Rap Country, Part I: East Coast

Hip Hop culture is ours. It is distinctly American: one of the few cultural traditions the rest of the world considers ours. It grew from our other traditions, blues and rock and roll, mixed with the Griot traditions of West Africa and the influence of Jamaican Dub music in 1970s New York City. This is the first in a series of articles about the musical aspect of this culture.

Music has always been influenced by regional styles and rap is no different. The four regions we will explore are the East Coast, the North Coast/Midwest, South and West Coast. Each region will be broken down by city, with an exploration of that city’s contribution to the culture and notable DJs, MCs and other hip hop heads. Each city will end with songs I feel invoke that city’s contributions to the fullest.

The regions are loosely defined. For example, the North Coast region goes as far East as Rochester – Rochester, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, part of the same Rust Belt and Great Lakes region as their brothers farther to the West. Likewise, the Baltimore/Virginia/D.C. scene is included in the East Coast, more due to stylistic similarities than to geography.

With that being said, we start with the heart. Welcome to the East Coast; this is rap country.

East Coast

This is where it all began. The eastern seaboard is rich in hip hop history, and the sheer number of influences here means I am bound to miss some. Ready to begin? Let’s start with the O.G.: NYC.

New York City

Contributions: Hip hop culture began here, in the Bronx. Block party DJs began playing the percussion breaks in popular soul and funk songs, a technique already in used in Jamaican Dub music. The strong Jamaican Diaspora of NYC was best exemplified by one of the godfathers of the genre, Kingston, born DJ Kool Herc. He is credited with practically inventing the genre by isolating the breaks while he DJ’d and switching to funk for his American audience. Herc and other early DJs pioneered turn tabling techniques like beat mixing/matching, juggling and scratching (often credited to Grand Wizard Theodore). In Jamaican dancehalls a literal MC (master of ceremonies) would often toast, and these simple raps and call-and-response chants helped lead to rapping as we now know it. Melle Mel, lyricist for the Furious Five, is typically considered the first rapper to call himself an emcee.

NYC rap music has a long list of DJs, MCs and others who have influenced the entire nation. Beginning with “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, rap soon turned to denser lyrics over complicated beats. This saw the rise of highly influential rappers such as Melle, Rakim (along with his DJ, Eric B.), KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, Kurtis Blow, Chuck-D and Public Enemy along with later acts such as Run DMC and Slick Rick.

Other big names from the Big Apple are Biggie Smalls, Big Pun and Big L, De La Soul, Jay-Z, the Wu Tang Clan, Talib Kwali, Mobb Deep and Nas. Wu, Nas, Biggie and Jay-Z are remembered for helping to bring the East back during the infamous East vs. West Coast battles of the early to mid 1990’s.

Style: NYC has always been known for its lyrical rappers, with wordsmiths like Talib Kwali being a prime example. The gritty style of the Wu Tang Clan, Capone-n-Noriega and Mobb Deep are also intrinsically NYC. Pop based rap like Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy records also came from NYC.

Listen to this: Anything by Melle Mel or the Furious Five, Big Daddy Kane or KRS-One. “La Di Da Di” by Slick Rick, “The Show” by Doug E. Fresh and anything by Eric B. and Rakim are required listening. New York City has too many influential albums to list, including Eric B. and Rakim’s Paid in Full, Capone-n-Noriega’s The War Report, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Liquid Swords by the GZA and Fishscale by Ghostface Killah. The last three are all albums by members of Wu Tang. “Shook Ones, pt. 2” by Mobb Deep is a must hear, as well as “Get By” by Talib, “Put it On” by Big L and “Made You Look” by Nas. It is a lost cause to go on; if you cannot find something you like from NYC, rap just may not be for you.

Philadelphia

Contributions: Philadelphia was one of the first cities to follow in New York’s footsteps. Perhaps its largest contribution to modern hip hop is being the Graffiti capitol of the early scene. As far as music is concerned, Philly is the birthplace of the Gangsta rap sub-genre. The universal interjection jawn, perhaps my favorite word, comes from the Philadelphia hip hop community.

Style: Philly is known for producing hard core rappers, fitting for a city also known as Killadelphia. The originator of gangsta rap (and the Aquateen Hunger Force theme song), Schoolly D, is from Philly. Philadelphia’s more mainstream acts, such as Beanie Sigel, Eve, Freeway and Cassidy are also harder than many of their Top 40 contemporaries.

Philadelphia has a brutal underground scene, including notables like Gille Da Kid, who has a long-standing beef with Lil Wayne due to Gillie’s claims of ghostwriting and style jacking by Weezy. Other notable underground rappers include Meek Millz, Peedi Crakk (who has some mainstream success, mainly with Freeway), Joey Jihad, Mike Knox and Cyssero. Not all Philly rappers are murder on the beat; renowned hip hop band The Roots are from Philly, as well as the light and airy styles of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. The Fresh Prince and Jeff were imperative in getting rap music onto more mainstream radio stations.

Listen to this: “Summertime” by Will Smith is a classic, fun jam that will get people moving. Famous Philly hits include “Flipside” by Freeway and Peedi, “Roc da Mic” by Beanie Sigel and Freeway, “Who’s that Girl?” by Eve and “I’m a Hustler” by Cassidy. “Where’s Cass At?” and a freestyle over 50 Cent’s “I Get Money” are excellent examples of Cassidy’s more underground work. “Get Down on the Ground,” particularly the “Philadelphia All Stars Remix”, by Gillie Da Kid is a perfect intro to the subterranean scene. GDK’s Lil Wayne dis tapes are also classics, particularly for Weezy haters. “P.S.K.-What Does it Mean?” by Schoolly D is the song that Ice-T credits for his flow on “6 in the Mornin” and the song that gave birth to Gansta.