“Back then you had to be good,” Flvme On How Social Media Changed The Music Industry

“Back then you had to be good,” Flvme On How Social Media Changed The Music Industry. South African trap heavyweight FLVME just dropped a line that’s shaking the hip-hop scene to its core. With just a few words, he struck a nerve, sparking debates about how the game has shifted in recent years.

In a blunt post that quickly made rounds on social media, the Candyman and BLVCK & WHiTE mastermind said: “Back then you actually had to be good to get into the industry …Nowadays you just need reels and TikTok skits.”

No long speeches. No filters. Just a few words that hit like a lightning bolt — some nodded in agreement, others bristled in disagreement. At the heart of his statement lies a question many in South African hip-hop have been wrestling with: Has raw talent and lyrical skill been overshadowed by viral trends and social media antics?

FLVME’s legacy gives weight to his words. Rising through the ranks in the mid-2010s, he emerged when SoundCloud ruled, cosigns from legends like A-Reece, Zoocci Coke Dope, and The Wrecking Crew actually meant street credibility, and being a skilled rapper was the only ticket in.

His impressive body of work includes projects like Clouds (2017), the critically acclaimed Candyman, the SAMA-nominated Note to Self EP, and the ambitious 21-track BLVCK & WHiTE — all crafted while standing tall as an independent artist.