This isn’t just another country x hip hop collab…this is the new south, where country has “swag.”
As VH1 pointed out in their documentary, The Tanning of America, hip hop’s influence has grown exponentially over the years, with hip hop used as a medium to sway everything from consumer’s choices in top shelf liquor to encouraging young people to rock the vote.
Hip hop, which has often sampled generously from other genres, has in turn heard its sound emulated in other genres, such as pop. It wasn’t unheard of to hear a rapper on a pop ballad, even before hip hop began romancing mainstream American. It was however, for millennials, completely unheard of to hear a rapper on a country song, until Nelly teamed up with country star Tim McGraw for “Over & Over Again” in 2004.
McGraw was quick to say that “It ain’t nothing country about that song,” admitting the song was far outside of his normal repertoire. The song, however–county or not–managed to crack the Billboard Top 10.
This “new” kind of country, recently dubbed “bro country,” is something that old school country artists and fans aren’t always accepting of.
Soon after McGraw’s success with Nelly, Brad Paisley and LL Cool J came on the scene with “Accidental Racist,” while James Aldean joined forces with Luda on “Dirt Road Anthem.” Both pairings met with extreme criticism, including charges that Aldean was “ruining country,” despite the fact his song was a top seller in country music that year.
Nelly then joined forces with Florida-Georgia Line for the song “Cruise,” which was the top-selling and top-charted country song of 2013. In fact, all of the top performing records in country music last year had hip hop elements.
The crossover between country and rap is actually nothing new, with “country rap” songs appearing sporadically in various catalogues over the years, including those of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. The first ever identified “country rap” song, was in fact, a 1926 release called “Talking Blues” from a South Carolina artist named Chris Bouchillon.
Country boys can–and do–survive. They’re surviving “the tanning of America” by evolving.
The “bro country” movement has come full circle to its South Carolina roots, with Ricky Young joining forces with Bubba Sparxxx, who breaks his long silence for their song “Baby Wassup,” featured on Young’s Feels Damn Good EP.
“Country music is different now, because the world has changed. It’s only fair that we have influences in our music that reflect that,” says Young. ”It’s cool to me that the genres are evolving to be accepting and inclusive of each other. I’ve seen people on social media saying that country is selling out, that it’s ‘fake country’ or ‘fake rap,’ but they obviously don’t know the people behind the music. My influences range anywhere from Garth Brooks to 2Pac. I make music that reflects my influences. Bubba is the same way. He’s a country boy, but he’s completely rooted in hip hop. Me and my boys listened to Bubba K growing up, so it’s cool to be working with him 15 years later. Hip hop has always been a big influence for me,” Young reveals.
Bubba and Ricky Young will be embarking on a tour together this summer.
Listen to their new song, “Baby Wassup” below, and tell us if you think it’s hot or not.
