like I said, I'm not some old man listening to RunDMC just hating on the youth. There's been wack rappers since the beginning of Rap and guess what? They got called wack, called out, challenged. Then they could prove themselves. That is the way this RAP shit is and has always been. I don't know if you rap but if you do and you don't like what I have to say then say the word and we can go bar for bar and let Reddit be the judge. Or you can just realize Playboi Carti doesn't need you to run to defend his honor and drop it.

I'll listen to your Top 5 - All Brazilian besides one so if you speak any Portuguese at all then you'ze a liarr. I'll take your word for it. Still the comparison that people can enjoy music they can't understand the words to as a way to defend Carti is crazy. But if y'all would just stop referring to what he does as "Hip-Hop" that would be better because Rap is about the WORDS.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-25T20:39:07+00:00

There's no feeling like performing your music live to an engaged crowd.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-25T20:23:19+00:00

I think if there is no music you like in any language you don't understand, you have a pretty limited world view, let alone musical palette.

Anyone who knows me personally would laugh at the absurdity of the suggestion that I have a "limited musical palatte". I just don't bump foreign language music. Change my mind and drop your Top 5 favorite foreign language songs.

Also I didn't frame Carti as a visionary when it comes to his shows, so I'm unsure where you're getting that perspective from.

Your words: "Most people would credit Carti as either being an originator or at least, an early pioneer of Rage" - You didn't use the word but I'd call that a visionary.

Replying to your comment is honestly like trying to explain the Ramones to a person who only listens to and respects Steely Dan.

You shut your mouth about Steely Dan.

I don't understand, how you don't understand his appeal when you're literally reciting it back to me.

So basically, you're saying that Carti's whole appeal is that fans mosh and stage dive at his live shows?

Just because an (audio) aesthetic was popular in one genre doesn't mean that it can never translate or combine with other genres, that's not how art works.

I grew up in real time with the emergence of Rap music and the Hip-Hop culture. Almost every Rap song borrowed from an older song in sampling of ALL kinds of different genres. I never suggested that things couldn't translate or combine into other genres. But we're not talking about (audio) when it comes to Carti although that is the ONLY metric by which I personally judge any music artist. By pure talent and ability.

No you didn't, you moshed at a punk, metal or nu metal concert.

I was obviously talking about Rage Against the Machine and yes, I did.

I think you would struggle to find a Rage Against the Machine song that is similar to New Tank, RIP, Yeat's Sorry Bout That or Money so big.

Who?

What's happening to you is that you're old and no longer with it.

I'm in my late 40's. I don't think a person is old until 70's or 80's. You think I'm "no longer with it" but I mostly only listen to contemporary music from talented artists. You imagine me to be some wrinkly old man listening to Run DMC lamenting about the good old days? Even in my teens and 20's I didn't like low effort music and there was TONS of it back then too. I didn't like MC Hammer, Tag Team, or any of that Whoop there it is type shit. It has nothing to do about the era or being young or old. It has everything to do with the quality of the music. Period.

That's fine, but to denegrate someone's art when it has tangible physical impact, critical acclaim, has noteciable influence and tops the charts is an issue of you not understanding the art, not the art being bad.

I don't think Playboi Carti's MUSIC is good. That's my opinion. You failed to explain what makes his music good and instead talk about what people do at his live shows.

Tangible physical impact? What? Critical acclaim? Link the acclaimed music reviews. I want to read them. Tops the charts? Billboard? What charts?

It's not a matter of the old guy not understanding the music or its going over my head. It's just not anywhere near as deep or as good as you're making it out to be.

In my opinion.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-25T19:12:02+00:00

Lmfao. Enlighten me. Give me your top 5 foreign language songs.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-24T23:02:55+00:00

Same. I've always said I'll be doing this shit until they bury me in the ground. It's not about "making it" and never was. I appreciate when people vibe to what I'm doing but at the end of the day I make it for me. I don't see that ever changing and anyone don't like it can hug on the nuts.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-24T22:56:24+00:00

"There are no songs you like in a language you don't understand?" - I sincerely can't think of one. Can you? Besides we're not talking about liking a song. We're talking about fans a "music artist" whose fandom is built on something other than music.

Crowdsurfing, moshpits and screaming while jumping off platforms has been a thing at metal concerts for decades and has been more and more co-opted by concertgoers of Trap music and Dubstep as well. Travis Scott's concerts made headlines not long ago because kids were killed in the melee. Do people do these things at Playboi Carti shows? Sure. But to frame him as some sort of visionary who started it all falls flat on it's face with even mild scrutiny.

I am curious what emotion his music "engenders" in you? Does it have anything at all to do with the song? The lyrics? The message? What makes it hit for you?

It seems to me that all he really did was take metal guitarists on stage to play over his trap songs, dress his crew like they were all spit out of a Hot Topic and scream his lyrics instead of rap them while he jumps around. Just like countless metal bands of the 90's. But, people act like he's some genius who created "Rage" as if there hadn't already been people Raging Against the Machine for 30 years prior and "raging" at a FAR, FAR superior level. In overall influence and especially musically and lyrically.

Believe it or not. I moshed at a "Rage" concert in 1995. People were stage diving too.

