The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.
The decade 2010-2019 consisted of hip-hop/R&B cultural and commercial dominance. The most women who rap charted on the Billboard Hot 100 this year than in any other year this decade, as well. Moreover, hip hop has been the most consumed musical genre for the last few years. Arguably, the most successful artist of the decade was a rapper. The year 2020 hasn’t even started yet and a few are rappers already claiming to go even harder in the new year.
“We’re dropping the most fire album of 2020,” Megan Thee Stallion proclaimed to REVOLT TV backstage at Astrowrold Fest this year.
We caught up with Saweetie, Jadakiss, Bas, Yung Baby Tate and Guapdad 4000 about their music goals for 2020. Check out what they had to say about them below.
Saweetie
Saweetie may have started the year as a rookie to the masses. But, by the time summer rolled around, she already released one of the decade’s most infectious hits. Her song “My Type” was her first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, and the icy princess is planning to make a home on the charts in 2020, too.
“My goal for 2020 is to keep charting because that’s what Icy Girls do. I’m acting, as well. So, that’ll be premiering,” Saweetie said.
Beyond creative pursuits, the artist is ready to boss up, too. She continued: “Business has always been important to me. I’m learning about investing and expanding the money. With that money, I’m going to take care of my family. Icy Girls is more than just about looking good and this ice. It’s about hustling and taking care of your people.”
Jadakiss
Next year will mark the fourth consecutive decade Jadakiss has been active in the hip hop game, a feat seldom seen. This decade has seen the 44-year-old MC cementing his status as an OG upcoming artists such as Griselda and Flatbush Zombies can go to for a verse, and diversifying his image with his and Styles P Juice For Life fresh juice stores. With his fifth solo album, IGNATIUS, coming, health is all that’s on his mind for 2020.
“My plans for 2020 is to be healthy. I want to be healthy, drop some good therapeutic music for the people, and keep doing my thing,” he told us.
He’s already been making good on continuing his work with health awareness. Kiss recently teamed up with the nonprofit Fuck Cancer to help raise awareness around the disease after his close friend Ignatius “Icepick” Jackson, whom he named his new album after, died of colon cancer in 2017.
“It was just hereditary for him to catch colon cancer. That’s scary because you can be healthy and workout. But, if the Lord calls for you, it’s your time,” Jadakiss said. “He didn’t really want me to know what he was going through. So, that was why it hit me so hard. I found out last and he was someone I spoke to every day.”
Bas
No rap label is ending this decade better than Dreamville. In one year, the label has put on a successful inaugural Dreamville Festival, had four of the most consistent touring acts of 2019 — J.I.D., Bas, Earthgang, and Ari Lennox — and snagged a Grammy nomination and multiple plaques for a compilation album. Bas, as he’s been the entire decade, was an integral component in the label’s breakout 2019 and says 2020 will only be better for himself and Dreamville.
“I’m going to keep expanding my art, my creativity and staying outside of the box. I’ve built a very loyal and honest fanbase. It’s time for me to be consistent,” Bas said. “[Dreamville] has been at this for some years and I think we’re starting to get the recognition we deserve — not in an entitled way. We just keep our heads down and keep working. But, we’re going to break the dam open.”
Yung Baby Tate
Tate has one of those superstar-sized personalities. Before this decade started, she had already been trained in singing and dancing as a child. After scoring her first Billboard Hot 100 appearance for her work on Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III, Tate has complete chart domination on her mind in the next decade.
“My goals for 2020 and beyond are I’m trying to be on top of the world, the #1 pop star of all time, and just dominate everything. I want to be on every chart. I want to be on the pop charts, R&B, rap, everything,” Tate said.
Guapdad 4000
No one really sounds like Guapdad 4000. His Dior Deposits can be a late entry on any year-end best albums list, he could have a Grammy two months into the new year, and he’s been ready to start the next phase of his career.
“I want to do my own tour and I want to drop another project. I’m already working on it,” Guadpdad told REVOLT on Nov. 1 backstage at Day N Vegas, a week after releasing his Dior Deposits project.
To Guapdad, the current state of hip hop is changing to not only accept genre-blending artists such as himself, but champion them.
“Multifaceted artists are coming back. I look at myself, I look at Buddy, I look at J.I.D., I look at 6lack, Smino. I feel we finally got our chance to shine. The Soundcloud era is over,” Guapdad explained. “Niggas who are super hands-on and super creative in their visuals and branding [are] circling back.”