Rapper/ movie star Xzibit recently shared his perspective on the current state of Hip Hop during a guest appearance on The Adam Carolla Show. Reflecting on his extensive career that began in the mid-1990s, Xzibit expressed his concern about the genre’s trajectory over nearly three decades.
Xzibit addressed the impact of the education system on contemporary communication, attributing the decline in the quality of expression to the prevalence of social media. He noted that the reliance on “emojis and farts and beeps in thirty-second intervals” has led to a degradation of communication, limiting comprehension and expansion.
In discussing the challenges artists face in capturing attention within short timeframes, Xzibit expressed the view that this trend makes it “impossible” to create full albums with consistently strong content. He highlighted the contrast with the past when physical formats like CDs and cassettes allowed listeners to engage deeply with the music through features like album covers, production credits, and lyrics.
Xzibit also addressed the impact of streaming on the emotional connection between music and fans, lamenting the loss of tangible elements that contributed to the longevity of artists’ careers. He questioned whether this shift is intentional and observed that the staying power of Hip Hop seems to have diminished over time.
Drawing attention to the cross-genre influences in contemporary music, Xzibit highlighted the incorporation of Hip Hop elements into country, pop, and even rock. Expressing his weariness with the current state of Hip Hop, he expressed a desire to witness a resurgence of rock bands devoid of Hip Hop influences.
