Photo: Instagram
Just a few short months ago, fresh off his blistering freestyle on Hot 97, The Roots frontman Black Thought made the claim that he invented mumble rap. It was a shocking if not downright odd statement to make, but one that flew relatively low under the radar. Not many responded to it, but a few notable rappers did take notice.
Fast forward to today, and it appears that Black Thought’s claim is being challenged because Chicago rapper Chief Keef has come out and said that he invented the bizarre, often maligned sub-genre. On April 17 at approximately 6:20 pm Chief Keef tweeted “Do you guys love me for creating Mumble???”
The statement drew a slew of responses, ranging from praise and outrage to plain old indifference. There was, however, an interesting debate on rappers who may have been experimenting with the style prior.
50 Cent had a mumbly flow and even Mase had a lazy delivery that could be characterized as mumble-like. And while he may have refuted the style, even some of MF Doom‘s early raps utilized the mouth full of marbles delivery.
Keef’s claim, much like Black Thought’s is spotty at best. Both may have a had a hand in its development, but if you go back far enough you’ll find that luminaries like John Lee Hooker and Eddie Harris were experimenting with the style long before any rapper was.
Chief Keef is no doubt a player in mumble rap’s popularity. He fathered numerous copycats and whether you love him or hate him it’s hard to deny the influence he’s had on hip-hop culture. Is he the creator of mumble rap? That’s for the rap world to decide.
