Brockhampton has taken the rap world by storm by releasing arguably two of the best hip-hop albums of this decade just in 2017. With a release date of Dec. 15, the third of the Saturation series marks the end of Brockhampton’s studio albums, according to a Billboard report.
I really would rather it not be that way.
After its formation in 2012 in Texas as AliveSinceForever, Brockhampton, an Odd Future-esque rap group — or boy band, as the group describes itself — has released some of the most different and genre-bending rap released in recent years.
Brockhampton takes elements from each artist’s personal style and combines it to create something completely different. In my opinion, the group is much too young with too much untapped potential to put an end to the flow of content. The amount of content Brockhampton produced just in 2017 has been unprecedented. Brockhampton releasing three albums in one year shows potential for years of content ahead.
If the group is running out of ambition, it is understandable to put an end to it. It is unhealthy for an artist to be forced to produce content. Brockhampton, however, seems too young and full of potential to be completely finished with the group’s production of studio albums. The group has the potential to release music that could be influential to the future of rap music, and ending the group prematurely deprives the public and the music industry of influential content.
If the group is separating to focus on each artist’s own solo music, a hiatus from music is natural and healthy. The group does not need to discontinue its production to do so, however. Although many of the artists are individually very talented, the group’s collaborative effort highlights the personal strengths of each member. Joba, for example, is one of the group’s most promising talents. He adds an element of classical vocal training to the group’s work, which makes the group more universally appealing. He has a poppy falsetto alongside a relaxed flow that changes the group’s sound for the better. Alongside the group’s de facto leader Kevin Abstract’s heavy flow, their styles even each other out to create a collaborative effort that bridges genres.
I understand the need to depart from studio albums as a collective. Artists should not be forced to create content they do not want to make. Brockhampton, however, should not be permanently ended. The group’s creative talent and potential to change rap music is unprecedented and should be kept as an ongoing project that members can return to, even if no content is being released.
Shelby Campbell is a freshman studying journalism and political science at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you listen to Brockhampton? Let Shelby know by tweeting her @bloodbuzzohioan.
