Yes, Hip-Hop Will Survive Without TikTok

Last September, TikTok announced it had collaborated with Billboard to launch its first-ever Top 50 Chart, and Sexyy Red had debuted at No. 1. The announcement confirmed what many saw as inevitable: TikTok was taking over the music industry. Prior to the Billboard TikTok 50 chart, songs from rappers were blowing up on the app, leading to chart domination. Now, as the U.S. House of Representatives gives the Chinese-based app six months to find a U.S. buyer or face stateside exile, it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the music industry as a whole. The conversation around whether or not it will affect hip-hop is ongoing, especially rappers who rely on the platform to share their music. Will hip-hop survive without TikTok if it gets banned? Of course it will.

When Billboard debuted its TikTok Billboard Top 50 in 2023, rap was having far from a stellar year on the more traditional Billboard charts. The first rap-related entry on the Billboard 200 was Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape last July, followed by a Jungkook song featuring Latto that hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in the same month. Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” emerged as the first solo No. 1 rap track of the year, but didn’t hit that spot until September. Meanwhile, on the app, the genre was actually thriving.

Rappers Take Over Billboard TikTok Chart

Sexyy Redd claimed the first-ever No. 1 spot on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart with her smash hit “SkeeYee.” Doja followed close behind at No. 2 with “Paint The Town Red.” Sexyy also appeared two more times in the top 50, with her songs “Looking For The H*es (Ain’t My Fault)” and “Mad At Me” debuting at No. 19 and No. 50, respectively.

Elsewhere, Ice Spice‘s “Deli” and NLE Choppa’s “It’s Getting Hot” also debuted in the chart’s top 10 and No. 6 and No. 8. While Charlie Wilson’s “I’m Blessed” featuring T.I. additionally debuted at No. 9, Young Thug and Drake’s “Oh U Went” debuted at No. 14 and Young Nudy’s “Peaches & Eggplant” featuring 21 Savage debuted at No. 16. Gunna, Tee Grizzley, Kaliiii, Toosii, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj and J. Cole also debuted within the top 50.

That trend has so far continued into March of 2024. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” comfortably sits at No. 1, 21 Savage’s “Redrum” is at No. 8, Bossman Dlow’s “Get In With Me” is at No. 10. Elsewhere, Jack Harlow, Flo Milli, Rich Amiri, Dej Loaf, G-Eazy and 4Batz are just a few of the rappers scattered throughout the top 50.

Read More: Sexyy Red Admits She’s Shocked By Her Success

TikTok’s Relationship With Hip-Hop

It’s impossible to ignore TikTok’s star-making power, as the app has kickstarted the careers of dozens of rappers such as Sexyy Red, Lil Nas X and Armani White. There are a few reasons for this, one of which is that a 2021 study by MRC Data showed 64 percent of the reported app’s user base were teenagers, who historically have always been more hungry for new trendy music than adults. Additionally, a behavioral poll conducted by Midia Research in 2021 showed that 40 percent of active TikTok users had a monthly paid subscription service for music, compared to just 25 percent of the general population. This means it was much more likely for a TikTok fan to switch to their streaming platform of choice and stream a new track discovered on the app.

But as time has gone on, artists have criticized major labels for funneling TikTok’s star power to their clients and choking off indie success.

“If a song is going viral on TikTok, and the artist is unsigned, and as a result, it’s getting a million streams on Spotify, the labels are scrambling to sign that song or that artist,” Tatiana Cirisano, a music industry analyst and consultant at Midia Research, told CNBC in 2022. “They’re obsessed with expanding their market share and making sure they don’t lose any market share to independent artists.”

TikTok is also showing that it may not know how to compensate artists reliant on their platform. Universal Music Group pulled the plug on TikTok in January, and said it would remove its signees’ music from the app entirely in part because of “how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters.” The label’s roster includes Drake, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd and many other of the biggest artists in the world. In an open letter, UMG said, “Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.”

Would a TikTok Ban Hurt Hip-Hop?

So, would a TikTok cancelation be detrimental to rap? Considering the messy stumbles mentioned above, all signs at this moment point to no. Not to mention the correlation between rap’s dominance on TikTok versus its tepid presence on the Billboard charts is in line with the genre’s history. Trendsetting is in hip-hop’s blood, dating back to when New York’s word-of-mouth “block parties” of the 1970s kickstarted the genre. So, it makes sense that in 2024, the place to find the hottest hip-hop records isn’t always on the charts or TikTok. It’s on streaming platforms, many other apps, internet message boards, YouTube, in the streets, on the radio and by good old word of mouth.

While sifting through TikTok can’t remotely be compared to crate-digging through a pile of records, the point is that rap will always be whereever the kids are. Regardless of where that is, even without TikTok, wherever the kids go next, rap will be sure to follow.

