In its humble beginning, Soundcloud was an ingenious tool for Rappers that wanted to share their music across a broad platform. One could post their tracks for the entire community to view. If it were good, people would post it to their profiles for even more listeners to hear it. A free service that got its money from ad revenue, all while helping small rappers make a name for themselves. However, SoundCloud just wasn't for rappers. Producers, DJs, and many other positions in the music industry all use the platform to get their talents recognized.
SoundCloud grew as new rappers saw this as the opportunity to become the big name they dreamed. But, as more and more rappers began joining the platform, the stigma of the SoundCloud rapper arose.
What is the SoundCloud rapper
When SoundCloud first began, the SoundCloud rapper was an earnest artist just trying to get his music to as many people as possible. Under your favorite YouTube video, one would be there telling you a life story followed by a request to go check their SoundCloud link. On Twitter, you would get a DM asking for a follow or maybe a retweet of their single. They were determined to have people check their music out. As time progressed, several names out of SoundCloud blew up into superstars such as Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, Ugly God and so much more.
Other aspiring SoundCloud rappers saw this and wondered what were these artists had that they did not. This is when the image of a Soundcloud rapper began to mold.
What does a SoundCloud rapper look like
When thinking about the image of a SoundCloud rapper, certain key features may come to mind. Crazy, dyed hair, interesting tattoo choices, questionable fashion styles and designer belts are some examples of a SoundCloud rapper in this day and age.
Lil Yachty (featured above) is an excellent example when it comes to crazy dyed hair. Before this trend really took off, he dyed his hair bright red then later braided it. I don't care what your music sounds like, and people are going to remember you strictly from that. As the dying hair trend grew, people began dying their hair other unusual colors.
Some artists even dyed their hair multiple colors, going above and beyond. In order to stand out, artists get tattoos of really anything. From multiple 69s covering their face and body to a face tattoo of famous Holocaust victim, Anne Frank, there is truly no limit. SoundCloud rappers tend to go beyond gender barriers by purchasing and wearing Goyard purses or wear jewel-encrusted chokers. They do all of this while flaunting their Gucci belts to complete the outfit.
How do SoundCloud rappers portray themselves
SoundCloud rappers have brought a new wave to hip-hop. It is the rock-influenced vibe that artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti create. They are living a luxurious life from the fame, and they will go into great detail in their lyrics to let you know.
Every aspect of their image goes into thought about how they can attract fans. Here is a list of SoundCloud rappers names: SkiMask the Slump God, Ugly God, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Lil Peep, Lil Windex, Lil Pump, Smokepurpp or Lil Purp and 6ix9ine. Very interesting names that will make you do a double take and maybe listen to a song or two to see what they are about. The music itself can range from parody style like Ugly God or to the trap and drug lifestyle like Lil Pump. Generally speaking, most SoundCloud rappers rely on catchy hooks and 8 bar verses complied with interesting ad-libs. To be honest, most of the music is not for the lyrical ear. If you want a catchy song that you can play on a car ride, then you will enjoy what SoundCloud rappers have to offer.
SoundCloud today
SoundCloud is nowhere near the dominance today as to what it once had. The company is not profiting off ad revenue so the pro version, SoundCloud Go was implemented. Unfortunately, it is not profitable either. I do not know one person who has SoundCloud Go. The preferred streaming services to pay for are Spotify, Apple Music or Tidal. SoundCloud is also losing money due to the artists themselves. The original payment method of SoundCloud was that if you were signed to a label and generated enough views, SoundCloud would pay the label. Now, artists without a label can be paid directly if they generate enough views. This incentive is not profitable, and it showed with the recent bankruptcy scare.
SoundCloud rappers have the stigma of weird, attention-seekers whose music blends together to the point where it all sounds the same. Of course, there are SoundCloud rappers who are going against this stereotype but more likely than not rising SoundCloud rappers fit this general description. At this point, it is image and marketability over talent. It is disappointing because there are talented SoundCloud rappers with the potential to grow into a superstar but are grouped with rappers who ride waves. These rappers don't ride waves because at some point the wave ends. Hopefully, once this wave of rap dies, we can finally see talent be the main focus of a rapper, not his image.
