Gave ian a try today. My conclusion.
So my first impression was he sounds like yeat or cardi on ol gucci beats. Ive also heard some of his different records. Its okay if its playing in the background somehwere and your not really listening. Bevause what is rap? Rap is clever lyrics to a rythm. If the lyrics are ass and their not rapping on beat. What are they doing? Talking over good production. Now i admit because im older im harder to adapt to newer rap but i can still recognize good shit.
Lets all be honest. The biggest crossover rap stars are either black rappers that dress like white kids. Or look friendly to white kids. "Juice, xtencion, playboi" all are black dudes that shop at hot topic. Relatability. And so white rappers have massives sales potential. If the white kids will accept him? Hes goong to the moon. Because young white kids make up the largest rap consumer market.
When I found out ian's manager was bu? That lets me know he might be in trouble. Bu is a fucking crook. He robs artists blind. Gives them shitty deals and pimps them for all their worth. Ive heard a 100 stories about him. And i get why hes pushing ian to market himself as "the everyday whiteboi" because if they bite? Ian turns into a cash cow. But aside the zaytoven off beat carti schtick. Ive also seen a few "kanye bites" not just the song. But the vids that go w the song. So far everything ive heard is ian doing his impression of another popular rapper.
And it can be hard for young artists to figure out who they are. Jack Harlow who has a great pen game also has been plagued w identity issues. From drake sounding albums to musiq soulchild shit now. I expect that. But atleast as they try and discover their identity they have an inate original style delivery and quality writing skills. So many times listening to ian you feel like "okay he can be vulnerable he can be honest. Hes an artist. He has something." But his music is VERY BLAND. its all vibes. No bars. No clever skillful writing.. No original style. But I feels like he could get there at some point.
I personally wish he abandoned the yeat cosplay and the yeezy cosplay and did his own thing. To me yeat is ass. Yeat is for low iq music fans that dont have refined taste and just want music for vibes. 18 yr old Pornhub xbox wizards who gobble percs and molly and newd a soundtrack while playing cyberpunk. Ian? You can understand what he says. He has waaaaay more music potential. I wish hed focus on writing. Really become a great writer. Writing bars that make you play it back. And find himself and his own style. Ian is not an idiot. Yeat is very much an idiot. (Hard working and business minded. But not an intellectual)
I dnt hate ian. I just feel like hes in a development phase that we shouldnt all be witness too. He needed to go through all this before he dropped. The church song w the black choir? There were moments. But overall its a sunday service impression w flat lyrics and the white kid black church gimmick. Rooting for him to lose whatever terrible deal hes in w bu. Keep making music. Make shit he wants to make. Ignore all the trends. And long term he could be legit. Just my opinion.