50 Tyson is the true embodiment of an internet phenomenon. If you for some unknown reason have yet to come across this gem of a person on the net, that’s him above in the video. This video alone has over 4,000,000 views alone and counting as I write this post. And this is just one of the vids floating around on the net.
Now at first look and listen, you will notice that 50 Tyson’s lyrical content and song writing skills appear to be lacking and that’s putting it nicely. He’s definitely no Tupac Shakur or Jay-Z, but his confidence is off the charts even in this brief video where he introduces himself to the world for the first time.
Another thing that you might have noticed is that 50 Tyson is from Northside Zone, Twin City, Minnesota. And that he’s born to be a ball player. And that he may or may not be all together mentally. And that’s because he isn’t. We don’t find this out til much later, after this initial vid, but 50 Tyson is autistic and he’s determined to not let his mental disability handicap him and make it impossible for him to achieve his dream of becoming a rapper.
Now when this news broke of 50 Tyson being autistic, admittedly I wasn’t surprised at all, but I really did gain a whole new appreciation of what he was doing and realized the importance of how strong of a message this would send to others like him with the same or similar disability. The importance of striving to be better than what others will perceive you to be. If this message is construed as properly as it should, the lasting impact that 50 Tyson could make on society could be monumental.
50 Tyson, or someone behind the scenes working with him, created a lane for him to drive in on Youtube and whether or not it was intentional, 50 Tyson blew up! 50 Tyson is now headlining shows. He’s getting better production with his music. Getting better music videos. WorldStarHipHop’s Jordan Tower Films comes to mind with his “I Ain’t Gonna Lie” video. And 50 Tyson’s press is off the charts. Any time a new vid of his drops, it’s guaranteed to get at least 50,000 views the first day.
50 Tyson’s story is still evolving with each passing day and it’s hard to calculate exactly what will happen next for the aspiring rapper as he seems to be constantly meeting people in the music industry who may be able to help advance his career further. I would not be surprised if I heard “Don’t Know How to Dougie (But I know How to Diddy)” in heavy rotation on the local radio stations.
But shouldn’t that be a problem?
It’s already been stated on here that one of the many opinions on Hip-Hop is that it’s dying. And for what some people labeled him, a “retarded” rapper to rise and become somewhat relevant in the music industry is shocking but then again based on today’s musical offerings, what 50 Tyson brings to the table is quite comparable to a lot of other rappers out here.
And that’s how 50 Tyson basically exposed Hip-Hop…although unintentionally. That’s why it’s easy to see why a lot of folks including myself say that Hip-Hop is a bunch of crap now. Could you see a “retarded” rapper sliding in the industry say back in 1996 or 1997 and actually get some play? Exactly.
I’m using the word “retarded” loosely on purpose because how many times have you heard a rapper’s song on the radio or heard him give an interview and you thought something was wrong with him mentally? We all have.
No one on this planet can talk me out of saying that with better production, 50 Tyson belongs alongside the likes of Waka Flocka Flame or O.J. Da Juiceman as evidenced by these two joints below.
Now compare these last two vids to the very first one in the post and you’ll see that 50 Tyson is far removed from that. ‘Icy” and “I Don’t Know How Dougie…” sounds like everything else that we would hear on the radio, inaudible lyrics and all.
This further proves the point that hip-hop is now all about production and beats and has little to do with the content and subject matter. Literally anyone can be a rapper with the right production and promotional team behind them.
The bottom line is this, 50 Tyson doesn’t need to change, but some of these other rappers do and they know who they are without saying anymore names.
We’re just trying to bring lyrics back into the game. I love hip-hop, but its current state is ridiculous beyond repair.
