How J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa & Others Are Restoring The Feeling Of Blog Era Rap

In recent months, a number of Hip Hop stars have been quietly helping to recapture the essence of one of the game's most beloved periods - the Blog Era of the mid-2000s. This digital revolution redefined Hip Hop, as pioneering websites like NahRight, 2DopeBoyz and OnSMASH wrestled power away from traditional gatekeepers and spearheaded a new wave of online tastemakers.

Artists like J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and Chance The Rapper are leading this mini renaissance. J. Cole has started his own blog called The Algorithm to share new music and random content, harkening back to the days when rappers would premiere tracks exclusively on blogs. Wiz Khalifa has also been embracing a "drop-what-you-want, when-you-want" approach, pumping out a series of independent mixtapes at a rapid pace.

Big Sean released a freestyle over Sounds of Blackness' "Optimistic" only on Instagram, while Chance The Rapper has been sharing "writing exercises" on social media to build anticipation for his new project. Even younger artists like Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert are experimenting with dropping music exclusively on their label's Instagram pages.

The continued pull of the Blog Era is reflected in the success of classic mixtape reissues, like Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo, on the Billboard charts. While the infrastructure looks different today, with streamers and podcasters replacing blogs, the spirit of creative freedom and DIY artistry remains.

Rappers are proving that no matter what the music industry landscape looks like, that essence will always find a way to shine through. The Blog Era may be long gone, but its influence is still being felt in 2025.