Jack Muir claims fame in the rap game
When someone thinks of a rapper, they may think of Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar or Drake. But what about Jack Muir, sophomore, from Newbury Park High School? Rappers like Muir are unique compared to the long-established rappers because they upload their work via Soundcloud, an online audio distribution platform. The site requires subscription of just $15 a month, or $135 a year, much cheaper compared to an expensive and time-consuming record deal.
Muir and his friends have been experimenting with rap since eighth grade, but only started uploading his work to Soundcloud in his freshman year of high school. Muir is now a sophomore, and still spitting lines. “I like to rap about how much cash I have and how I’m better than everyone else with my boy Lukey Blue,” Muir said. Many of Muir’s songs fall in a genre of music know as diss-tracks, a genre of music intended to disrespect people.
Other songs (like “Jacks’s Song v.348dyd47d4t6fud38e”) are much more experimental, incorporating elements from all kinds of different genres of music. His music may be diverse, but the message stays the same. Muir tries to convey to his fans that he is “better and richer than everyone else” through his lyrics. For Muir, he is inspired by “the fame associated with being a rapper” and “the cash.”
Muir’s friends are supportive of his Soundcloud-rapping career. Dean Magnante, sophomore, has been friends with Muir since sixth grade. They even rapped together in an extra-credit geometry assignment in ninth grade. Magnante describes Muir’s music as “fire,” even describing Muir as “the greatest rapper in the world” and having “a lot of swag.”
Hayden Smith, sophomore, is another close friend of Muirs of two and a half years. Like Magnante, Smith knows Muir from the basketball team and is fully supportive of his rap. Smith would often “post about his music on social media” whenever Muir releases a new song. “His songs are good, I like them. They’re kinda upbeat and modern, I guess,” Smith says.
Soundcloud rappers like Muir are continuing to share their passions as artists as they try to claim their fame in the rap game. With Muir releasing his newest single “The Return,” his SoundCloud career is looking better than ever. As SoundCloud increasingly becomes more popular, so will the amount of rappers like Muir will become too.
SoundCloud: The Lil J EP
