It’s no secret that as far as Hip Hop music and the culture as a whole is concerned, the South goes off. Always has; always will. That said, every region in turn seems to get their time at the top and evolution within hip hop is not only constant, its quick – The last few years have seen a huge rise in the relevance of Mid-West rap - particularly in Chicago - largely thanks to a gentleman named Sosa and his associates (or ex-associates? - I can’t keep up with the beef) Fredo Santana, Young Chop, Katie Got Bandz, and the various “Lils” – Durk, Bibby, Herb, Reese and so on.

On the same side of town but with a sound so different they could be from another planet, you’ve got Chance the Rapper and his buddy Vic Mensa doing big things and proving that there are multiple stories to be told within the confines of one city. This year’s XXL Freshman Cover reflected this massive Mid-West moment with 4 of the 12 artists hailing from South Chicago.

Then you’ve also got the lesser known (or maybe just lesser acknowledged) talents like Lucki Eck$, King Louie, Rockie Fresh, Noname Gypsy, Tree, Jean Deaux, (just to name a few) who further helped cement the well-deserved reign. In the last few months we have begun to feel a natural shift in public interest and people are starting to look to what’s next for Hip Hop.

Sure, the West puts up a fairly solid case with Bompton’s YG, LBC’s Vince Staples, and the whole TDE roster continually producing music to a high standard, but past that, hits from the west are somewhat arbitrary and far between.

NYC, the birthplace of rap, will always hold a significant portion of buzz and deservedly so - The sounds coming out currently are consistent; You can’t set foot in a club these days without being Shmoney danced on as you try to get to the bar, and although fickle scene boys want to hate because they’re now “too mainstream”, A$AP Mob really had a moment there.

But none of this even comes close to touching the buzz building in the South. Future has been forlornly sing-rapping his way into our hearts and radio stations for a minute;  Last year Rich Homie Quan made us feel some type of way (don’t try to tell me he didn’t); Rae Sremmurd taught us that there are certain zones in which flexing isn’t allowed;  Young Thug shared his penchant for more than one female at a time (every time); And just when you thought it couldn’t get hotter, ILOVEMAKKONEN burst onto the scene with an undeniable club anthem about partying on everyone’s 2nd least favourite week night. These are just a few of the young artists who are bringing the South back in a notable way.

I think an important thing to understand with regard to this resurgence of Southern music, is that labelling it all “ignorant” isn’t necessarily fair. One could argue that there is a certain valuable quirkiness within the sound that is often overlooked, as well as a lot of genuine talent – The music is catchy, creative, and succeeds in pleasing those it is aimed at. To a closed mind it might appear they’re regurgitating the already overused sentiment of drugs, women, and money. I think there is an undeniable cleverness in talking about your wrist being so cold with icy jewellery that it’s giving your fist pneumonia – It’s brilliant in all its absurd glory. Rome Fortune uses the widely known “5 second rule” as a cheeky, sexual innuendo. Young Thug shames us by comparing his loud green to the libraries we’ve been smoking. Travis Scott invented the gross but unforgettable phrase, “sloppy toppy”. Two9’s Key! proclaimed his love for Jesus Christ, then in the same breath promised hell. All of these rhymes show the versatility, skill, and off-centre creativity that their respective utterer’s bear.

So brings us to the age old question – Does the music influence the streets, or do the streets influence the music? Whatever you believe, Hip Hop is a direct reflection of the cultural zeitgeist in some way or other. This means we will always get what we sign up for. If we want to change the course of hip hop, it starts with us. Everything we are seeing right now wouldn’t be at the forefront if there wasn’t a demand for it. Like it or not, the dirty South is having its time. Sure, maybe bandz don’t make you dance; maybe conscious lyrics, or open chakras are more your thing. If that’s the case, you still have a lot you could be listening to - Good music is everywhere if you really want it.

Furthermore, if the historical capriciousness of rap patrons is anything to go by, the South's reign may not last a long time - but it by all accounts - it will be a good time. I say embrace it.

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The Girl made a playlist for you to listen to, backing up her thoughts and what not...