photo: Anton Mak (CC 2.0)
Lil Yachty doesn’t give a f—k about hip-hop legacy. Turns out he doesn’t have to.
Anyone who thought rap was dying clearly isn’t checking these rappers’ bank accounts. And as an entirely new generation of fans grows up, they’re keeping rap a top-earning genre.
All of which is great news for the latest generation of rappers, including Lil Yachty. We don’t have access to Yachty’s bank account statements. But according to his label, Lil Yachty has pulled down $13 million in the past 16 months alone.
“Lil Yachty made 13 million dollars in 16 months,” Quality Control CEO Pierre ‘Pee’ Thomas confirmed.
The figure emerged following a heated beef involving Joe Budden. In highly-public comments, Thomas blasted Budden for hating on Lil Yachty’s success. Additionally, he offered to publicly compare bank account statements to permanently one-up the elder Budden.
“I’m convinced now hating in you n—s blood,” Thomas said. “Let’s have a contract and bank statement challenge.”
This isn’t the first time that Yachty has traded barbs with older rappers.
In fact, the 20-year-old has been blasted for flatly disrespecting earlier legends. Back in September, Lil Yachty challenged the godlike status given 90s rappers Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., often regarded as hip-hop pillars.
“Drake is better than Tupac and Biggie,” Yachty blasted in a Facebook video last September. “They ain’t got shit on Drake. They ain’t got shit on Drake.”
Fighting words, though younger rappers aren’t just dissing rappers from twenty years ago. Or, getting dissed back. Back in December of 2016, Kodak Black challenged another rap demi-god, Lil Wayne. “Wayne ain’t the best f—king rapper alive,” taking on another titan. Black later threatened to ‘knock out’ Lil Wayne in a proposed boxing match.
Other elder rappers jumped to Wayne’s defense, including Hot Boys member Turk and 50 Cent. The latter challenged Kodak to a boxing match, which may have ended poorly for Black.
Lil Wayne recently stated that he’d never heard of Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage or Kodak Black.
Wow I wish I had a piece of that.. it’s a rarity in the recorded music biz to make a million let alone several…
Mind you, I couldn’t rap to save myself.. let alone sing..
you need to drop out of school act and speak like a 10th grader swear every chance you get flash money and ho’s grab your crotch
and spit idiot non sensible verses
Its a formula like McMusic
Paul, you should really talk about WHY it is that Yachty is beefing with Budden.
When Budden asked Yachty whether he was in a 360 or not Yachty had no idea. Thats a MAJOR problem in 2017.
Black artists already went through generations of being exploited for not knowing or understanding what they signed and Budden in his own way was explaining to Yachty that he needs to get his knowledge up which is 100% true.
The problem is that Black kids see the headlines to an article like this and that’s what they hold onto, thinking that its ok to just slide by because itll all workout in the end.
What I’d like to see is an article about Atlantic Records and why A) there are virtually NO Black executives over Black music, and B) Why Atlantic Records continues to sign the most destructive stereotype reinforcing bottom feeding artists the internet has to offer.
Oh wait I’m playing the race card right? lol…..
No no no no no…
who writes this stuff..
Dude, it’s simple. We live in a time where music distribution only works for a few, in a time where it should work for many. They put focus on this young man, and then the only people who have time to support him via STREAMING, is these kids.
Now if there was another system, he could make money like he is, but so could a lot of other people. He did nothing, the label did it all. Which is why they are turning
i fw lil yachty , listen to anyone you like.. lets all just be nice lol