Is SoundCloud rap dead or is this just the beginning of something crazier?
When Berlin-based music sharing website SoundCloud launched in October 2008, it was a one-of-a-kind domain. Its accessibility as a communal launchpad for music facilitated organic discovery and kickstarted the careers of unproven, DIY artists overnight. The by-design lack of a hierarchy or red tape fostered a sense of community and opened up a world of seemingly limitless possibilities.
All of a sudden, up-and-coming amateur artists were just a few clicks away from having their creations heard by millions, democratizing music in unprecedented ways. By the early to mid-2010s, nascent rap hopefuls were being thrust into the spotlight without the usual co-signs from establishment figures. Artists who cut their teeth on the platform were disparagingly referred to as “SoundCloud rappers,” a generic term initially dismissed as a passing fad by traditional media outlets and industry gatekeepers.
