With hip-hop turning 50 this year, we sat down with digital creator M.K. Tsui, owner of the popular social media account The Styles Report, to discuss the past, present, and future of the genre.
Q: Tell us about yourself and The Styles Report.
M.K.: I’m a lifelong Jersey resident and music fan who grew up listening to hip-hop, R&B and soul. I started The Styles Report to showcase the music and culture that was and is a positive influence on my life, and to congregate and commiserate with fellow fans.
Q: What is it about hip-hop as a musical genre that appeals to you?
M.K.: It sounds good, but it also feels good too. The eclecticism of styles, forms, rhyme schemes, instrumentals…it’s nondiscriminatory. That inclusiveness also carries over to the culture of hip-hop itself; it welcomes all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and identities. To that end, it also gives voice to the voiceless; those who are marginalized and disenfranchised. I think the social consciousness inherent to hip-hop has contributed to its enduring longevity, and its sense of all-encompassing humanity and populism is something that is sorely needed in today’s world.
Q: What do you think has changed the most about hip-hop over the decades?
M.K.: There’s a couple of things that come to mind. One is hip-hop’s viability and ubiquity as a commercial enterprise. Back in the day, aside from a few huge acts like Run-DMC, you didn’t get that Billboard Top 100 exposure as an MC, DJ or producer. So it really was first and foremost about the love and artistry, parties, fun, bragging rights, and respect as motivating factors. There was a purity of purpose involved. That still exists, but there are also undeniably others who primarily get into rap to get rich or as a springboard to other endeavors. Nothing wrong with that, but again, there’s a distinction between love of the art versus use of the genre as a means to an end. Common’s “I Used To Love H.E.R.” summarizes this theme quite nicely.
Another shift is the evolution of marketing and promotion. Once upon a time you needed record label promotion and/or street teams constantly hustling, pushing your tapes and CDs. Now it’s all about building your social media presence and capitalizing on that online footprint. A single clip going viral could be your catalyst to fame, for better or worse.
Q: Who are your top 5 MCs, dead or alive?
M.K.: Ahh, so many so I’m just going to go with my gut, in rapid succession and in no particular order: Kane. Rakim. Pac. Big. Latifah.
Q: Queen Latifah is an interesting choice.
M.K.: Unconventional, yes. I always struggle with the “5 slot” as there are so many worthy MCs I rotate in and out of there. Nas. Jay, L.L, KRS….but in this case and at this moment I feel like Latifah belongs in that spot because of her cross-genre versatility, the consciousness of her lyrics, and the enduring power of tracks like “Latifah’s Had It Up To Here” and “U.N.I.T.Y.” that are not only resonant thematically, but still bang today. So yeah, on the record, all hail the Queen.
Q: What’s your favorite hip-hop album of all time?
M.K.: You’re gonna make me pick just one? Ah…off the top again. Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg. Snoop when he’s fresh and hungry, amazing guest work from 213 and The Dogg Pound, production is peak Dre, Warren G and Daz.
Q: The focus of The Styles Report is old school hip-hop and R&B. What do you think about today’s hip-hop music and artists?
M.K.: I think popular music is generational. As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, of course those decades are going to be my gold standard for music as I link the sounds of the era with the key memories of my youth. It’s a lucky coincidence that it happens to align with “the golden age of hip-hop”, but there’s certainly a nostalgia factor that contributes to my fondness and preferences.
So generally speaking, newer hip-hop, be it trap, lo-fi or emo rap…it’s not my cup of tea. But I understand why it’s popular and I respect that. Once upon a time, some people who grew up with Smokey, Stevie, Marvin frowned on rap music as noisy and derivative. Even further back, people who grew up with Muddy Waters or Ella Fitzgerald could have said the same about Chuck Berry. Music is a young person’s game and it evolves over time. But there’s room for everyone, new and old.
Q: Are there any current hip-hop artists you do like?
M.K.: There’s a handful. Kendrick is excellent, of course. Easily the best of the current generation. J. Cole for the comprehensiveness of his musicianship, lyrics to beats to mixing, he does it all. I really like Cardi B. “WAP”? Please believe me! Speaking of, Megan the Stallion can spit, if you’ve ever seen her freestyles. Coast Contra. Those guys are amazing. I’m going a little off-genre from your question, but from an R&B/soul perspective, H.E.R. is phenomenal. Going totally off-genre, we also love Taylor Swift in my house. Not enough to pay 2 Gs for concert tickets but the woman is good.
Q: So you’re a Swiftie, interesting. What other genres of music do you enjoy?
M.K.: I don’t discriminate. Great music is great music. In parallel with the likes of Tribe Called Quest and Kid N’ Play I was listening to Pearl Jam and Guns N’ Roses growing up. I can appreciate classical, country, new wave, metal, J-pop, list goes on. Soundtracks and film scores. Ludwig Goransson’s work on The Mandalorian and Black Panther is sublime. I rock with “Ken’s Theme” from Street Fighter 2. Stuff like that. But hip-hop, R&B, soul, they are my first and best musical loves.
Q: Where do you think hip-hop goes in the next 50 years?
M.K.: If history has taught us anything, I think the genre continues to evolve in new and unexpected ways, likely influencing and inspiring the emergence of new and unexpected sounds. Just like hip-hop emerged from funk, soul, blues, jazz, and R&B, our music will beget something completely novel and fresh. As to what that is, I don’t know. Country-computer-hop. Something like that. To paraphrase Marty McFly in “Back to the Future”, we’re not ready for that yet…but our kids are going to love it.
Follow The Styles Report at @thestylesreport on Instagram and Tiktok and visit the website at https://thestylesreport.com.
