Much has been written and said about the death of subculture. The rise of the internet has democratized culture so much that once distinct regional sounds are becoming less and less common as cultures mix and mingle over the internet. One genre, however, that has maintained its identity while still spreading across the nation is the “Scam Rap” movement.
Coming out of the Detroit area, Scam Rap is a subgenre of hip-hop that takes staples of the genre and subverts them, an example of this being the often commercial lyrics. Artists in hip-hop have always rapped about crimes they’ve committed and exaggerations of their personal exploits, but when combined with the often sample heavy production and trademark loose delivery, Scam Rap transforms the tone, coming across as much more lighthearted than other regional styles such as the dark, manic energy of Chicago Drill.
Artists such as Teejayx6 and Kasher Quon helped elevate the scene when they went viral with their series of collaborations entitled “Dynamic Duo”, where they trade bars mentioning everything from heavy drug use to identity theft all while retro inspired synth heavy beats blare in the mix.
Scam Rap is funny to me, TeejayX6 had some real hits such as ‘Swipe Story’ where he literally talked about how to scam over a beat. His music did inspire a lot of people to start scamming and go on the dark web for credit card information,” “Scam Rap is funny to me, TeejayX6 had some real hits such as ‘Swipe Story’ where he literally talked about how to scam over a beat. His music did inspire a lot of people to start scamming and go on the dark web for credit card information.
— senior Hussain Mohammad
Mohammad, a Detroit native, has an intimate knowledge of the Detroit area music scene, and one of the biggest rising stars of this scene is an artist known as Babytron. XXL magazine recently featured him on their prestigious Freshman Class of 2022, which has a long history of shining a light on global superstars early on in their careers. Despite this rise in fame, some remain skeptical of the rapper’s staying power.
“I actually found out about Babytron from his features with other Detroit artists. XXL really gives a spotlight on rising artists which I really like, with Babytron and Detroit rappers however I don’t really see them getting anymore,” Mohammad said.
Babytron has also gained a small but intensely loyal following at Walter Johnson spreading through word of mouth and the internet, mostly among avid rap fans.
“I think Babytron has been looked over on his creativity. I feel like some people may not take him that seriously, but his flow and lyrics make him unique. He doesn’t make music for everyone, but the people who do listen to him I feel like are on top of his every move and are always excited to hear more,” senior Janaiyah Christina said.
The rise of Babytron has also sparked interest in the wider Detroit rap scene, bringing it to the front of the hip-hop scene.
“I think Detroit rap is going very mainstream, and it will be over the next couple years. If it can keep up the push that’s currently happening I think it can be very big,” sophomore Sam Potter said.
