Why Is The Hip Hop Scene Bad in the North Bay (Oakland: dangerous, rich)

[ambient]

The rap scene up North is raw, just like the mean streetz of Napa where I grew up. You cross a brotha wrong and he'll pour you an inferior vintage at your next tasting.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by ambient

The rap scene up North is raw, just like the mean streetz of Napa where I grew up. You cross a brotha wrong and he'll pour you an inferior vintage at your next tasting.

Char-Doh-Nay Massive, cold chillin' in effect, yo!

[NewtoSD?]

There isn't much of a music scene in Santa Rosa period. Hip hop, metal, folk, you name it, it's just not really there. I've asked myself why more than once and cannot come up with a good reason. There is enough cheap living and artistic energy in the city (4th St, JC area, railroad SQ) where you'd think it would breed some type music movement, but it's almost completely absent.

[CyanideThistles]

Originally Posted by NewtoSD?

There isn't much of a music scene in Santa Rosa period. Hip hop, metal, folk, you name it, it's just not really there. I've asked myself why more than once and cannot come up with a good reason. There is enough cheap living and artistic energy in the city (4th St, JC area, railroad SQ) where you'd think it would breed some type music movement, but it's almost completely absent.

I totally agree. I... can't think of any metal bands from Santa Rosa... there should be at least one underground one. I know there are a few but they're so unknown I can't remember their names. I can't think of any other musicians from the area either. There are people like Les Claypool (Primus frontman) and Tom Waits who own property in Sonoma County, but they're not originally from here.

Also there's some underground rappers but none of them make it big. They just get a couple thousand views on YT and that's it. Some are really talented though.

The Railroad Square/downtown area would seem like an urban-ish area that would be home to a community of indie musicians or something, but yeah.. doesn't exist. Really weird

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by CyanideThistles

Santa Rosa in general? The southwest part of Santa Rosa is over 50% Hispanic, and about 50% of the kindergartners in SR are Hispanic now, or at least a few years ago from an article I read in the local paper. Not that white bread anymore, but Rincon Valley is definitely more Caucasian than anything else. Rincon Valley is definitely one of the better areas of Santa Rosa. Boring, but it's nice and quiet and the beautiful scenery of Wine Country is a short drive away.

Yeah, I haven't lived there for 25 years.

[LexusNexus]

Because there are not enough people in that region who prefer music which celebrates ignorance.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by expect

lol what a joke. go listen to "atmosphere" and other corny ass backpack nerd music. lol sage Francis and other cornball music

Translation="I don't know sh*t about music"

I kid I kid

[goldenchild08]

As other posters mentioned Ray Luv is from Santa Rosa and maybe a few other obscure underground rappers from the 90's. But some Bay Area Rap legends actually do hail from suburban towns. Spice 1 grew up in Hayward and was NOT from Oakland. 2pac lived in Marin City, primarily. Marin City is definitely the hood though. The only other notable rap group from Marin City was a group called 5150.

But no, Santa Rosa is in no way a hotbed city for Hip Hop in the Bay. Oakland, San Francisco, Vallejo and Richmond all have produced hundreds of rappers from the 80's to the present. However, from a national standpoint, most people who are not from California do not even know SF, proper, even had a prolific Rap scene because San Francisco never had a huge big name cross over rapper like Oakland's Too $hort or Vallejo's E-40 or Richmond's Master P. Rappin' 4 Tay and RBL Posse are looked at as obscure one-hit wonders to Hip Hop historians outside of the Bay, whereas such SF rappers are revered as legends in the Bay.

All in all, I agree with what others have already said. Ultimately, Hip Hop is the musical poetry of the ghetto. Oakland, Richmond, Frisco and Vallejo all have hella ghetto areas. Santa Rosa? Not so much. Most Bay Area Hip Hop, historically, was raw underground mob music inspired by the insanity of the inner city produced for the block and by the block slapping underneath the mainstream radar going platinum in the ghetto. From my understanding, Santa Rosa doesn't really have a real ghetto to produce such music.

[expect]

lol master P is not from richmond. wtf. ask yukmouth

[Nineties Flava]

Originally Posted by expect

lol master P is not from richmond. wtf. ask yukmouth

He got his career and record label started in Richmond. I don't think goldenchild meant he's actually from there... everybody knows he's from New Orleans.