Though current-day hip-hop has brought us plenty of memorable material, 2018 has also seen the rise of a new generation. As a result, many characteristics from emo, punk, and metal have bled into the culture, making for a strange amalgamation of ideas and iconography. As a result, the ever-rational Tory Lanez has issued a PSA of sorts, imploring those seeking greatness to stay true to themselves.
"Don't try to be weird if you ain't weird," says Tory, low-key raising an intriguing question - does a weird person know they're weird in the first place? He continues to break it down, saying "one day, that weird shit gon' go out of style, and n****s gon' still be looking weird, and you gon' need to look normal. Be you."
While Tory is, in reality, echoing popular life lessons as seen on formative shows like Barney, the words certainly mean more coming from him. It's absolutely true to say that many impressionable people have become enamoured with what they feel to be a hip-hop lifestyle; loosely translated, we're talking facial tattoos, Xanax, lean, pill-popping, "clout chasing" and more along those lines. You know the tropes and you know them well. In fact, going down the rabbit hole of "SoundCloud" rap can lead to some strange and disturbing places, as seen on videos like this. It's safe to say that Tory will continue to keep it one hundred, and we look forward to hearing what he has to say on his upcoming album Love Me Now?
