Copyright HotNewHipHop
2016 was a much simpler time. For many younger millennials and elder Gen-Z’s, this was the greatest time to be alive. A lot of this has to do with nostalgia for the music that was being made during that time. The XXL Freshman list was full of unique artists who would eventually go on to be the leaders of the new generation. Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage, and Denzel Curry all became massive stars. They are responsible for some of the last decade’s most memorable hits. Songs that will stand the test of time. If you came from this era, it’s impossible not to get amped up just thinking about how things used to be. HotNewHipHop Video Essay On that very same cover stood other heavyweights. You had G-Herbo, who is still making phenomenal albums. Dave East has been doing his thing and still makes dope music. Anderson .Paak is an international superstar with massive hits. Lil Dicky, for all of his musical faults, has a TV show and is a comedian in his own right. There is one name on this list, however, that serves as a cautionary tale. Of course, that name is none other than Desiigner, the man behind hits like “Panda” and “Timmy Turner.” Quite frankly, you cannot talk about 2016 without talking about Desiigner. You also can’t mention this year without delving into Kanye West’s avant-garde masterpiece, ‘The Life of Pablo.’ As many of you already know, Desiigner and T-LOP will forever be intertwined. In December of 2015, the aforementioned Panda was released to Soundcloud. The song eventually caught the attention of Ye, who would sign Desiigner to a deal with GOOD Music in February of 2016. Just days later, The Life of Pablo would be released, with “Panda” repurposed on the song “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2.” Immediately, the song’s infectious energy left fans in awe. From the beat to the bombastic ad-libs, it was clear that Desiigner had a hit record on his hands. Unfortunately, with this song came the artist’s first controversy…He sounded too much like Future. Years later, we can all look back on this era and clearly hear the differences between Desiigner and Future. But at the time, there were listeners who felt they were exactly the same. This led some to feel like Desiigner was just a cheap copy. An artist who was being made to chase someone else’s sound. Earlier singles like “Zombie Walk” were proof that Desiigner could be his own artist. But with “Panda” being the world’s introduction to the rapper, there were some concerns. Despite these comparisons, “Panda” was able to separate itself from The Life of Pablo. Released as a single, “Panda” went on to become the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. At the time, it even overtook Rihanna’s “Work,” which was quite the task in early 2016. To this day, “Panda” is a five-times platinum single that will still ring off at a club, purely off nostalgia alone. This success took Desiigner all over the world, where he was being thrust into the spotlight. At this time, he was still incredibly raw, and audiences didn’t really know him beyond his hit single. As a result, his performances weren’t always well-received. While the artist himself had all of the energy in the world, people just wanted to hear “Panda.” At this stage, the objective was clear…get a second hit, and eventually release an album. In June of 2016, Desiigner gave fans his very first mixtape, New English. Unfortunately, this project was only 11 tracks long and filled with undercooked ideas and 45-second songs. Sure, “Caliber” was a lot of fun, but there really wasn’t much by way of meat and potatoes here. Not to mention, the Future comparisons were coming back out in full force. The one-hit wonder allegations were growing louder, and just a few months into his career, Desiigner was on the ropes. Thankfully, relief would be coming soon. Just a couple of days before dropping “New English,” Desiigner’s XXL Freestyle would drop. During this freestyle, Desiigner could be seen standing in a dark room, snapping to the non-existent beat while singing about the iconic Fairly Odd Parents character, Timmy Turner. This freestyle would go viral, and to this day, it has 15 million views. A week later, a snippet would drop on social media, with some Mike Dean production beefing up the already-sticky melody. This snippet led to more virality and calls for the artist to drop the song. In late July of 2016, Desiigner came through, and once again, it felt as though the artist had a hit on his hands. Not to mention, he was on Kanye West’s “Champions” song, which featured heavyweights like Quavo, 2 Chainz, and even Travis Scott. Unfortunately, this is where things truly began to get shaky for the artist. Finding another hit was no easy task. The same can be said for any artist, but when you have a hit like “Panda,” the pressure to perform is very real. In 2017, Desiigner tried to chase hits with songs like “Outlet,” and