Mumble rap is not music, Lil Yachty is not a musician and this spring concert will not succeed.
Colorado Mesa University’s Programming Activities Council (PAC) announced that American “rapper” Miles Parks McCollum, professionally known as Lil Yachty, will be performing at CMU, for the PAC spring concert on April 28.
This is the concert that was supposedly in the making for months and was supposed to be a “blockbuster” announcement, which was anticipated to be a great night for students.
Yet, the best the school can do is get a below-average rapper who spends his time mumbling random words on stage. In addition, the school will be paying Lil Yachty a whopping $65,000 to perform for one night only.
Yes, CMU is spending a whole $65,000 to ICM Partners, who represents Lil Yachty, to perform for the PAC spring concert.
Within the last five years, hip-hop has become the most popular music in the United States as it surpassed rock only a couple years ago; moreover, hip-hop itself has experienced changes in which subgenres such as trap music and mumble rap have become the prominent way to listen to hip-hop within the last five years. Artists like Migos and Fetty Wap have developed the subgenres and other rappers are becoming popular from following suit.
The problem with this is that society is embracing the new age of hip-hop due to the sole fact that it has catchy and “bumping” beat while possessing meaningless to no noteworthy lyrics. Artists like Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert are the face of new-age rappers, that are acting like a cancer to the very soul of music, and CMU is bringing this problem with music to the forefront, for all students to hear on April 28.
Last year the school featured American Authors as the headliner for the PAC fall concert, and it was not received well, due to lack of advertising and a poor choice in location to host the concert. This year, the school is attempting to appeal to the students and fulfill the request to bring more rap artists to CMU.
I personally do not have a problem with rap; however, hiring an “artist” like Lil Yachty was a very poor decision by CMU PAC. Yes, Yachty is popular. He has just come out with a new album, Lil Boat 2, that currently stands at number two in the Billboard top Rap Albums list. This, however, does not change the fact that Yachty appeals to a slim audience at CMU and portrays a poor attempt to please a loud, but small population on campus who want trap music for the spring concert.
There is no problem with having a hip-hop artist for the spring concert, but why Lil Yachty? There are plenty of other options that the school could’ve attempted to bring in, in order to produce a spectacular show. Other popular artists like Post Malone, who is currently on tour with 21 Savage, would’ve been perfect to bring to school, as Post Malone is considered one of the most popular rap artists in the last two years, and does have a plethora of singing talent besides rapping.
This concert will definitely be an experience nonetheless, there will just be a discussion of what kind of experience Lil Yachty will bring to the CMU stage.
I am not saying students will not be entertained by the red-haired rapper jumping around on stage, rapping about “baby daddies” and “smoking that broccoli,” but there were significantly better ways to spend $65,000.
Matt Kennedy, how many PAC meetings have you personally been involved in? Have you volunteered your time to help them? I hear a lot of “passive aggressive” whining in your writing. Stop being the bearer of drama and put your time into the decision making process. Lil Yachty may be a joke, but he’s a successful one who’s younger than you. I share your feels, stings doesn’t it?
I’m sorry what defines an “artist” or “musician”? Does Lil Yachty make music, thus being a musician? Is music an art, thus making Lil Yachty an artist? The answer is yes.
Every year I get excited to see who they will pick for these concerts and every year since Ive been here its been a rapper. If I don’t want to go to these concerts that PAC decides on then I shouldn’t have to give them money to put it on. Last years concert wasn’t a flop just because of the contract issue its because they only take into account the very few people who vote on their social media for the entire campus.