Richmond made a splash in the world of hip-hop recently. Well, not directly.
Richmond made a splash in the world of hip-hop recently. Well, not directly. Hip hop magazine XXL released their coveted annual list of “Freshman where they predict the next stars of hip-hop and University of Richmond graduate and Philadelphia-native Lil Dicky, AKA David Andrew Burd, dawned a very awkward spot on the cover.
Dicky, who graduated from University of Richmond as Summa Cum Laude from the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, is easily one of the biggest stars on the cover. With a rapid-style flow and a penchant for witty lyrics, Dicky has garnered millions of plays on his soundcloud and Youtube channel.
In his XXl Freshman Profile Interview, Dicky confirms listener’s suspicion about his approach to music.
“Initially I started this whole thing to be a comedian, not to be a rapper and then the rapping just got better and better and people started taking it really seriously,” Dicky said.
“With a cult following that’s been riding with Dicky since 2013, the rapper has showcased an arsenal of traits that separate him from today’s hip-hop artists,” wrote XXL about the artist. “From his incredible storytelling skills to his funny demeanor and innovative music videos, the Cheltenham Township, Pa. native has managed to earn the respect of hip-hop heads and music critics in a short span of time.”
With a comedic approach to music that might make it hard for listeners to take him seriously, hip-hop fans have discredited his selection and lambasted his inclusion.
In all honesty, Dicky faces a similar plight that a lot of white rappers face in regards to being taken seriously and being indicted for appropriating the culture.
Dicky seems to acknowledge this and magnifies his “whiteness” to an almost nauseating level that alludes to his comedic background and intentions. Even his stage name, “Lil Dicky”, is a running joke that he alludes to in a lot of his Instagram pictures.
Despite the critics, Dicky truly can rap. Just take a look at his XXl freshman freestyle which perfectly captures his comedic take and fast paced lyrical moves.
In this writer’s humble opinion, there’s a strong argument to be made that he is the best rapper from a technical standpoint to make the list this year, followed closely by Dave East, Anderson .Paak and Denzel Curry. Take a look at Dicky absolutely owning this cypher in comparison to “Panda”-famous Desiigner and .Paak.
Hasn’t there been plenty of rappers to take a goofy approach to rapping never to see the light of day, let alone have a video with 50 million views? That’s because Dicky is actually a talented rapper who happens to be hilarious.
Not since Eminem’s early days has a rapper blended comedy with strong wordplay and solid song writing. For that reason, Dicky has taken off and already landed himself in the national spotlight.
Perhaps, harkening back to the days of fellow Philadelphia-native, Will Smith is the only valid comparison. In fact, that’s exactly who’s career Dicky hopes to emulate. “Will Smith honestly if I could really map out my career, it’d be exactly like Will Smith’s with just more rapping,” Dicky said in his XXL interview.
The transition has already been started as Dicky has appeared in a few commercials and is “working on a television show for a major network.”
Wherever his newfound fame takes him, Dicky gives praise to the platform that has allowed him to pursue his dreams. “Never did I think hip-hop was going to be the gateway to people hearing my voice, but it was and I’ll always be indebted to hip-hop,” Dicky said.
Expect this U of R grad to keep making noise and reaching star status in the near future.
This year’s XXL list also includes another former UR, Dave East, though he transferred out of RVA to Towson University where he played basketball successfully before switching full time to music.