while they did somewhat decently, they weren’t hitting Billboard with that same fury that “Panda” did. As 2017 went on, Desiigner found himself getting left behind as the rap world was focusing on other viral stars. XXXTentacion, Trippie Redd, and 6ix9ine were all gaining steam during this time. They were playlist darlings, and they also engaged in so many antics that it was impossible to keep the spotlight off of them. The clout era was in full swing, and Desiigner was nowhere to be found. Things would get even worse for the artist in 2018. After years of teasing the release of Life Of Desiigner, he would finally make good on his promise, albeit with very little help from GOOD Music. Remember. At the time, Kanye was going on a GOOD Music production spree. He dropped an album for himself, Pusha T, Nas, Kid Cudi, and even Teyana Taylor. Just three months before that GOOD Music frenzy, Desiigner quietly dropped his own seven-track project, without any production from Kanye West. The now-disgraced legend had completely forgotten about the man who had given him a hit on The Life of Pablo just two years prior. What makes this even worse is that GOOD Music barely even acknowledged the album. The seven-track motif makes it seem like it was supposed to be part of GOOD Music’s epic June rollout. Instead, it received no promotion. It was buried in the dust as Ye made sure he himself was the center of attention. Life of Desiigner subsequently came and went with very little fanfare. Just a year later, he would leave GOOD Music after dealing with mental health issues and a family situation. When seeking guidance from Kanye and his labelmates, he was met with silence, and he ultimately decided to do what was best for him. For the next few years, Desiigner would drop a couple of EPs, but he wasn’t able to catch any big hits. 2023 is when things truly took a turn for the worse, and the once beloved rapper hit rock bottom. While flying from Tokyo to Minnesota, the artist was caught pleasuring himself in front of Delta Airlines flight attendants. He was then charged with indecent exposure. While he didn’t have to register as a sex offender, he did check himself into a mental health facility, and even apologized on social media. However, once this happened, fans checked out on Desiigner, once and for all. When you do something so shocking, fans are immediately going to recoil. We’ve seen it with Diddy, R. Kelly, and many others. While Desiigner’s situation isn’t on the same scale, it is still severe enough that the incident immediately comes up whenever you mention the rapper’s name. Since the Delta Airlines fiasco, Desiigner has put out a full-length project called ii and there is even a decently large hit on it called “Money Time.” The song has one million views on YouTube and acts as a glimmer of hope for Desiigner’s future. Unfortunately, his story is one that we see all too often in not just hip-hop but the music industry as a whole. He had a massive number one hit that was universally beloved. However, industry pressures left his mental health in ruins. The vulturistic industry had no interest in helping. All they wanted was another hit. Peers and mentors like Kanye West chose not to help him. Instead, they looked the other way. He was chewed up and spat back out, only to be left to pick up the pieces. It goes to show that they can build you up just as quickly as they break you down. Hopefully, the masses don’t see Desiigner as a one hit wonder. He had Panda, Timmy Tuner, and Outlet. Before he got popular with Panda, songs like Zombie Walk showed us that Desiigner truly does have a unique voice. A voice that could be welcomed back with open arms someday. In today’s world, one big hit on TikTok can change everything. Comeback Season In fact, a comeback seems likelier than ever right about now. Earlier this week, a new freestyle dropped on Instagram, that featured Desiigner rapping over some traditional production. He completely ditched his previous sound, and came through with some bars and some flows that we had never heard before. This had listeners in complete shock, but in the best way possible. This is a level of talent that Desiigner has never shown us before. Not to mention, he dropped a song called "Talking To Jesus" which has a similar vibe. These two drops are proof that Desiigner could make a major comeback. If he doubles and triples down on this sound, the fans are going to come back in droves. Everyone loves to see growth, and these releases are a perfect demonstration of that. Whether or not Desiigner is able to capitalize on this newfound adoration, still remains to be seen. However, the artist has never been this close to fully entering the public consciousness again. He has people genuinely rooting for him now, and we can imagine just how motivating this must be. There was a time when a Desiigner comeback seemed like a laughable proposition. Now, it almost feels like inevitability.
