808s Throw Jazzy Jeff Off

For the first time in 11 years DJ Jazzy Jeff put out a studio album. The independent project, M3’s release in May was met with tepid coverage. That is not because the album wasn’t good (it’s great), but mostly because the music industry, and commercial rap, have moved away from the sound that won Jeff Grammys with Will Smith over 25 years ago.

Nonetheless, Jeff still gets work. He produced the entire M3 project and tours the world spinning at dozens of live shows. He shares much of this journey on Instagram, and he had a hilarious post in his profile recently after listening to the radio for approximately 2 hours:

It’d be easy to call Jeff a hater here, but he’s only speaking truth in this post. Just about every song on contemporary rap radio includes 808. That was the name of one of the first drum machines created in the early 1980s. The sounds programmed into that machine have emerged in every era of hip-hop, but have never been used as much as they are now.

Listen to this song by Lil Uzi Vert:

Now, check out this track by Cardi B andOffset:

The similarities are glaring. Much of what makes rap are the drum patterns and sequences. Now, if the producers utilize the same sounds and instruments in the same sequence, it’d be easy for the music to sound the same. Even though these tracks feature artists from three major US cities (New York, Philadelphia, and Atlanta) their delivery and cadence are now pretty similar.

Jeff had to back his remarks with a few additional comments below:

I agree with his sentiment. It’s not about disliking the sound, but the gatekeepers of the music industry have prevented us from getting any new or unique tracks. There was a time not that long ago, where terrestrial radio gave us New York rap, southern rap, West coast rap, dancehall, and R&B within the span of an hour. Each branch of hip-hop had its distinct attributes. Now, the gatekeepers have only allowed commercial artists to converge on this singular 808-driven sound.

Jazzy Jeff’s post became a reunion for old rap pioneers. DJ Kid Capri invited Jeff to spin on his Sirius show. Big Daddy Kane labeled the post “GENIUS!!!” while Biz Markie avoided the fray, claiming “you brave son”. DJ D-Nice and Lord Finesse could only offer laughs, but DJ Premier explained “that’s why I refuse to quit”. It was a bold proclamation from the rare hip-hop dj and producer still working at 52.

The fans offered support in the comment section too, exclaiming why they need Jeff and others to continue creating. Some people want variety back in the music, let’s do what we need to do as fans and support that movement.