Priddy Ugly speaks on Hip Hop
South African rapper Priddy Ugly has ignited fresh debate around the state of local hip hop after candidly sharing what he believes is holding the genre back.
In a recent interview, the veteran lyricist pointed to internal issues within the culture rather than external competition.
According to him, inflated egos and a lack of unity have created cracks in the industry that continue to widen.
“Too many egos in the game,” he said. “So if there’s anything that’s actually killing SA hip hop, it’s the egos and the lack of unity.”
He painted a picture of a scene where artists are increasingly avoiding each other instead of building together. Personal tensions and ongoing rivalries, he explained, have made it difficult for creatives to coexist in the same spaces.
In some cases, artists would rather stay away entirely than risk crossing paths with rivals such as Blxckie.
“Guys are not coming out anymore because they have beef with someone… or they know they’re gonna bump into the people they are beefing with,” he shared.
This growing disconnect, he suggests, is costing the genre valuable collaborations and slowing down its progress.
Rather than settling differences publicly, Priddy Ugly believes artists should channel that energy into the music itself.
“Stop talking sht so much. Get in the studio, talk that sht in the studio. Let’s collaborate, let’s make more music.”
Even with the criticism, he made it clear that he hasn’t lost faith in South African hip hop.
He maintains that the genre is still evolving and has not yet reached its full potential.
“Hip hop is alive and well. I feel like it’s still growing… we need to allow it time to grow.”
