Author Archives: jah

Hip Hop’s Southern Migration By: A-Jay (ToDa) Singletary

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I guess the saying “ what goes around, comes around ” still holds truth to this day. In a world where we hear what was heard before. Whether it’s through word of mouth or rhyme in the beat what goes are comes around as history repeats. Towards the late 80’s early 90’s Hip Hop had become a way of life and needless to say it was an “up north” thing. In the 80’s Hip Hop was dominated by East Coast rappers such as RUN DMC, PUBLIC ENEMY, GRANDMASTER FLASH & THE FURIOUS FIVE, ERIK B & RAKIM, but on the West Coast a group going by NWA were putting California on the map. In the 90’s the West Coast produced more artist such as SNOOP DOGG, 2PAC, and the East Coast kept a tight grip on the Hip Hop game with the emergence of BIG L, NAS, JAY-Z, and BIGGIE SMALLS.

It wasn’t until around 1995 when southern rap started to stake it’s claim in Hip Hop. Pioneers like UGK brought the gold grills, slabs and southern pimpin’ to the game. Giving the industry and fans something new to analyze. Perception was that if you were in the south you couldn’t make it from the south, but OUTKAST challenged the status quo after linking up with WU-TANG and making a hit “Skew it on the Bar-B”! OUTKAST went on to win multiple Grammy awards catapulting the south to new heights. That provided the stepping stone needed for the next wave of southern artist such as SCARFACE, LIL WAYNE, LUDACRIS, T.I. who has helped to keep the south relevant and some would even say taking over the game. Now in 2012 the South is stronger than ever and growing! Their represented heavily by major players in the game and at the top of that list is LIL WAYNE, the self proclaimed “best rapper alive“. Confidence or cockiness even with JAY-Z still in the game. That is a bold statement, but a statement nonetheless and with JAY-Z getting up in age it’s only a matter of time until he has to pass the keys to the game. The door into the industry seems to be wide open in the south. Is that because of the new diversity being brought from the south? or is it that Hip Hop as it originated has lost it’s dominance as did others before.

The diversity that the southern artists bring to the Hip Hop table I believe is a gift and a curse. A gift of something new and innovating, especially when the tracks are laced with lyrics with a message and a curse of tainting what Hip Hop stood for if it’s neither rhyme nor reason.

Either way the south has made a stand and they don’t plan on going anywhere. Music is a way of life and an outlet to many, and the southern rappers are expressing themselves loud and clear. So maybe it’s not the emergence of southern rappers. It could be them taking back what once was essential theirs.

Who is in your Top 5?- by Will “@Deshair” Foskey

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OK, so you meet a new person that happens to be a “Hip-Hop Head (HHH)”, right? You’re talking about what’s in each other’s playlist and all that. The energy is building, the lyrics are spewing, you’re adlibbing and the vibe is top of the crust. Eventually, it will happen. Somebody will either make or break the mood by asking, “So who is in your Top 5?”

Clearly, we’re not talking about a feature in your phone service. We are talking about the most important question that any fan of Rap music will have to answer. The weight of your reputation rests on your Top 5 emcees. And you better have a Top 5, because if you don’t, nothing that you say about music to this person will ever matter again!

So I wanted to give a few examples of what your Top 5 emcee’s of all-time says about you, since you will be remembered for all eternity because of it.

1. Your choices will tell your age bracket. I don’t know if I could still do it, but I was once able to tell a person’s age by the answers given about their favorite artists. For example, people often slip in an artist which they admired (during their teenaged years). And by gauging when that artist was at its best, you could make a good guess at the person’s age.
2. Your choices will tell your personal preferences. Are you a ‘Conscious’, ‘Southern’, ‘Gangster’, or ‘Shiny Suit’ fan, for example. It is not often that you’ll hear someone say that Mos Def and Snoop Dogg are in their Top 5. Mos Def and Snoop Dogg are far too spread apart on the lyrical and content spectrum to be on the same list.
3. Your choices will tell people whether you currently listen to today’s music. If your Top 5 ends with the most current career being Big Pun, you’re most likely listening to Rap from that time, nothing afterwards. Even if you’ve chosen Jay-Z (a Top 5 of many), but your favorite album was the Blueprint, the evaluation is the same.

There isn’t a debate that comes close to the “Top 5, Dead or Alive” discussion. People debate about who is the best ever, but that could be a similar debate to the greatest NFL Quarterback ever. Just think about it, people debate having the most Superbowl wins. But Ben Roethlisberger has one more Superbowl ring than Peyton Manning. There is no way in the world you’re going to tell me that Ben is a better quarterback than Peyton because of that. See, a fight would break out over that in a snap (pun intended). However, you telling me your Top 5 shows me who you are, compared to who you admire.

So in closing, I give to you my Top 5 emcees. Hopefully, you’ll let me know yours. And in no particular order:

1. Chuck D
2. Nas
3. Tupac Shakur
4. DMX
5. Eminem