SoundCloud Rap in a Global Context

Last Friday, some friends and I (including fellow Global Scholar Ian Macleod), Ubered to the Novo in Downtown LA to see one of our favorite up-and-coming rappers, Denzel Curry. Though he first gained attention on the independent music-streaming platform SoundCloud through his hardcore single "Ultimate," which featured a catchy double-time hook and a pounding bass drop, he has since transitioned somewhat into the mainstream and began taking on controversial topics like voter suppression and police brutality.

For Friday's concert, Denzel linked up with fellow SoundCloud rapper Kid Trunks, a friend of the late XXXtentacion and one of the foremost Asian artists on the scene, who often draws on his background to add an under-represented voice to the genre. After Trunks opened with some of his head-banging cult favorites and a tribute to X, Denzel came out to perform to his album in three acts. Between mosh-pit anthems, Denzel rapped, "When I sho
ot the sherif if he not demoted, then bang! / This for Trayvon and Tree / Burn the bush and chronic, speakin' honestly / We livin' in colonies, CNN sit-comedies" and called on the crowd "run with lions on the road to Zion" in lyrics that recalled the militancy of Black Power leaders like Huey Newton and Malcom X.

Recently, the egalitarianism and freedom from record-company demands has made SoundCloud a haven for teens making trap beats and dropping bars in their South Florida garages. Though this populist take on music has enabled many a mindless crowd-pleaser (like Lil Pump and Smokepurrp), it has also opened the gates to a worldwide market for independent rap music. Recently, I've expanded my rap taste to Saüd and AKA Keyz from the Persian Gulf, the Higher Brothers from China, Skepta and Chip from England, and Kwesta from South Africa. In an age of powerful record company tycoons and corporate consolidation, the freedom of SoundCloud provides a platform for independent artists from around the world to speak their truth over a bumping bassline.