While the legacies of veritable hip-hop legends nearing their 50s — Jay Z, Ice Cube, etc. — are secured, God forbid one of them decides to release any music. And when you’re worth millions and married to Beyonce, who cares? But it’s tough to secure a future as a rapper in a world where, for the most part, old is synonymous with “washed up.”
Of course, rap’s youngest artists have yet to figure that out — especially those who gained fame at an age most people lose their virginities.
Last week, two of those rappers — separated by a generation of club hits — faced off over the affection of Instagram model India Love in one of the dumbest rap beefs in recent memory. Soulja Boy (remember him?) and self-proclaimed “King of Teens” Lil Yachty threw social media jabs in a contest to see who’s the least self aware, apparently.
“You a washed up, old-ass, dirty-ass n****,” the 19-year-old, red-haired rapper yelled about Soulja at a recent concert.
And in some ways, Soulja Boy is washed up. He was one of the biggest names in mid-2000s rap, a pioneer of crunk before he even turned 18. You can still play “Crank That” or “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” at a party and see people throw it back to middle school and “Superman dat ho.”
But he also hasn’t released a commercially successful record in years, and seems to spend more time bragging about (likely-fictional) $400 million deals than making any sort of decent music (though, strangely, his recent collaborative mixtape with Bow Wow wasn’t quite terrible).
More than anything, however, Yachty’s argument about his 2007 counterpart illustrates rap’s incredible short-sightedness when it comes to viral success. Lil Yachty, who blew up off of the success of his trap lullaby “1 Night,” traveled a similar path to the one Soulja Boy did years ago. And while Yachty has said in the past that he looks up to Soulja Boy, the similarities between the two rapper’s career arches seem to be lost on him.
Of all the rappers riding the New Atlanta wave, Yachty might have the least staying power. His songs are catchy, fun and made for the masses, but thus far his success has been limited. He doesn’t have Future’s songwriting ability or Young Thug’s virtuosic weirdness or even Migos’ street rap tendencies. But he does share Soulja Boy’s penchant for crafting pop-rap that drives the internet wild.
Unfortunately for both sides of this beef, rap has a problem with virality. It’s easier than ever to become a recognized rapper because of a single poppin’ internet track. But, as Soulja Boy has kindly demonstrated with his life, it’s very difficult to keep that prominence going for a number of years. And if Yachty can make that happen, all the more power to him. But he needs plenty more hits for that to happen. And a viral dance or two might help.
But hey, maybe in 10 years we can watch Yachty beef with an up-and-comer over a model. That would be fun.
