Spotify has introduced new mapping software that suggests hip-hop is the most listened to genre in the entire world, according to The Independent.

Hip-hop music was once a hyper-local and intimate experience that could only be found if you were in the right place at the right time. But the genre has now grown and lived on to become a global phenomenon. Artists can travel to places in Africa, Asia, Europe and everywhere in between and watch fans recite their lyrics just as passionately as they would at home.

Spotify’s “musical map of the world” follows the listening trends of nearly 20 billion tracks in more than 1,000 cities. Among those findings, it was revealed that hip-hop music is represented on more playlists than any other genre, making it the top one in the world.

This new information only solidifies a notion that’s been on the minds of the public for a while – hip-hop rules the world.

Okay, that may be a bit hyperbolic, but the influence that hip-hop culture has on the world can no longer be understated. It’s become a force to be reckoned with. This is important when we think about the fact that the genre originated in the United States with young Black people who were resisting the mainstream, predominantly white pop music industry. The growth of the genre suggests that Black American vernacular, social narratives and culture are also being consumed around the world. This could be both a good thing and a bad thing.

In either case, though, hip-hop is likely here to stay. That can only be seen as a great thing especially if you’re a Black millennial.

P.S. To the kid that told me “no one likes hip-hop anymore” in 2009, this one’s for you.

 

(Photo: Flickr/Kenny Sun)