Forget bringing sexy back. Rappers are bringing recession rap back. History teaches us that as society goes, so goes the music. And in this case, as the economy continues to crash, with its resounding thud hitting the urban centers cities extremely hard, rappers are stretching their imaginations beyond the bling scene.
In 1998, when so-called “bling rap” was just growing legs, propelled by Diddy and Cash Money artists like Lil Wayne, reality took a backseat to the newfound infatuation with all things shiny. It wasn’t long before other rappers caught on and began moving the vernacular from their lyrics onto their chests and into their mouths with oversized chains, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry on their teeth.
But, it’s a new day. As of April 2009, the unemployment rate was 8.9 percent. Major companies like GM are filing for bankruptcy and the recession seems to be
sinking into a depression for the segment of the population that was already economically stressed. Naturally, musicians have taken note. For every “Chain Hang Low” song by Young Jibbs, there is now a song that takes another look at things. And when the former Snowman,Young Jeezy, released the Recession in late 2008, it was clear that rap music had officially turned the page on bling.
Yes, it may have taken mainstream hip-hop a little bit longer to get hip to the program, but finally, the average Joe, the person struggling from paycheck to paycheck to survive, has a voice again. And even if rappers are not necessarily focused on the struggle, they are no longer rapping only about their chains, instead they are choosing other topics.
We’ve broken down three recent albums and mixtapes that are full of recession music.
Drake – So Far Gone (Get Right Music). While Drake doesn’t necessarily rap or sing about living hand-to-mouth, he has done a great job of making relatable music for young people trying to come up. Defined by tracks like “Successful” featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne, where he rhymes about yearning for the finer things in life with the hopeful hook, “I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful” he’s definitely brought a new, optimistic take to the concept of “making it.” 
Young Jeezy – The Recession. When Jeezy first emerged with Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, he was all about his dope boy swag. With The Recession, the rapper has honed in on another segment of the population, even getting political (well, sort of) on “My President Is Black,” featuring Nas. Release: September 2008 
Killer Mike – I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind 2. Mike has never been a bling rapper, but his reality-based lyrics have undoubtedly had a major influence on leading the charge for pure recession music. Similarities between his second installment of the I Pledge Allegiance series and Young Jeezy’s The Recession have been duly noted, cementing his solid, if not celebrated influence in hip-hop. Also check out: 
Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part 1: 4th World War Release Date: February, 2008 
Playboy Tre- Liquor Store MascotRelease Date: May 2009
