Snoop and Dre spoke openly about the condition of the hip-hop landscape in a new interview.
Snoop Dogg Calls for Originality in Rap
In a recent interview on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Snoop Dogg expressed his concerns about the current state of hip-hop, emphasizing the need for more originality among artists.
The legendary rapper, alongside Dr. Dre, highlighted the prevalence of imitation and a lack of unique voices in the genre. Snoop urged aspiring artists to break away from the trend of copying one another and to embrace their individuality.
“Be original,” Snoop advised. “Right now, there’s so much copycatting, mimicking, sounding alike and imitation. Find your production, your sound—find your ear for who you are and be original even if it ain’t hitting. Stay you.”
Dr. Dre on Collaborative Integrity
Dr. Dre echoed Snoop’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of finding a reliable collaborator in the creative process. He expressed his dissatisfaction with modern albums often featuring multiple producers, suggesting that this practice detracts from the artistic continuity of a project.
“Find your collaborator. I don’t like the fact there’s nine different producers on one album. I like the idea of one producer on one album,” Dre explained.
“The continuity is everything for me. I don’t know when that started, but I don’t like it. If you’re a producer, you should be able to produce the entire album. That’s what I thought it was supposed to be. That’s what I was doing at the beginning.”
Snoop Dogg Critiques the Industry
Snoop Dogg further elaborated on the shift in the music industry, attributing the lack of creativity to the influx of beatmakers over traditional producers.
He lamented the simplification of the artistry involved in creating music, suggesting that the essence of musicianship has been overshadowed by fleeting trends.
“I think the fundamentals were taken out of it,” Snoop remarked. “Now it’s just a phone that makes you an artist. Something stupid gets you five minutes of fame, and you take that and make a record and you got a two-and-a-half-minute song saying the same thing somebody else just said, and now you’re considered hot. It used to be about creativity and understanding the musicianship, harmony, melodies, and that don’t even matter anymore.”
A Shift from Mumble Rap?
Despite his critiques, Dr. Dre remains optimistic about the future of hip-hop. He believes a change is on the horizon, moving away from the mumble rap trend that has dominated the scene. Dre is confident that a new artist with the potential to revolutionize the genre is emerging.
“I feel like it’s a change happening now from all this mumble rap that’s happening,” Dre predicted. “There’s somebody in somebody’s garage that’s gonna be the next Snoop or Dre or the next Prince or the next Michael Jackson that’s coming up with something that’s going to change the game.”
Conclusion
As Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre continue to influence the music industry, their call for originality and a return to musical fundamentals serves as a reminder for artists to embrace their unique voices and talents. The future of hip-hop may very well hinge on the emergence of new, innovative artists ready to redefine the genre.