Another reason why I think music was better in 2017/2018 was because there was more competition with the music platforms. Those times you didn’t know where a banger would come from- a banger could from mixtape madness, SBTV, GRM , linkupTv, pressplay etc. As of the last few years GRM has had a monopoly and the other channels have fallen off and as result music quality has dropped. Also back then music was more organic less formulaic a banger could come about any day of the week but nowadays it feels so formalic like drop a song on GRM on a Thursday if you want it to blow, it’s too formulaic!
There’s been an Afroswing resurgence of recent months. Songs belonging to a1 x jedz & gwamz has been going viral on TikTok. Of course not to the same impact as 2018 but it’s still making noise none the less
Giggs has catchy hooks for days and melodic songs like Pain Is Essence, Set It Off, Show Me Respect they songs you can vibe too, they ain’t hardcore like old school Giggs songs like Man A Dead or Ting Dem
As a girl who’s listened to rap my whole life I feel like when I speak to friends about it they can feel almost a bit like it’s not made for them. On one hand you have male artists rapping about getting with girls and on the other hand female artists are mainly talking about sex as well. I’ve always said they could try listening to the likes of Doechii, Little Simz and Chy Cartier but if the mainstream isn’t like that they’re gonna be turned off by it.
Many girls (and guys who aren’t rap purists) prefer music they can dance to over tracks full of lyrical complexity or aggressive production. That’s why most Drill songs don’t chart well-they’re too niche. To succeed commercially, you need a sound that’s approachable, Afro Swing struck the right balance: an upbeat fusion of Afro, Rap, R&B, Dance and Pop i.e. feel-good music you can play anywhere-on the radio, in shops, or at parties-without alienating people.That's why labels invested. If UK Rappers even want to compete with Pop stars, the songs & aesthetics need to have mass appeal. Female audiences, or frankly anyone outside the purist circle, aren’t checking for underground rap. The new artists lack polish and commercial appeal. Where’s the branding? The fashion? The colourful music videos? The tracks that make people want to dance? Image matters too-let’s not ignore the fact that artists like Central Cee partially owe their success to being a marketable heartthrob to female audiences which gains him double the fanbase. It’s not rocket science: fun, accessible, visually exciting music with pop appeal brings in a bigger audience, especially women. 😅 But labels play a role too. If they’ve realised it’s no longer 2018 and girls in 2025 are more into Noah Kahan or Myles Smith than rappers, that’s where the money will go, as female consumers spend way more money on music industry. It’s just business.
I feel like this is because afrobeat/afroswing didn't really evolve well, its 2016-2019 peak was where all the melodic music came from but after artists like not3s, ramz and hardy caprio got shelved that's when the girls stopped listening, it was either the rappers or producers that just didn't manage to develop the sound into anything further, was all just the same old. In comparison look at drill and how far its progressed, the 2015 sound of drill is not the same sound you hear today. When someone like nemzz or cench is rapping, its more palatable to a wider audience, less chop snares/ dark melodys and more hihats and bounce so a wider audience can enjoy
nah just not anything that isnt considwred wavy or melodic like any established rapper would get a big female audience quick if tgey released j hus dave (location) or burna boy tune
in 2018 BBC introduces a new chart, and that's where they poop it all. Division in between African and Jamaican backgrounds- amplifies rap "beef" in an unhealthy - unproductive way
he's genuinely got a point icl but.. we've just gotta wait suttin will change
Another reason why I think music was better in 2017/2018 was because there was more competition with the music platforms. Those times you didn’t know where a banger would come from- a banger could from mixtape madness, SBTV, GRM , linkupTv, pressplay etc. As of the last few years GRM has had a monopoly and the other channels have fallen off and as result music quality has dropped.
Also back then music was more organic less formulaic a banger could come about any day of the week but nowadays it feels so formalic like drop a song on GRM on a Thursday if you want it to blow, it’s too formulaic!
