The reason why Denzel Curry hates rapping: “That spark is dimming”
Just because someone is successful at their craft doesn’t mean they always enjoy it—case in point: Denzel Curry. The Florida artist has been one of the most exciting names in hip-hop over the past decade, releasing notable projects such as Zuu and Melt My Eyez See Your Future. Over time, however, rapping has become more of a chore than something he enjoys doing.
Curry released his first album, Nostalgic 64, in 2013, dropping several more projects throughout the 2020s to increased popularity with each. With more fame comes criticism from fans, haters, and music critics, not to mention industry issues to navigate. By 2020, he admitted he was fed up with spitting bars due to outside parties.
“I hate rapping,” he declared on X (formerly Twitter). “I watched my hobby that I did in my room become something I can’t even enjoy anymore because everyone has a opinion. I’m going [to] make bad music so you can understand how much work it is making good music.”
After threatening to make subpar music, he went into more detail about being sick of the industry he’s in. “This music industry is bullshit,” he said. “I gotta play a stupid game for me to succeed. It’s not about the music anymore. If it was you’ll hear a balance of conscious rap along with everything else being played today. And all that comes back to me and creates pressure.”
Curry added that he felt unappreciated by the masses, contributing to his loss of interest. “That spark is dimming,” he stated. “People can’t say how they really when it comes down to work and quite frankly I feel unappreciated a lot and I’m sick of it. Interviews only talk to me to ask about Jahs life … bro if they really wanted to know him they should’ve asked him when he was here to actually speak for himself.
“I live in a era where you make a few good songs you die then become a legend,” he continued. “In that case fuck being legendary. I’m just going disappear from y’all ass and do what the fuck I wanna do and say what I wanna say”
He wanted fans to stop asking for music that sounds like his old albums and instead, appreciate the new avenues he’s exploring. “All my feelings are basically not being good enough,” he said. “That Feeling Vegeta gets when he sees Goku surpassing him. STOP saying I need Imperial Denzel Or Taboo Denzel or N64 Denzel or Raider Klan Denzel. Those times are no longer with us but the music is still there for you.”
Despite his negativity towards rapping, Curry released two more projects, Melt My Eyez See Your Future and King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2, after his comments. The former became his highest-charting album, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart with features from T-Pain, 6LACK, JID, Rico Nasty, Robert Glasper, and Slowthai. Curry felt the album got snubbed by the Grammys, calling it the “Scammy nominations” and claiming the ceremony doesn’t care about the culture.