Ten Years After Nipsey Hussle's 'Slauson Boy 2' and the Great 2010s Indie Canon Debate: Are We Getting Nostalgia All Wrong?

Ten years ago, on August 15, 2016, Nipsey Hussle celebrated his thirty-first birthday by gifting his fans Slauson Boy 2. Released as a free digital download through his independent All Money In label, the seventeen-track project captured the Crenshaw rapper at the absolute height of his mixtape era. It would also mark a poignant milestone, standing as the final commercial mixtape released during his lifetime.

Packed with heavy-hitting West Coast anthems like "Ocean Views," "Question #1" featuring Snoop Dogg, and "Status Symbol 2" featuring Buddy, the project immediately cemented itself in the headphones of hip-hop purists. However, a decade later, music fans remain intensely divided over where the mixtape ranks in Nipsey's historic discography.

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While many listeners defend the tape as an unskippable classic, others point to the project's guest features as a major point of contention. Specifically, Young Thug's vocal appearances on tracks like "I Do This" and "Thug Life" continue to split the audience. One commenter noted that while the mixtape as a whole is very solid, the eccentric, high-pitched guest vocals were deeply annoying and disrupted the smooth, gritty momentum Nipsey established.

This debate over canonical status and community nostalgia isn't limited to hip-hop. Across the music spectrum, an exhaustive community tally of the top 101 indie songs of the 2010s recently wrapped up, sparking its own wave of heated arguments. To keep the list balanced, organizers implemented a strict rule capping each artist at a maximum of three entries.

When the final votes were counted, LCD Soundsystem's explosive dance-punk epic "Dance Yrself Clean" claimed the top spot with 880 points. Arcade Fire's euphoric "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" grabbed second place, closely followed by Robyn's heartbreak anthem "Dancing On My Own" at number three. Fleet Foxes ("Helplessness Blues"), Beach House ("Myth"), Alvvays ("In Undertow"), and M83 ("Midnight City") rounded out the top seven.

Yet, the results have triggered fierce backlash from listeners who feel the top ranking reflects predictable hipster nostalgia rather than objective greatness. One critic argued that ranking LCD Soundsystem over emotionally crushing masterpieces like Robyn or Beach House proves that voters favors drawn-out synth builds over genuine pop perfection.

Whether debating rap mixtape features or indie festival headliners, music lovers remain obsessed with defining the past decade's soundtrack. On the latest episode of Sound Off, our hosts go head-to-head to deliver their final verdict on these iconic music debates.