There’s been an Afroswing resurgence of recent months. Songs belonging to a1 x jedz & gwamz has been going viral on TikTok. Of course not to the same impact as 2018 but it’s still making noise none the less
Facts bro, it’s deffo gonna comeback this year & then make noise for the next couple of years
"She don't listen to UK rap if it ain't Dave or Cench" 🔥
I was literally thinking of this😂😂
"shes a 6 but a her friend is a 4 a three way gunna make that 10"😆
Uk girls like more of. Uk Afroswing Era
Mums, but ik for a fact that Afroswing is deffo gonna comeback this year & will dominate these next couple of years 🙏🏿
Girls still love DBE lol
It’s the lack of melodic and catchy hooks
Giggs has catchy hooks for days and melodic songs like Pain Is Essence, Set It Off, Show Me Respect they songs you can vibe too, they ain’t hardcore like old school Giggs songs like Man A Dead or Ting Dem
As a girl who’s listened to rap my whole life I feel like when I speak to friends about it they can feel almost a bit like it’s not made for them. On one hand you have male artists rapping about getting with girls and on the other hand female artists are mainly talking about sex as well. I’ve always said they could try listening to the likes of Doechii, Little Simz and Chy Cartier but if the mainstream isn’t like that they’re gonna be turned off by it.
Bro keep going the consistency 💯
Afroswing has evolved to Afro rnb and the girls have followed there … man like odeal, efosa , gino J , a1 & jedz are all popping off with that sound
Many girls (and guys who aren’t rap purists) prefer music they can dance to over tracks full of lyrical complexity or aggressive production. That’s why most Drill songs don’t chart well-they’re too niche. To succeed commercially, you need a sound that’s approachable, Afro Swing struck the right balance: an upbeat fusion of Afro, Rap, R&B, Dance and Pop i.e. feel-good music you can play anywhere-on the radio, in shops, or at parties-without alienating people.That's why labels invested.
If UK Rappers even want to compete with Pop stars, the songs & aesthetics need to have mass appeal. Female audiences, or frankly anyone outside the purist circle, aren’t checking for underground rap. The new artists lack polish and commercial appeal. Where’s the branding? The fashion? The colourful music videos? The tracks that make people want to dance? Image matters too-let’s not ignore the fact that artists like Central Cee partially owe their success to being a marketable heartthrob to female audiences which gains him double the fanbase.
It’s not rocket science: fun, accessible, visually exciting music with pop appeal brings in a bigger audience, especially women. 😅 But labels play a role too. If they’ve realised it’s no longer 2018 and girls in 2025 are more into Noah Kahan or Myles Smith than rappers, that’s where the money will go, as female consumers spend way more money on music industry. It’s just business.
They’re all listening to PND or Bryson Tiller
Fr but they too cold
I feel like this is because afrobeat/afroswing didn't really evolve well, its 2016-2019 peak was where all the melodic music came from but after artists like not3s, ramz and hardy caprio got shelved that's when the girls stopped listening, it was either the rappers or producers that just didn't manage to develop the sound into anything further, was all just the same old. In comparison look at drill and how far its progressed, the 2015 sound of drill is not the same sound you hear today. When someone like nemzz or cench is rapping, its more palatable to a wider audience, less chop snares/ dark melodys and more hihats and bounce so a wider audience can enjoy
Remember when the girls sang the J Hus song with passion.
I mean LeoStayTrill similar to the past rappers, and the underground got melodic artists like Len
nah just not anything that isnt considwred wavy or melodic like any established rapper would get a big female audience quick if tgey released j hus dave (location) or burna boy tune
in 2018 BBC introduces a new chart, and that's where they poop it all. Division in between African and Jamaican backgrounds- amplifies rap "beef" in an unhealthy - unproductive way
Girls love lancey foux tho, ull be surprised 😂
yhyh I've got faith that gyal will like lancey, fimi etc when they get bigger
Young Adz is an exception to this
he is not a rapper, that's autotune TRAP
absolutely inappropriate conclusion while you have Lil Simz - on top (and she is pretty alone there)
They all listening to future lil baby and thug
YJay - No diddy is a clear example proving that girls like innocent and light hearted vibes with a catchy hook and verse
Girls like singing….uk rap doesn’t offer much of it.
Cook broo