Comedian Lil Dicky tops Billboard Rap Album charts with Professional Rapper

He got big from a viral video...

(Lil Dicky/Youtube)

For many, rap music has become so submerged in mainstream pop it no longer bears any resemblance to its old school roots.

Sure, the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Killer Mike are still pushing out genre defining albums, but what does it say for the genre when the biggest selling album of the week is from a comedian poking fun at rap?

Lil Dicky’s debut Professional Rapper has opened is currently sitting atop the US rap charts, having sold 22,000 copies, beating stiff competition from rapper Migos’ new record Yung Rich Nation. Professional Rapper has also charted at number seven in the Billboard 200.

If you’re not aware of Lil Dicky, don’t worry. He’s a viral comedian who has gradually been gaining in fame ever since his track “ExBoyfriend” got big on YouTube.

His debut, which was crowdfunded on Kickstarter, was proceeded by a music video featuring Snoop Dogg which currently has 1.7million hits on YouTube.

So, what does this say for the state of the rap industry when its best selling album is one that pokes fun at mainstream rap? You could either see it as the demise of rap or just a lucky guy who had a few good gags.

Luckily, Lil Dicky has quite stiff competition in the form of Dr Dre’s Compton, an album expected to sell well over the 300k mark. Hopefully there wont be a flood of comedy rappers overtaking the scene in the meantime.