This past week, Los Angeles emcee Reason ignited quite the debate on social media after saying Fabolous was a better rapper than André 3000. JAY-Z’s longtime engineer and producer, Young Guru, added to the discussion; admitting he was tired of “rappity rap.” 

“At this point, you gotta say something,” he wrote. “I’m starting to fall out of love with people who rap about how good they rap!!”

Of course, the producer's sentiment resulted in reactions from fans and peers alike. On Tuesday (January 11), after HipHopDX shared Guru’s quote, Russell Simmons, Skillz, and Baltimore rapper, King Los weighed in on the topic, giving their own opinions. 

“I said that 40 years ago,” Simmons offered, while King Los wrote, “Factual.” But Skillz offered an alternate take and said, “I’d rather hear that than a bunch of murder & killing,” which King Los cosigned. Simmons expounded on the topic in a text to DX that read, “Poetry is about the heart — not about the ego.”

Fans also wondered why Young Guru took issue with braggadocious bars but not lyrics that promote gang violence, murder, and materialism. As one commenter wrote, “Rappers, for the most part, stopped bragging about skills and lyrical abilities years ago. But Coke rap and materialism runs criticism free from Young Guru. I WONDER WHY??”

What do you think? Are you tired of braggadocio in hip-hop? Stay tuned for more on this and other hip-hop news.