2017 was a special year for hip-hop culture thanks to the introduction of “thicc” Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. album, and Drake’s record-setting thirteen wins at the Billboard Music Awards. But 2017 also included a major shift in the music industry when hip-hop became the most popular genre in U.S. history.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Guns N’ Roses’ lead guitarist Slash was asked about the dethroning of rock, offering a very interesting opinion. “As far as hip-hop is concerned, it’s become so generic at this point. It’s definitely taken on a very top 40 thing.”
The 53-year-old musician added that he enjoyed rock when it was no longer as mainstream as in previous years. Slash noted that the genre has returned to its gritty underground concept that allowed musicians to revisit their roots and speak about uncomfortable topics.
The rockstar poses a good point, stating that mainstream publicity took from rock’s rebellious underground nature. But a good question to ask is since hip-hop greatly exists under the mainstream spotlight, will it be the next genre to lose its rebellious stamp?
READ MORE: Hip-Hop Becomes Most Popular Genre In Music For First Time In U.S. History
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