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Where you from does matter but not like in the 80s or 90s.
Drake is repping toronto proud & is one of the top rappers out.
I dont understand a word Future is saying to be honest lol,Numbers dont lie & Kendrick,J cole are platinum selling artist unlike Future or that Correction officer Ross Lmao.
All this Nyc come back talk is old & useless,Asap & Nicki are the new leaders of Ny today & both dont sound nothing like traditional hip hop !!!
N.y can never rule the game like before because now that the South is a powerhouse things won't be the same for an N.y artist !!!
N.y dissed other regions when they was on top so people haven't forgot it, so N.y rappers are not embraced & loved like before.
Jay was a beast in his own right,But lyrically Eminem ate him on renegade,We know what Nas did on Ether & i think on Dont kill my vibe Kendrick out did him.Jay just been more consistent than most rappers in history so some hold him high & rightfully so.
I think in Jay Prime,Dmx was better & in 02 he faked a retirement because 50 cent was at the top.Its crazy when people say Jay is better than Biggie SMH Jay was like like Pippen to Biggie being Jordan !
It wasn't about being able to decipher (though there are songs from different regions that do need to be for outsiders), but about being able to relate. Everything he stated, from unlaced Timbs to Champion hoodies was a definite East Coast aesthetic (probably worn in other regions, too, but not identified as strongly as out East).
How can you relate to Beanie Sigel? You are from Delaware. That's not Philly.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
I'm not even sure if many people in Bed-Stuy would say Biggie was "better." Biggie obviously gets more radio play here because he's a native son. But he also gets more radio play in general because his music was more DJ-friendly. I mean, the man made tracks with Total and Supercat.
The Diary by Scarface was more popular in Philadelphia when it was released than Ready to Die or Reasonable Doubt ever were. Scarface was so relatable that Jay-Z and Freeway feature them on their albums.
Nas never had to compete against "turn up" music.
People wouldn't walk out on Nas because he's an established legend. I also couldn't see people in Philly walking out on Common (not from the East Coast). Or Scarface. Or Outkast. Or Snoop. Or A Tribe Called Quest. There are certain artists who have achieved legendary status and get respect no matter where they are. It's the same way Kobe Bryant is selling out road games all over America right now. It's a respect thing.
Kendrick Lamar is far from a legend. He hasn't been in the game that long. So no, he's not going to get the type of deference that Nas is going to get.
Na, I'm fairly certain that Biggie is definitely viewed as the superior artist in Bed Stuy. I will scour the net for some kind of poll, if necessary, but that just doesn't jive with personal experience.
And Nas always had to compete against turnt up music. That was always one of his biggest knocks is that he couldn't really produce radio-friendly, club-smash records like Jay-Z could. Oh he tried, and he'd get a mainstream hit every now and then (U Owe Me, Oochie Wally, I Can), but he's never ever had a Top 10 hit, and most of his hits weren't commercial stuff. There are rap one/two hit wonders like Chingy who have had bigger hits. So I don't necessarily think radio play confers respect status, though you're right that Nas is an established legend.
Overall N.y probably has the most rappers so of course they had the most platinum albums,But selling multi platinum or Diamond has to be credited to the Blueprint of Westcoast rap.
Doggystyle was the album that sold close to a million in first week sales,Plus the beats on the West was more appealing Nationwide.
Nas Illmatic is regarded as the best in New York, but out West & DownSouth its called a boring album,Biggie even said he made Ready to die like the Chronic in order to sell his album,That Ready to die album was nothing like all the other New york albums & you could tell by his beat selection.50 cent is another example of the WestCoast having the Blueprint to sell big records,50 was a nobody until he got with Dre & Em.Dre in da club beat single handedly put 50 career on the next level.
Dmx sold big records too but i always look at him & Ja rule as artist that Copied Pac image to blow up !!!
But the game today is ran through the South,Lil wayne Mixtape strategy can be credited to 50 cent but lyrically Wayne blew up without having Dre or Em to back him up.Drake,Nicki still at the top today because of the Lil wayne Wave.But Kendrick look like he's the only one that will be regarded as an all time goat far as this generation goes.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
If what you say is true, and regionalism today is really what matters, then why is Future performing in front of sell out crowds in Brooklyn?
Would a Barclays Center crowd walk out on Lil' Wayne or Drake?
People wouldn't walk out on a Kendrick Lamar concert because it's a West Coast sound they can't relate to. They'd walk out on Kendrick Lamar because he's perceived as boring. J. Cole also gets that "boring" label and I wouldn't be surprised if people walked out on him too.
I think regionalism matters far less today than in the past, actually, but I still don't think everywhere is the same (yet), as far as sound and aesthetic. One of my favorite groups actually is Slaughterhouse, and that's comprised of emcees from all over the country, so there's definitely a lot less distinction between regions these days, though.