Not to mention, the artists don’t appear to be stressing that much, since there are so many avenues for them to get their music out. Coi Leray, whose song “No More Parties” earned a big surge in popularity in 2022 thanks to TikTok, knows the benefits of the platform. It’s benefitted her career significantly. However, it doesn’t make or break her as a artist.

“Tiktok is not a streaming platform,” Coi tweeted on March 13. “And I never looked at it as one. I’m not worried. As long as you don’t take away Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Tidal, Audio Mac, YouTube music, Amazon music, I’m good. Music and the love I have for it, is forever.”

Can’t argue with that.

Read More: Drake’s Serious Devotion to Sexyy Red Is Costing Him Big Bucks

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Nicki Minaj Shows Love For Tyga After Guest Spot On “Pink Friday 2” Tour

Nicki Minaj has shown love to Tyga after the rapper joined her in Vegas for the Pink Friday 2 tour. Tyga, who would later tweet out a clip from the show with the caption “Gag City”, was a surprise to fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.

However, it’s not the only thing fans want out of the tour. After just three shows, the Barbz are demanding a “cinematic experience” like Taylor Swift and Beyonce produced last year. “I hope there will be movie experience of this tour! 😍 visuals are top tier and @NICKIMINAJ looks amazing 💖,” one popular fan account on X wrote. As mentioned, Minaj has only hit up Oakland, Denver, and Las Vegas so far on the 57-stop tour. Her next concert is on Sunday in Seattle. The tour runs until July 14, when Minaj will close out with a performance at the Les Ardentes Festival in Belgium.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Stunned To Discover Nicki Minaj Genuinely Sold Out Pink Friday 2 Tour

Nicki Minaj Shows Love To Chris Brown, Fans Want To See Him On Pink Friday 2 Tour

Elsewhere, Minaj had nothing but love when responding to a video of Chris Brown playing “FTCU” for one of his dancers at a recent concert. “This is so very appreciated. Wow. 🫶🏽,” Minaj wrote on X, formerly Twitter. As a result, many fans began to implore Minaj to bring out Brown during stops on her upcoming Pink Friday 2 tour. Nicki’s 53-stop tour of North America and Europe began on March 1 in Oakland. At the time of writing, the only confirmed guest act is Monica, who will open all non-festival shows on the North American leg.

Minaj and Brown have seven collaborations together. Their partnership dates back over a decade to “Right By My Side” in 2012. Their most recent collab was Brown’s “Wobble Up”, also featuring G-Eazy, in 2019. Furthermore, their best charting was the Young Money track “Only”, which went triple platinum and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, their best-performing collab with no other featuring artists was Brown’s 2013 “Love You More”, which peaked at No. 23.

Read More: Anne Hathaway Seen Getting Low To Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” And The Barbz Are Loving It

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Anne Hathaway Seen Getting Low To Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” And The Barbz Are Loving It

A video of Anne Hathaway dancing to “Anaconda” has gone viral amongst fans of Nicki Minaj. The video, taken from an Instagram story, shows Hathaway getting low to the iconic part of Minaj’s catalog before bashfully waving off praise from the gathered crowd. However, the Barbz in particular have gone absolutely wild for the video. Some praised Hathaway for her taste, others for her dance moves. Meanwhile, a number of other fans have pointed to it as evidence of Minaj’s legacy.

Of course, it’s been a rough couple weeks for Minaj. After being shaded on Megan Thee Stallion‘s “HISS”, Minaj hit back with a diss track of her own, “Big Foot“. However, the general consensus was that she had lost the beef. Not only were people now questioning her many dubious links to sex offenders, but “Big Foot” flopped in comparison to “HISS”. Furthermore, “Big Foot” debuted below Ben Shapiro’s terrible rap debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

Read More: “Little Miss Flint” Seeks Positive Change From Nicki Minaj & Megan Thee Stallion Beef

Nicki Minaj Shows Love To Chris Brown, Fans Want To See Him On “Pink Friday 2” Tour

Meanwhile, Minaj had nothing but love when responding to a video of Chris Brown playing “FTCU” for one of his dancers at a recent concert. “This is so very appreciated. Wow. 🫶🏽,” Minaj wrote on X, formerly Twitter. As a result, many fans began to implore Minaj to bring out Brown during stops on her upcoming Pink Friday 2 tour. Nicki’s 53-stop tour of North America and Europe begins on March 1 in Oakland. At the time of writing, the only confirmed guest act is Monica, who will open all non-festival shows on the North American leg.

Minaj and Brown have seven collaborations together. Their partnership dates back over a decade to “Right By My Side” in 2012. Their most recent collab was Brown’s “Wobble Up”, also featuring G-Eazy, in 2019. Furthermore, their best charting was the Young Money track “Only”, which went triple platinum and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, their best-performing collab with no other featuring artists was Brown’s 2013 “Love You More”, which peaked at No. 23.

Read More: Chris Brown Feuds With Ruffles After Chip Brand Denies Involvement In All-Star Game Exclusion

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