Coi Leray is sharing her thoughts on the current state of hip-hop, and she believes the way some producers approach making music is contributing to a decline in the quality of rap albums.
The conversation started after a social media user asked what is currently hurting rap albums. Leray responded by pointing directly at producers, but she later explained that her criticism wasn’t about production being unimportant. Instead, she believes producers should be much more involved in the overall creative process.
According to Leray, making a great record should go beyond an artist simply selecting a finished beat, recording vocals and moving on. She wants to see producers and artists working together more closely, experimenting with arrangements and incorporating elements such as guitars, pianos and other live instrumentation.
Her comments also touched on how technology has changed the relationship between rappers and producers. Today, artists can receive entire collections of beats digitally without ever being in the same studio as the person who created them. While that approach makes recording faster and more convenient, Leray’s argument is that it can also remove some of the chemistry that comes from building a song together.
Hip-hop has a long history of producers playing a major role in shaping an artist’s overall sound rather than simply supplying individual instrumentals. Producers can influence everything from arrangements and song structure to experimentation and the overall direction of an album.
Leray appears to want more of that hands-on approach. She suggested that the modern process can sometimes feel too focused on business instead of creating something unique, while emphasizing the importance of genuine collaboration between the artist and producer.
Her comments have added another perspective to the ongoing debate over the current state of rap music. While conversations often focus on rappers, streaming numbers, shorter songs or changing listener habits, Leray is putting attention on what happens behind the scenes before a song ever reaches fans.
Ultimately, her message is less about blaming every producer and more about calling for stronger creative partnerships, greater experimentation and a return to producers helping shape complete records from beginning to end.
(Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)
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