Peace and blessings to all of The Fleet Mag readers. Welcome, welcome, welcome into the new year of 2026. For all of us who made it, the grind never stops. This should ring true for every artist and musician alike.
With the over-saturation of music and the ability to now put music out from anywhere, it has made it a little harder to see those diamonds and smell those roses. Meaning there is a lot of trash to sift through to find good music. Which in my opinion, has put a chokehold on the industry.
Whether it’s the P. Diddy scandal, the Dipset beef, or Dame Dash making a fool of himself every other week. Hip hop is starting to feel like one big reality show, equipped with all the drama.
Even with that being said, I can’t help but feel that there is hope still left in this industry. Nas is giving us all of these classic hip-hop artist albums by way of mass appeal. I feel we may still have a chance to revitalize what was once sacred and held dear to our hearts. Nas brought us back his collab with Premo, as well as Ghostface Killa, Raekwon the Chef, De La Soul, Mobb Deep, and Big L, just to mention a few. For the moment, it feels like real hip hop is making a comeback.
From the corporate side of things, it feels like we are being slighted. We have been removed from Billboard charts and award shows. Radio stations are also being revamped nationwide. (Not Fleet Radio). It feels like they have removed the power from the people who live, love, and make the music. Hip-hop has always been a rebellious culture, and we need to get back to being us. They cannot do what we do, or how we do it. So let’s make it about the music, not the money, because if you do right by the music, the money will come.
I think the future is bright for hip-hop, with artists like Lil Russell from the Bay Area doing his thing. It feels like real hip-hop still exists. This is a man who is doing his own thing from his backyard and various venues. He is putting his community on and placing them in a safe environment for them to enjoy
themselves and the music at the same time. Things like this are a breath of fresh air for hip-hop, and it shows you don’t have to be in the corporate market to do what you love and get appreciated for it.
Ultimately, it comes down to change. You either change with the times or get left behind. I predict that independent will become the new major, and the record companies won’t be able to compete with the direct-to-consumer base. If you think differently, hit me back at billbiggzfleetdj@gmail.com. I will reply and post the response in my next article from the best standpoint presented.
