The state of music right now is that labels are trying to pick up the youngest and most marketable talent possible as early as possible. For evidence of this being true look at who is in the top 3 of the billboard charts as of June 28th 2016. Desiigner is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York. A good borough if you are trying to rap. I mean look at the talent Notorious B.I.G. (but can we agree Biggie Smallz is a better pseudonym?), Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and DMX. Not to mention those four all went to the same school. Oh you haven't heard of the George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School? Well sorry. But that's besides the point.
Desiigner (according to his Wikipedia page) began rapping after he was shot at the age of 14. And since he was born in 1997 that would have made the year 2011. When checking the year end charts of 2011 to see what song holds his current spot at #3 on the charts is Katy Perry's Firework. Oh baby! but I digress. The article goes on to say that his official debut single was released on SoundCloud in December 2015. So that means he had 4 years till he released something for the world at least to our knowledge. I'm sure he did shows and recorded stuff before this but, just for the sake of officials I'm just going to continue. So then after the first single he released Panda a few days later still late 2015. He was signed to Kanye's label GOOD MUSIC (first sign by one of personal favorite rappers and the new president of said label Pusha-T!) only 2 months after releasing Panda.
Now here is where the state of music starts getting interesting. What was it that Pusha-T found in Desiigner that made him sign him after only 2 singles getting released? And I'll tell you it was the future, or should I say Future. Future at this point in time is kinda regarded as the best rapper out right now. Future is from Atlanta and started making noteworthy mixtapes in 2011 (coincidence?). He makes trap music which originated from the Southern United States. Which is not sadly New York where Desiigner is from. It is kinda obvious that Desiigner is trying to be Future. I don't know if people can really argue with that. Also Trap is the new thing in Hip-Hop so it is only fair that Desiigner rides this wave of popularity. I don't have a problem with his locational appropriation, I do have a problem with his signing so early into his life. Desiigner is 19! Can you believe what that is like? Legally he can't even drink in the United States! Future at the time is 32 and he hasn't even had a number 1 single by his own. So I guess the state of music is trying to ride the trends as fast and as hard as you can. While signing the youngest and most marketable talent. Because after all why try and get Future at age 32 who has some experience in the music industry, when you can get the 19 year old Desiigner who (to my guess) will be trying to ride trends for the rest of his career due to his inexperience and guidance by GOOD MUSIC.
The music industry has never been marshmallows and chocolate. It's been rough and has destroyed a many young musicians financially and mentally. So I send my best to Desiigner and Future, and the state of music seems to be just as it has been the whole time.
Jackson Freier
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