While other artists are holding off on sharing their new projects, Big Sean is ready to drop. The rapper has been teasing Detroit 2 for some time, even sharing that the album may come prior to his scheduled Coachella appearance. Now that the world is on pause because of the COVID-19 quarantine, events have been canceled, but Sean told The Rap Pack that a pandemic isn't going to stop him from moving forward with his project.
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"My thinking was, I was gon' drop it now," Big Sean said. “Honestly, I deal with so many other people when it comes to putting an album out. Especially when you on a label and all these things and it definitely can happen and is happening. At the same time, it's just like, we've had to readjust a few things."
The rapper said that the public has been receiving differing timelines of when the quarantine will be over, but it keeps getting extended. "People like, ‘It’s only gonna last few—It should be up by this time in April' and this. And then it just keeps expanding, right? So, you hear things about how streams are down and all these things, but I also believe in making music for a cause, for a purpose, to heal, to help, to inspire."
"I truly feel like that's why, especially this project, it got songs that relate to me right now," he added. "I feel like it's time, especially for these times that we're in. So, I do feel the responsibility to, no matter what, get it out." Are you hyped for Detroit 2?
Russ Calls Travis Scott The "Pioneer" Of The Shift In Hip Hop
Russ sat down with “The Rap Pack” and discussed the current era of hip hop and how the genre has changed over the last few decades.
The debate about top rappers is an ongoing one, but according to Russ, the “Big 3” at the moment are Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole. Rap culture is enduring a major shift as social media, self-publishing, and streaming services changes the way music is not only created, but it’s volume and accessibility.
While visiting The Rap Pack, Russ talked about the “gatekeepers” of hip hop. As these icons get older, fans of the genre will be looking for artists who are truly lyrical and innovative, but that doesn’t seem to be as important in a social media-driven culture. The shift is coming, and Russ believes he knows who will lead the way when it happens. “The pioneer of the shift is Travis Scott,” he said. “Because Travis…will outsell one of the Big 3 ’cause the fanbase is just that huge.”
The group went on to say that if that happens, then for the first time in rap-hip hop history, a non-rapper will be the leader of the genre. They all agreed that Travis can rap, but his selling point isn’t being a lyricist who will do “a four-minute Funk Flex freestyle,” said Russ. He added, “But Travis makes fire music.”
In order to keep hip hop in its purest form, whatever that looks like to the lovers of the game, Russ said it’s up to artists like “JID, [YBN] Cordae” and himself. Watch the insightful interview with Russ and The Rap Pack below.
Russ Thinks More Rappers Should Model Their Careers After Jay-Z
Russ names Jay-Z as the artist that rappers should model their lifestyle and career after during a discussion on the rock star vs. rap star dichotomy.
Russ doesn’t understand why Jay-Z’s lifestyle and career trajectory is not referenced as the framework to which the newer generation’s rappers aspire to model themselves after. Russ recently stopped by The Rap Pack podcast to promote his new album, Shake The Snow Globe, and got into a discussion about the differences between a rock star and a rap star with hosts Carl Chery, Trent Clark and Jon Tanners.
As the conversation started veering towards drug abuse in the hip hop community, Russ suggested that a major factor is that rappers are more attracted to rock star ideals, which heavily involves drug use. Rappers today have begun modelling themselves and their careers after the rock star image and lifestyle, which seeps into their sound. “The rap star archetype was not a drug user,” he notes. “It was a drug dealer.”
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“[There’s] no real rapping. It’s just screaming, and it’s more about the intensity,” he notes. “Which is turnt, I love some of this shit. But a lot of the rap now has been modelled off of those rock archetypes as opposed to the rap star archetypes.” Russ brings up Jay-Z as a primary example of a true rap star, who doesn’t promote indulging in those harmful lifestyles. “I don’t know how many young kids in their 20s…that are modelling their lifestyle and their rap career off of Jay-Z, which is sad,” he says. “It’s unspoken, but I think [he] is probably the goal for everyone who starts to rap…If you want the most money, how are you not trying to model [your career] after Jay-Z?” he asks.
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Russ acknowledges that a common critique of Jay’s music today is that fans think he’s “out of touch.” “He supposed to be the one running over the hill before all of us because he’s further along and telling us, ‘Nah, this isn’t it anymore,'” he explains. “Why do you want Jay-Z to be on what you’re on? I’ve never understood this…it should feel not relatable. Like, I can’t relate to a lot of shit Jay talking about. But I love that. I’m like, ‘Oh there’s room to grow here.'”
“More people are concerned with being rock stars than rap stars,” he declares. “We’re losing the essence that made it rap.”
