Stop Calling Them Mumble Rappers

New age rappers can’t seem to lose the “mumbling” label.

Written by Thomas Galindo

Photo Courtesy of XXL

The term “mumble rapper” has been everywhere as of late. Once a descriptor of a subgenre of rap, old-school hip hop fans are now using the term to write off any new rap artist they deem unintelligible. Subjectively, these fans may be correct about the genre’s style. However, they aren't even trying to listen and understand it. It’s obvious they aren’t listening because most of these “mumble rappers” actually shout, yell, and do everything but mumble. The “mumble rap” label is often misused and has caused ignorance and arrogance to perpetuate today’s hip-hop/rap landscape.

So, the question to be answered is: why are these artists considered mumble rappers?

Photo Courtesy of The Fader

In 2014, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan released the Rich Gang single “Lifestyle.” This was most of the hip-hop world’s introduction to mumble rap, sparking a revolution and a meme. In the song, Young Thug mumbles throughout his verse and chorus (the song, however, is still a banger). His mumbling style contributed to his rise, and he and Future (who actually had a momentary beef) pioneered the new genre. However, as they released more music and began to spread their influence to up-and-coming artists, their use of mumbling turned out to just be a fad.

As trap music rose to prominence and became the forefront of rap, the leaders of the sub-genre — including Migos, Thugger, Future, Kodak Black, Gucci Mane, Lil Uzi Vert, and more — strayed away from the mumbling routine. For the past two to three years, mumble rap has not been a part of the rap landscape at all.

But, while the sound of rap music has evolved, some listeners haven't. In an interview with Rolling Stone, 21 Savage pointed to this large dismissal of new age rap by a group of fans.

“Nobody who say they (is) mumble rap mumbles,” Savage said. “They don’t understand my slang or my accent. They don’t know how to categorize it, ‘cause it’s art. They’re trying to bring it down.”

This begs the question then: how should we actually categorize this form of rap?

Most of what rap fans like to call mumble rappers are those who started their careers on SoundCloud. When you type in a Google search of “mumble rap artists,” it directs you to a list of artists under the title “SoundCloud rap.” This list contains artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Lil Pump, 21 Savage, Playboi Carti, and Trippie Redd. When these rappers came on the scene, they usually accompanied their music with eccentric personalities and appearances. When they broke through the SoundCloud threshold and began achieving substantial streaming numbers, it usually took one or more hit songs to make them popular.

In Lil Uzi Vert’s case, his rise was accompanied by not only a song or two, but multiple mixtapes such as Luv is Rage, Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World, and The Perfect LUV Tape. The hit songs off these mixtapes like “Money Longer,” “You was Right,” and “Do What I Want” contained zero mumbling, so his rise to popularity should not be attributed to mumble rap.

For 21 Savage, his rise to stardom came from Savage Mode, his collab mixtape with hot producer Metro Boomin. The standout tracks that boosted Savage’s career were “X,” featuring Future, and “No Heart.” While these trap beats may be slow and drowsy in comparison to Savage’s counterparts, the lyrics are certainly comprehensible upon first listen.

For artists Lil Yachty, Playboi Carti, and Trippie Redd, it really only took them one smash hit to achieve commercial success. In Yachty’s case, his anthem “One Night” off his Lil Boat mixtape made him a superstar in the course of months. The main track off Playboi Carti’s self-titled mixtape that garnered the most attention and notoriety in the rap community was “Magnolia,” which reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Trippie Redd’s commercial fame did not come until his single with Travis Scott in late 2017, “Dark Knight Dummo.” While he had been making waves already with his two A Love Letter To You mixtapes, it wasn’t until this track that he gained commercial popularity. The one trait these tracks all have in common is that none of these artists mumbled.

Other “mumble rappers” who rose to prominence with one track include Lil Pump with “Gucci Gang” and Juice WRLD with “Lucid Dreams.” Neither track contains mumbling — Lil Pump’s repetition is definitely audible and Juice WRLD’s harmonization is not only catchy but quite delightful.

Even though some of these artists can attribute their fame to one or a few songs, it shouldn’t be assumed that they got lucky. Each of these artists bring a unique skill or aesthetic to rap, which makes them not only exciting but influential. Rappers like Lil Uzi, Playboi Carti, and Lil Pump bring energy to each track that can only be compared to Kanye at his quirkiest. Trippie Redd and Juice WRLD bring raw, heartfelt melodies as they pour out their emotions and pioneer the new age of emo rap. 21 Savage impresses listeners using his calm, intimidating flow over sleepy trap beats to seem effortless on any song he puts out. These artists aren’t always the most lyrical and preachy, but they bring a change of pace that rap fans should definitely appreciate. Art is art, and while it’s undeniable that these artists take influence from veteran rappers, they are also revolutionizing the genre.

After assessing these artist’s contribution and ushering into the rap community, a fair title for these new age artists would be SoundCloud rappers, because that is what contributed to their fame. It’s time to dismiss the mumbling label because if you still believe they mumble, you just aren’t giving them a shot at all.