ARE VIBES MORE IMPORTANT THAN LYRICS?

By IJR (@ONLY.IJR)

A few years ago, I distinctly remember having a conversation with a friend regarding my thoughts on the artist Playboi Carti. Now at the time, I remember my answer being really distasteful, I just didn’t get it. I remember I would try and give his music a listen, and come out confused, like “why is he repeating himself that often” or “ why do half the lyrics make no sense”. The hype around his name was just pretty puzzling to me, but that was until Carti delivered his highly anticipated album “Whole lotta red”. While WLR was not by any means the greatest album I had ever heard, it showed me exactly why people absolutely love Carti’s music, and the vibes he creates. 

I found myself repeating that exact same thought process with the up-and-coming rapper“Yeat”. I just couldn’t get past the incoherent delivery and strange vocabulary choices that the California rapper makes, but after a few months of letting the music sit with me, I think I’m starting to get it. The phenomenon that’s started to make sense to me, is that sometimes the vibe is more important than the substance. In other words, yes Yeat isn’t making sense to me right now, but wow this production is insane! Or sure, Carti’s flow on this song is a little repetitive, but just listen to the way he’s using his voice! It’s impressive how many different elements can make a song stand out beyond just the lyrics, and that’s been something that’s made rap exciting for me again. So the next time you wanna dismiss a rapper because of a lack of substance or call them a mumble rapper, think about the things that make the song fun for you, and appreciate the unique vibe that only that artist can create!