THE SHOCKING TREND OF SOPHOMORE ALBUM SLUMPS

The sophmore album slump has been an ongoing trend in hip-hop but with recent albums from notable artists like Jack Harlow, Cordae and Roddy Ricch, the problem seems more prevalent then ever. A successful debut album can sometimes be the downfall for some artists. Living up to that intial sound can be extremely difficult, leaving the artist fulled with pressure and disrupting the creative proccess.

Coming into the game, mostly all artists are filled with hunger and ready to share their talents and experiences in hopes for just an ounce of recognition and success. However once achieving that success especially when in abundance, a lot of new artists will tend to get comfortable in their position and fail to push themselves or grow more as an artist. Getting caught up in the fast & flashy life to a rapper can be very easy and with labels attempting to milk artists for every last penny, they may steer them in the wrong direction artistically. With this said, decision making is extremely important for them early in their career.

Playing it safe, many of these artists decide to try and recreate their old sound but later realize its impossible to do. These albums are generally still good however don't satisfy fans looking for more from this artist and seeking a higher potential. Although fanbases will always claim they miss the old version of an artist, they will never be the same. Life has gone, they acquired so many new experiences & grown in many different ways. An artist changing is healthy and should be celebrated more. Money, is obviously a main motivator for these new young artists and many will let that factor push them away from their artistic craft. Many time artists that stay one-hit wonders, it's clear they lost that passion and prioritized money.

While going through the ups and downs of starting a rap career, seeing the intial success and love is great. But the stagnant numbers and immense criticism that can follow, can be extremely hard for new and especially young artists to overcome. After adapting to this lifestyle, finding that spark and purpose again creatively is essential and will allow an artist to bounce back even despite harsh criticism. Seeking that growth and higher potential over monetary gain will organically build a better career.