Nowadays, a lot of mainstream rap albums can play out the same way. Same set of blockbuster producers, a 21 Savage verse here, a Travis Scott feature there. It lacks a bit of imagination, but at its best, it’s a winning formula. Conversely, when it’s bad, it’s dreadfully boring, lacking distinction or just general fire and passion. It’s not much different from a big comic book movie, hitting all the beats it needs to hit without much else. Ultimately, it’s fine, but Metro Boomin is pleading for more.
Recently, the super producer spoke on Streetz 94.5 in Atlanta, where he reflected on the current state of hip-hop. Ultimately, he shrugs, noting that a lot of the current ecosystem doesn’t feel all that distinct. Instead, albums come together without much in the way of artistic vision or expression. Metro Boomin argues that the main issue is that there are simply too many cooks in the kitchen. Rather than hone in on any distinction from an artist, all the different people involved stray from any cohesion. Consequently, you get this jumbled mess of a record where there’s no consistency behind it.
Metro Boomin Says There Are Way Too Many Producers on Albums Today
“A lot of projects today sound like compilations; they don’t sound like one idea or one complete thought,” Metro argues. “I feel like what you need in hip-hop is somebody that’s not you to drive the ship. Even if you do have a couple, a few different producers on there, cool, but there’s still one in charge to make sure whatever they’re bringing to the table lines up with what we’re doing.”
This was proven on the latest album from Metro Boomin, A Futuristic Summa. Although there were an abundance of different features, they all centered around his specific vision for the project. Moreover, he also knew how to apply Atlanta’s past and present in order to make a heartwarming ode to alien synths and American Eagle attire. Similarly, on Metro’s work with Future in 2024, he kept a general sense of consistency, making for a more immersive listen.
Elsewhere in the interview, Metro Boomin opened up about his role in the bitter rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar in 2024. He was obviously the big producer for Kendrick’s verse on Future’s “Like That,” sparking the massive battle. However, Metro laughs off the whole debacle, saying he didn’t take any of it seriously anyway. “It’s WWE, man,” Metro grins.
The post Metro Boomin Explains Why Many Hip-Hop Albums Aren’t as Good Anymore: ‘They Don’t Sound Like One Idea or One Complete Thought’ appeared first on VICE.
