Is hip-hop popular in Malaysia?

2024-11-01

This question comes up frequently: just how popular is hip-hop in Malaysia? There isn’t a straightforward answer, but by looking at Spotify data, we can get a rough sense of its popularity in the country. While it may not tell the whole story, it offers some insight into hip-hop’s reception among Malaysian listeners.

Why Look at Spotify?

Spotify is a useful source because it allows us to:

1. Identify Country of Origin: While most artists are from Malaysia, I also include artists from Singapore and Brunei, as their hip-hop culture closely aligns with Malaysia’s.
2. Confirm Hip-hop Genre: If Spotify categorizes an artist as “hip-hop” or a related genre, I include them in the Malaysian hip-hop category.

There are also many artists without a genre label on Spotify, so I had to skip those artists. In total:

• 351 Malaysian hip-hop artists on Spotify
• 891 Malaysian artists who are not hip-hop

The actual number might be higher, but I think this is enough to give a rough idea.

For those interested, you can view the data here.

Measuring Popularity Through Spotify Data

Spotify provides a popularity metric for each artist, scored between 0 and 100 (with 100 being the most popular). I compared the popularity of hip-hop artists with non-hip-hop artists. For comparison, let’s look at the difference in average popularity:

At a glance, although hip-hop isn’t the dominant genre, its popularity isn’t far behind other genres.

Most Popular Malaysian Hip-hop Artists on Spotify

The top 20 Malaysian hip-hop artists on Spotify:

The list of artists Spotify ranks as Malaysia’s most popular in hip-hop reveals some fascinating trends. While seeing Joe Flizzow at the top spot is no surprise, the high placement of artists like Yogi B, Zizan Razak, and Luqman Podolski suggests a strong demand for a wide range of styles within Malaysian hip-hop, spanning from classic old-school to modern, contemporary sounds.

There are some puzzling choices, though, like Spotify tagging Xpdc as hip-hop. This could be because of collaborations with hip-hop artists or simply a misalignment in Spotify’s genre classification system, which might struggle with niche genres in Malaysia. It highlights how algorithms can sometimes misinterpret genres, leading to a skewed view of the local scene.

The list also brings new talent to light, representing what might be the next wave in Malaysian hip-hop. Artists like Yonnyboii and lucidrari, for instance, are introducing fresh elements like pop and trap into their hip-hop style, reflecting a shift in Malaysian listeners’ tastes towards more eclectic influences within the genre.

Ultimately, this list is more than just a ranking of popular names; it’s a snapshot of how the local hip-hop scene is evolving. Emerging artists and their experimental sounds show that Malaysian hip-hop is breaking past traditional boundaries, hinting at a dynamic future for the genre.

Non-hip-hop Artists

To gauge hip-hop’s standing relative to other genres in Malaysia, I separated Spotify’s list of popular non-hip-hop artists. This approach highlights distinct popularity trends between hip-hop and mainstream genres.

In the non-hip-hop list, Mandopop, pop, and indie clearly dominate, with artists like JJ Lin, Stefanie Sun, and Yuna leading the charts. This reflects Malaysia’s mainstream musical preferences, showing a strong inclination toward these genres.

Mandopop’s sustained popularity is likely due not only to local interest but also to significant support from international fans, making it a larger and more consistent genre compared to hip-hop.

Pop and indie enjoy broad appeal and accessibility, which keeps them popular across a wide audience. While hip-hop serves a more niche crowd, it maintains a loyal fan base, even as mainstream genres continue to hold the top positions.

Visualization

To provide a clearer view, I’ve created a comparison chart of hip-hop versus non-hip-hop artists. The block size in each popularity tier represents the number of artists at that level.

The chart reveals that the difference in popularity between hip-hop and non-hip-hop artists is most noticeable among the top-tier artists. In other popularity levels, the similar block sizes suggest that most Malaysian artists, regardless of genre, have comparable popularity levels.

Conclusion: So, Is Hip-hop Really Popular in Malaysia?

Is hip-hop truly popular in Malaysia? Based on the data, the answer depends on how you look at it. While hip-hop may not match the mainstream appeal of genres like pop or indie, it clearly has a dedicated fan base that keeps it relevant. Veteran artists continue to draw interest, and emerging talents are beginning to make their mark among listeners.

Of course, this landscape is ever-changing, as music culture evolves continuously. In future analyses, I might explore different perspectives to better understand hip-hop’s place in Malaysia. For now, it’s safe to say that hip-hop is popular enough to remain an active and vibrant part of the Malaysian music scene.