Has anyone ever wondered why the popularity of the Chicago music scene has suddenly faded? From 2011-2016 Chicago was the musical and cultural hub for many teens across the United States of America. The city captured the hearts and minds of many adolescents, especially Black males. For this reason, we have seen the resurgence of Locs in the community, though many cannot recognize it. The treatment of the Chicago music scene has been responsible for many other downstream effects on societies at home and abroad. Many have died manipulated at the opportunity of fame and a music career, and now the prime consumers have just moved on to the next wave, disregarding their role in assisting the further erosion of the communities of Chicago.
The music produced by the black communities on the south and west side of Chicago appeared in two forms. One form produced a dance called "Bopping," which coincided with the block party scene known as a "Fe Fe." Its futuristic beats, and high-energy lyrics, characterizes this style of music. The other form of music produced in Chicago is called "Drill" music. This music is characterized by its intense lyrics depicting everyday life in the concrete jungles of Chicago. Similar to the preceding form, the beats come with futuristic melodies but with a neo-trap drum pattern. While the party music stayed domestically, Drill music has taken over the entire world, influencing almost every country to have its interpretation of the music.
I have been fascinated recently with how many people in my generation, "Gen Z," as they call it, have suddenly just moved on. However, before we ponder why and how that has happened, let us look back at how we got here.
Chief Keef's rise initiated the mass emergence of Chicago artists and music groups seeking wealth and fame through YouTube and other music streaming avenues. Chief Keef's consistency in dropping music videos on YouTube at a time when the music industry-controlled access to all forms of music was unprecedented. His approach circumvented the music-to-consumer pipeline that labels had a monopoly on at the time, making the process appear effortless. Furthermore, the music videos associated with Chief Keef's music were so unfiltered that they exposed a section of the population to the culture of Chicago, which, until that point, had not seen anything like it. This dynamic generated a demand that listeners did not know that they had. The freshness of the display aroused curiosity and hype, predominantly among teens. The ensuing publicity led to Kanye West picking up on the popular song "I don't like," which he and several others remixed, ultimately putting Chief Keef on the map amongst the labels.
Chief Keef then landed a 6-million-dollar contract. However, the realities of growing up in the slums of Chicago began to rear their head in the public light. Chief Keef's Glory Boys Entertainment (GBE) Affiliates were in dispute with a Chicago street entity known as Bricksquad. Bricksquad, aware of Chief Keef's coming up, followed a similar path, notably a rapper named Lil Jojo.
Although, these entities had a history before the notoriety gained through music. They are opposing factions in the "streets" of Chicago. As warring factions in Chicago's gang war, several instances of disrespect were exchanged between the two sides, spilling over into their music and social media. The exchanges ultimately led to the untimely death of Lil Jojo. Once the news broke, Chief Keef took to Twitter to make light of the situation.
When fans and bystanders saw this play out in the media, it sparked even more interest. It provided Chief Keef and the drill movement with a level of authenticity that had not been witnessed before by the target generation. Fans began to egg these situations on, calling people out and making fun of others Chicago artists for not retaliating in the same manner of violence. Some fans even began to take on the various gang identities to show support for one side over another. Thus begins a vicious cycle, which has become socially acceptable and is still going on years later.
So now, after learning a little history, what are the driving forces that led to the decline in popularity? After living through the movement and conducting the research, the first push factor I noticed was the spike in murders and arrests of the top artist. When these prominent artists started to get taken out, it forced fans to bounce around from artist to artist. As the quality of music faded as a result, the sport of finding out who dissed who or who killed who became the focus of the music for the fans. Furthermore, when murders increased exponentially because of the resentment between warring factions, fans became disillusioned with the entire movement. This disillusionment led to many music fans wanting a new trend without the high risk of losing their favorite artist to street violence.
This disillusionment, in part, is how a new generation of artists such as Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi, and others was able to capture such a large audience. Chief Keef and the Chicago movement influenced many artists regarding marketing and lyrics. These artists introduced their sound while playing off the marketing, video, and lyrical tactics of the drill/Fe Fe movement. The new generation's background also appealed to the target generation, as they related more to the cultural aspect of music rather than street authenticity. This transition left the entire drill movement to grapple with the fact that the attention they were once receiving had dwindled.
Lastly, the entertainment factor that the media added waned as priorities began to change for the stakeholders involved. The few media entities who covered the scene gained massive followings at the movement's height (i.e., Dj Akademiks) for covering a niche area of music at the time. After establishing a following, they pivoted into other entertainment and cultural news, leaving behind the drill scene almost entirely. Consequently, music consumers became more interested in the newer artist, preferring interviews and other content over the Chicago coverage. With this dynamic of media servicing a new market, labels diverted attention from overall talent investment in Chicago. As a result, Chicago artists became more involved in street life and social media antics as conditions for a music career worsened.
Music listeners have a significant amount of influence on the behaviors of artists. They can incentivize or disincentivize what the artist does based on their reactions on social media, the amount of listening time they give, and the overall narrative they construct about the artist. So, when Gen Z responded positively to all the negative behavior displayed by drill artists, it incentivized them to take it further and perpetuate a cycle of disrespect, murder, and retaliation. Furthermore, when the music no longer serves the fans, they can and will move on to the following popular sound leaving the previous artist to spiral into attention-seeking. This was the case with the drill scene, causing artists and factions to pull more stunts to remain relevant online. Be that as it may, it only explains the entertainment part that spilled over into the broader issues facing the black communities in Chicago. Music listeners should be mindful of what they encourage and give attention to; they may be aiding in the decay of society.
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