Completely embracing the meme he has become, Lil Pump’s release of Harvard Dropout solidified his mark on the industry. Critics have been quick to dismiss the Gucci Gang rapper as just another mindless side-show act, yet his popularity has endured. It’s clear that Lil Pump, along with his SoundCloud contemporaries, are leading the new wave inside the genre.

It’s easy to criticize the repetitive lyrics, loud beats and unorthodox style that Lil Pump represents in his music. This type of music is relatively new, but also entirely different from the classics of 2-Pac and Nas. However, as music evolves, so do the artists. It’s a lazy argument to draw comparisons of modern artists to these classic icons. Certain skills and attributes that were required to enter the industry in 1996 have been modified to fit the current generation’s expectations. Lil Pump was able to recognize these expectations and capitalize on them. 

The genius of Lil Pump lies within the entire character he portrays. From his organic SoundCloud growth to his over the top lifestyle, everything is done intentionally. Even his simple, repetitive lyrics are done with purpose. His music is not meant to be analyzed or interpreted, it’s meant to set a specific mood. It’s a completely arbitrary expectation for rap music to be deeper than it needs to be. I don’t want to try and understand the lyrics in every rap song. Sometimes I just want to listen to fun, catchy music. 

Some of the things I hear the most are, “How do you listen to this?” or “This music is so dumb!” Well yeah, that’s the point. I listen to Lil Pump for the same reason I watch literally any Nicholas Cage movie. I’m not watching it for the great acting, I’m watching it because it’s entertaining. I like simplicity. I don’t want to listen to Beethoven at the pregame. 

Does this mean I’m uncultured? What if I’m not able to discern good music, art and culture? Am I just conditioned by society through these mindless forms of entertainment? 

Yeah and I go to museums for the excellent cafeteria food and strictly watch movies ironically. Oh, and I prefer McDonalds burgers over Bin 707 too.

Of course this would be absurd. It’s ok to like a variety of styles, and Lil Pump fills a position in our culture that is in high demand right now. He knows exactly what he’s doing. If Pump can solicit a desired mood through his music, then he is successful. 

But his actual music is just one piece to the puzzle. There is a reason that out of the millions of the SoundCloud rappers, Lil Pump was one of the few to make it into the music industry. This wasn’t luck, but rather an adept foresight in industry trends paired with an incredible ability to drum up publicity. 

This is where his true success lies. His creative genius isn’t just within one aspect; it is within all of them. To get his music into the mainstream audience, Lil Pump began branding himself early on. His uncaring and rebellious attitude was attractive to a wide audience. This persona significantly impacted the popularity of his early hit singles “D Rose” and “Gucci Gang” and brought his music mainstream.  

From there came possibly the most brilliant marketing campaign since early 2010 Kanye. From going full-circle with the Harvard drop-out meme, to his iconic music videos with Charlie Sheen and Kanye West; he consistently made headlines. For the entire length of 2018, he covered the pages of pop-culture news. His ability to market himself has remained unrivaled in the industry today. 

Lil Pump’s success was no lucky break. It’s easy to dismiss him as a talentless dope, but it’s pretty difficult to go triple-platinum with no talent. Call him what you want, there’s no dismissing the mark he’s made on modern rap culture.