You're right about the boring and not boring labels. It's always been like that, as far as having a contrast between party rappers and more conscious/lyrical stuff.
Na, I'm fairly certain that Biggie is definitely viewed as the superior artist in Bed Stuy. I will scour the net for some kind of poll, if necessary, but that just doesn't jive with personal experience.
You're going to find a poll of Bed-Stuy residents on the internet on the question of who the superior rapper was between Biggie and Pac? Okay. Good luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by qworldorder
And Nas always had to compete against turnt up music. That was always one of his biggest knocks is that he couldn't really produce radio-friendly, club-smash records like Jay-Z could. Oh he tried, and he'd get a mainstream hit every now and then (U Owe Me, Oochie Wally, I Can), but he's never ever had a Top 10 hit, and most of his hits weren't commercial stuff. There are rap one/two hit wonders like Chingy who have had bigger hits. So I don't necessarily think radio play confers respect status, though you're right that Nas is an established legend.
There was no "turn up" music during Nas' prime. It's a fairly recent phenomenon where the mainstream, hip hop listening public has come to demand party music, all the time. If that hadn't been the case, then Wu-Tang Clan would have had zero popularity in 97-98 because they made no dancing, radio-friendly hits whatsoever. They were 100% grimy yet they had a following of millions with people wearing Wu-Wear T-shirts to school.
Nas came up in a completely different era. There is no way in hell a group like Wu-Tang goes six times platinum in 2015.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
You're going to find a poll of Bed-Stuy residents on the internet on the question of who the superior rapper was between Biggie and Pac? Okay. Good luck.
There was no "turn up" music during Nas' prime. It's a fairly recent phenomenon where the mainstream, hip hop listening public has come to demand party music, all the time. If that hadn't been the case, then Wu-Tang Clan would have had zero popularity in 97-98 because they made no dancing, radio-friendly hits whatsoever. They were 100% grimy yet they had a following of millions with people wearing Wu-Wear T-shirts to school.
Nas came up in a completely different era. There is no way in hell a group like Wu-Tang goes six times platinum in 2015.
I agree that it was a completely different era, and that hip hop had a much better balance between party and grimy/conscious music. You're right that Wu Tang would go wood in today's climate (apparently they released an album this time last year that only sold 25,000, but even if they weren't viewed as washed up they still would've done terrible). But there was a ton of party music in the mid/late 90s too, so I disagree with your assertion that Nas didn't have to compete with party music. There was all the time party music on the radio back then, too. It was just balanced out much better than it is these days. The respect for the art form was much better than the Oooh Oooh Oooh type stuff you hear dominating now.
It wasn't about being able to decipher (though there are songs from different regions that do need to be for outsiders), but about being able to relate. Everything he stated, from unlaced Timbs to Champion hoodies was a definite East Coast aesthetic (probably worn in other regions, too, but not identified as strongly as out East). Just like gators are synonymous with Detroit and buttoned up Dickies with SoCal. Sure, I can relate that those are the styles worn there, but I can't really relate from first hand experience, barring seeing the occasional odd ball fashionistas who go against the grain. Those subtle nuances, as you stated, aren't as subtle in my book, and are just one aspect of why hip hop is still pretty regional imo, and why it's easier to relate to someone from your own region. You won't see too many low riders around this area, for example. I don't see why people are calling me crazy when you extend that concept to rappers and lyrics. It makes far more sense that I would relate and respect someone from my own region (or who makes music like my region) that speaks on things I know of (or seen the effects of) firsthand over someone from outside that region.
If most rappers talk about the same things anyway, then it's not really all that regional. I mean, the accents may be a little different, the beats, and subject matter is pretty much identical. Rappers talking about drugs, guns, clubs, cars, money, women is all the same no matter what region it is. People here in Baltimore wore Champion hoodies, and Timbs have been a staple here for God knows how long, but people mostly listen to southern artists here. People here started gravitating mostly towards southern artist in the early 00's, but before then, it was strictly NYC.
You're right about the boring and not boring labels. It's always been like that, as far as having a contrast between party rappers and more conscious/lyrical stuff.
The difference today is that there's really no superstar lyrical rapper. Wu-Tang Clan was perhaps the biggest force in hip hop EVER and they were the complete antithesis of party music. They were WAY bigger back then than Drake is today.
In the mid to late 90s, there was simply more space in the mainstream for different sounds. There wasn't this expectation that 90% of the songs on the radio had to get the club pumping. Nowadays the music is skewed towards the club scene, and if you're not making that type of music, then you're considered "boring." So the standard for "boring" is a little different today. "Boring" is largely anything that doesn't have a hot beat with hot bars.
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