A$AP Ferg & Residente Talk About Storytelling & Authentic Music During The SXSW 2017

Rappers A$AP Ferg and Residente talked about storytelling through their music during the SXSW 2017. A$AP Ferg claimed that most albums nowadays have forgotten to use their music as narratives to tell a history and that they lack authenticity. Residente then talked about his new album, which will explore his African heritage.

A$AP Ferg and Residente were two of the speakers at the SXSW 2017 stage recently. A$AP talked about how many music artists produced mixtapes that didn't have a story that strung the songs together. "We don't have much of that because of the pressures of putting out singles," the 28-year-old rapper said, criticizing the system of the music industry.

In a Billboard video, A$AP Ferg and Residente went on to emphasize the importance of music as art and story. A$AP also said that it was important for artists to prioritize producing a strong album dedicated to the music over making songs just to top charts or satisfy the record labels.

A$AP Ferg and Residente both agreed that modern music nowadays lacked authenticity. Residente also revealed that he had taken a DNA test recently and learned about his African heritage. The Puerto Rican rapper said that when he found out about his African lineage, he went to an African country and made music with a local tribal group.

Just recently, A$AP Ferg and Residente did memorable songs during their separate SXSW 2017 concerts. For Residente, it was a series of performances made up of an all-Latino group, according to Austin360. "My band is made up of immigrants from around the world!" he said to the crowd, then shouted an expletive about President Donald Trump.

There has been notable tension in the Latino community recently because of the raids by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was Residente who led the All-Latino Resist Concert that featured Latino music artists. A$AP Ferg, meanwhile, headlined the Cozy Party, which required guests to wear a robe to get in. Both A$AP Ferg and Residented emphasized the need for their communities to work together in music.