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Why Do UK Rappers Fail in America?

Angoitalian

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There’s a lot to admire about the rise of Grime. Compared to American hip-hop, it’s very young: born in the early 2000s as opposed to the 1970s birth decade of American rap. To go from local subculture to the global stage in less than 20 years is impressive, much like the explosion of American hip-hop in the 1990s.

While Grime is very comparable to hip-hop, it has grown into more of its own genre and less of a subgenre due to its unique sonic influences, captured in the bonafide classic album Boy in Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal, Grime’s equivalent to Nas’ Illmatic. Among these sonic influences include UK garage and house music, hip-hop, and afrobeats, seeing that the majority of Grime artists are first and second-generation Black British men.

With all of these clear parallels to American hip-hop and very unique differences, UK Grime, and UK Drill to a lesser extent, seem like forms of music that should be able to capture widespread American interest easily. But despite Dizzee Rascal’s past success, Stefflon Don’s mainstream breakthrough, and artists like Skepta, Giggs, and of course Dave receiving huge American cosigns and achieving solo success in the UK, British rappers simply aren’t catching on in the United States.

Accent, plus the guys who make It in America Who are British are comedian like Big Shaq (you dunno)








Roll Safe Who looked incredibely like Eddie Murphy









And even today there Is this guy Unknown P Who Is a comedian and Who people took seriously for a rapper until he cane out as a comedian Big Shaq too everybody thought he was a real rapper.















NGL the Unknown P freestyle from Charlie In The Booth was really really great the flow and delivery was awesome.
 

Flylady2.0

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I agree that those have made big impacts in the country with crossovers. It doesn't sound like typical music in the US, but also we need to take into account that there are Latin (huge) populations and also Caribbean populations in the US.

I just wonder why UK music and the UK rappers have made more of an impact in neighboring Canada but not the US.
Cause Canada is full of idiots and wannabes, the biggest desire for a Canadian is to really be an American
 

Brenda Chenowith

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Hip hop is understood to be an art of the working class. Additionally, the image of authenticity is critical to an artists success. British accents in rap can not only distracting and unrelatable, but Americans are very much incapable of distinguishing between different English accents and their class connotation. People hear British accents and immediately think “posh”, privilege and old money . This goes against the dominant working class/rags to riches brand of rapper. And if a British rappers tries to adapt their accent to a local one, they’ll be deemed inauthentic. It’s a double bind, a lose-lose situation.
I firmly believe that America will embrace a rapper with an African Accent before a british one, because people associate Africa with poverty.
 

Lechic12345

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Hip hop is understood to be an art of the working class. Additionally, the image of authenticity is critical to an artists success. British accents in rap can not only distracting and unrelatable, but Americans are very much incapable of distinguishing between different English accents and their class connotation. People hear British accents and immediately think “posh”, privilege and old money . This goes against the dominant working class/rags to riches brand of rapper. And if a British rappers tries to adapt their accent to a local one, they’ll be deemed inauthentic. It’s a double bind, a lose-lose situation.
I firmly believe that America will embrace a rapper with an African Accent before a british one, because people associate Africa with poverty.
Very true
 

Jesuisvert91

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There’s a different style of rapping in the Uk. Most Uk rappers can’t really ride a beat, no lyricism, and....... they just don’t really sound good. I listen to Skepta cause he makes marginally good music but he couldn’t go toe to toe with a US act.
 

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