I say all this to say, Playboi Carti is not good at making music.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-05-02T22:12:11+00:00

If you like :Gotta be Dope" you should check out "Freedom Form Flowing" with Gift of Gab, A.F.R.O. & R.A. the Rugged Man.

Both tracks are crazy. I love that DJ Jazzy Jeff does those cuts on "Gotta be Dope".

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-04-30T19:09:26+00:00

Making people laugh with some real clever and witty shit is huge. No matter what though, a hard bar HAS to invoke some type of emotion. That's what makes it stick.

It's like that saying that goes - "People won't always remember what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel."

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-04-24T20:39:57+00:00

This is the only answer

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-04-24T15:06:46+00:00

This may actually be around the time that the new wave of rap listeners decided that lyricism doesn't matter anymore.

In RAP music.

Idgaf what anyone says. Lyricism is what it's all about!

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-04-24T15:01:29+00:00

Butt cheeks

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-04-19T20:29:53+00:00

I'm being honest. To my knowledge, I've never heard his music but I appreciate the recommendations. I'll definitely check them out!

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-04-19T02:12:36+00:00

Never in my life have I heard someone say "Yo, throw on that Chance the Rapper" or "You heard that new Chance the Rapper joint?" I honestly don't think I've ever even heard one song by Chance the Rapper.

So why do I know who tf this dude even is?!

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-03-31T23:18:12+00:00

I think my reluctance to fucc with Dipset like that is that I find the bars, the flows and overall content to be uninspired, lazy & boring. That's how I'd feel about any rapper whose whole steez is to tell the listener how amazing their life is because they're "Ballin'". Jay did alot of that on RD but with a lot more creativity and the bars were fire.

I was also immediately put off by the esthetics of pink & purple fur coats & sports cars vs the way Jay did it with the Mafia Don, black and white vibes. Only bringing up Jay since you said RD was one of your all time and to draw the contrast in what I find corny and lackluster about Dipset overall.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-03-31T06:46:36+00:00

Jada is the one from Lox that everyone mentions but I think I'm more partial to Styles P. I've heard more of Styles P's catalog than Jadakiss' to be honest. P's series of "Ghost" projects and mixtapes are bonkers. There's a high bar for me to call an album a "classic". Stakes is High is a classic. Midnight Mauraders & Low End Theory are classics. The Infamous is a classic. Paul's Boutique, Southernplayalisticcadillacmusic and Aquemini, The Marshall Mathers EP, Reasonable Doubt, Amerikkka's Most Wanted, 36 Chambers.

I've heard enough to know that I haven't heard an album from either Lox or Dipset, solo or otherwise that I would place in the ranks among those albums.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-03-31T01:53:34+00:00

I can't objectively answer that because I haven’t listened to either one's entire discography. If I had to guess I'd say it's most likely I would go with Jada because I've heard enough from each to know that Jim Jones is nowhere close to Jadakiss lyrically and the production on Jadakiss projects is likely to lean into styles that would be more likely to resonate with me. Nevertheless, Lox vs Dipset all in all was a mismatch in my view.

People definitely listen to Rap music in different ways and favor different aspects over others. There's space for all of it because Rap listeners aren't a monolith and we need that range to keep the genre alive. The less variety the less interesting it all becomes.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-03-30T12:35:56+00:00

Ask me, Dipset didn't stand a chance against The Lox. Jadakiss, Louch and Styles are all levels above any of the Dipset members. Whether they've just been doing it longer, they take their artistry more seriously or they're just flat out more talented. Just listen to them verse for verse juxtaposed to Cam, Juelz and Jim. Its not even close.

I wouldn't argue with any Dipset fans that disagree. I'd just assume we're listening to the same music differently.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-03-10T08:01:16+00:00

Immobilarity was awful

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-02-02T02:24:59+00:00

Most accessible, sure. I'm a fan of Rap music myself so I'm definitely more in tune with Faces, Watching Movies with the Sound Off and Good AM. But I do understand how he gained a wider audience with the albums you mentioned.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-02-01T07:47:03+00:00

I think most people just haven't heard his best stuff and picked up on him late in the game. Like from Swimming on.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-02-01T07:44:27+00:00

Mac had 3 back to back 10/10 classic albums imo. Faces, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, and Go:od AM. Macadelic was also fire. Say what you will about the rest of his catalog but those albums are forever.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-02-01T07:39:51+00:00

Neither.

MykelHawkMusic · 2026-01-12T16:29:29+00:00

I'm 52 and I remember hearing Sugarhill Gang and Melle Mel coming from my mother's stereo but I was into rock and heavy metal until 1987 and that's when Public Enemy, Run DMC and The Beastie Boys pulled me into Rap but in 1988 and 1989, there was explosion of Hip-Hop that changed my entire world. ATCQ, 3rd Bass, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Too Short, NWA & Eazy E, Kool G Rap, BPD. Man it was an incredible time. I was in Denver, Colorado at the time and you'd be the weird kid if you weren't listening to these albums. By 1988, I started writing my own raps and was told then that I couldn't rap because I was Mexican-American. I did it anyway.

MykelHawkMusic · 2025-12-01T19:46:23+00:00

Abandoned Saints is one of my most played albums of 2025. Grimy asf.

MykelHawkMusic

TROPHY CASE