Questions Answered, Again!
Break down the meteoric rise of Ice Spice and why.
The easy answer is sex sells, and Ice Spice has the advantage of being light-skinned. The uncomfortable reality is there isn’t much complexion diversity between Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Latto, Cardi B, and Ice Spice — the current top five most streamed women rappers on Spotify. Her rise isn’t solely due to these factors, but they undoubtedly benefit her.
To her credit, Ice Spice knows what the public wants. Her music is tailor-made for the social media platforms that increasingly influence how we find new music. Whether “Munch”, “Deli”, or “Princess Diana”, she always gives the listener something to take with them, regardless of substance.
In my view, she has also benefited from being selective musically. So far, she’s passed on collaborating with other up-and-coming rappers/women, in favor of culture shifters across genres. Working with Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and PinkPantheress has only expanded her reach and influence among a diverse group of fans. Refusing to oversaturate the market with features has made her rare appearances more impactful, and sought after by fans.
On a broader level, Ice Spice is a savvy marketer. She gives just enough in interviews & appearances to make fans feel as if they can grasp her personality, but they are always on her terms. In an era where rappers constantly overextend themselves socially and politically, Ice Spice knows her lane and sticks to it. Her comfortability with self and consistency has paid dividends with a performance on Saturday Night Live and a Dunkin Donuts campaign.
Now, if you read this and defer back to my first sentence, I wouldn’t fault you. Yet, Ice Spice is not the only light-skinned rapper who leverages sex appeal — so something else is working, whether we like it or not.
Can you break down the difference between amapiano and afrobeats?
Without getting into the weeds, the best way to summarize the difference between afrobeats and amapiano is what your ear gravitates toward and what your body responds to.
Afrobeats (birthed in Nigeria) uses percussion as its foundation. Tracks like “Drogba (Joanne)” find your body tied to the rhythm of the clap track, which follows a 3–2/2–3 candance that differs from Western music. In Afrobeats, the words and melody are ancillary, with the tempo functioning as the backbone and catalyst for movement.
Meanwhile, amapiano, which translates to (the pianos) in Zulu & Xhosa, demands you follow the baseline. The South African genre is like House music but with a slower pace. Fast-moving punchy baselines fill the void and add a sense of energy and individuality to the genre. In amapiano, movement is dictated by the baseline, with the percussion serving a secondary function and often going unnoticed.
Afrobeats = beat // Amapiano = bass.
Has amapiano overshadowed music from West Africa, or is it seen as a win for all of Africa?
While amapiano is exploding in popularity, it has not come close to the success of Afrobeats. Outside Tyla, I doubt the casual fan can name another amapiano artist — if they even associate her with the genre. Amapiano has yet to rival the fame of Afrobeats, with Rema, WizKid, Tems, and Burna Boy each having international fanbases and appeal.
The rise of amapiano has the potential to expand our narrow view of African music. Nigerian artists have dominated Afrobeats, and for now, the spotlight is on South Africa. Genres like Highlife (Ghanaian), Soukous (Congolese), and Kwaito (South African) showcase how connected the Black diaspora is through music. With time, hopefully, the success of amapiano will allow others across the continent to get their shine, with Amaarae among the most deserving. The Ghanaian-American’s recent album, Fountain Baby, is a serious contender for album of the year for its unique blend of pop and Afrobeats.
Let’s talk samples. They elevate modern songs, but do they pay homage to the OG?
At its best, sampling takes a snippet of a song and remodels it into something new. Increasingly, artists use well-known samples as a crutch, refusing to add their own unique dimension. This margin for error increases when today’s rappers sample within their own genre from tracks that came out 15 years ago. Why listen to a watered-down version of a classic when the original is equally accessible?
Producers and artists have gotten lazy — see Flo Milli’s “Hot Box”, which samples “Milkshake” in beat and cadence. Yes, samples are elevating the OG/iconic tracks of yesterday — but they refuse to feature the creativity that makes them worth using in the first place.
My favorite producers — Dilla, Kanye, and Madlib — draw you across the world and time with their samples. Since I was a teenager, I’ve spent countless hours connecting samples to artists/sounds I would have never discovered. When done right, sampling showcases how rap is the most adaptable genre. Yet, today it’s too often a disservice to the music that came before it.
What does Drake using Halle Berry’s image against her request say about him?
Stories like this are weird but somehow not surprising. I encourage you to read my latest piece about Drake. Women are expendable to Drake, and he’s become more dispensable to me with time.
How likely is it cap that Rihanna has two albums in the queue?
For context, rumors surfaced that Rihanna could go on tour as early as next year and has two albums worth of music in the queue. Given her massive net worth (reportedly as high as $1.7B), I would never advise Rihanna to do this! Outside a personal desire to tour, I don’t see music or touring as a good use of her time — given the lack of financial urgency.
I wonder if Rihanna wants to make a statement. She is one of the few artists who could sell out international venues as a solo headliner. She’s the 5th most streamed artist on Spotify, despite Anti coming out in 2016. Maybe Rihanna saw the success of the Renaissance tour and wants to remind the world of her cultural pull. Possible unreleased tracks may make it all the easier to begin her re-emergence. Somehow, I have talked myself into believing the gossip, but I fall back to it being cap, for now.
