Entering the 1990s, the Hip Hop genre had expanded to a point where it became one of the most popular genres in music, thanks in large part due to the work done by New York artists in the seminal days of the art form.

As the decade turned, the different boroughs of New York each influenced the music in their own way, both with the sounds and the content of the lyrics.

One of the most notable albums of the decade, and subsequently, of all time, was Nas’ Illmatic. The album’s overall sound planted seeds for the genre’s evolution for years to come, with its laid back delivery and its unique beats that would go on to become synonymous with the “New York sound”.

Along with Nas, another monumentally important group from Queens to come out of the 90’s was Mobb Deep. Perhaps their most important track, and one of Hip Hop’s most recognizable beats, was Shook Ones. Like Nas, the song and really, their album, The Infamous had a laid back delivery that was complemented by lyrics that calmly fit into the macho, braggadocios style that had completely taken the sound over.

Another borough, Brooklyn, became one of the Hip Hop epicenters with its own mix of hip hop superstars and infectious style. No artist better encapsulates the sound of 90s Brooklyn Hip Hop then The Notorious B.I.G., one of Hip Hop’s great influencers.

Everything about B.I.G., or Biggie, reflected Brooklyn, and in a way, Brooklyn came to reflect him. His style, colorful, elaborate, ornate, became engrained in the Hip Hop culture. Influenced by the Italian mob, Biggie came to represent this over the top style of rap. He wore Versace, surrounded himself constantly with beautiful women and superstar athletes, and filled his music with slick beats, an un-replicable flow that perfectly tethered the line of laid back and in your face, and lyrics regarding sex, drugs and violence that would be so insanely creative and extravagant that they would make Martin Scorsese’s movie characters blush.

In many ways, Biggie’s commercial and spiritual successor became Brooklyn’s Jay-Z. Jay would follow Biggie’s immense popularity, though short lived, with a sustained run of relevance with commercial and critical success that has lasted since the late 90s to the present day. Jay-Z’s style has clear B.I.G. and Brooklyn influence, from his delivery that has reached legendary status for its precise, clear flow, to his impeccable beat selection that complements the contents of his lyrics.

While it does seem like Brooklyn and Queens have a dominant hold on Hip Hop’s biggest New York influencers and superstars, the other boroughs have made significant contributions to the New York Hip Hop culture.

Staten Island brought the world the Wu-Tang Clan, who’s influential sound is still reverberating Hip Hop today. Many members have maintained relevance as well, such as Method Man who has been involved in movies, tv shows and other forms of pop culture.

Yonkers saw DMX rise to soaring heights in the genre, who captivated audiences with his aggressive delivery and beats. The Bronx gave the genre Big Pun, who’s legendary delivery will be studied by aspiring rappers for an eternity.

New York Hip-Hop also paved the way for politics to become involved in the genre, which by this point in the 90s, had largely become saturated with gangsta-style rap. One of the genre’s most important groups, Public Enemy, came from Long Island. The group constantly addressed the inequalities in society faced by blacks and impoverished peoples, and was one of the first to find commercial success while using its platform to advance political agendas.

90s New York Hip Hop was probably the biggest factor in the genre becoming the mainstream force it is today. So many artists took the platform and brought it to previously unthinkable levels, and while other cities have since had turns dominating the Hip Hop world, New York has always been a giant in its influence.

In the aughts, along with Jay-Z, the city propped up the hugely successful 50 Cent of Queens. Hailing from Harlem, Cam’ron also became a popular figure in the genre.

The 2010s has seen something a renaissance in New York Hip Hop popularity. Mainstream superstars Nicki Minaj and Cardi B both claim New York as their city. A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$ and a plethora of other rappers who have accumulated huge followings hail from New York City, and the city’s influence is present in all of their music.

To this day, New York has stood as arguably the most important city in all of the Hip Hop. While the popularity of the city’s artist has fluctuated over the years, New York’s influence is palpable across the genre, regardless of what city the music is from.

Perhaps no city in the United States will ever be so closely associated with the hip hop genre as New York. While Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and a handful of others are extremely well known for their input to the genre, I would argue not to the extent New York has built in its rich history and modern representation in the music.

With so many landmark figures, New York has had at least one monumental figure in each era of Hip Hop. Going back to its beginnings, New York, the Bronx, specifically, was the place for Hip Hop.

It’s hard to pin down exactly when any genre began, especially Hip Hop, because people have been talking in rhythm for as long as time. However, the genre has a distinct sound that revolves around, especially in the early days of the genre, a DJ spinning records.

DJ Cool Herc began the innovative sound at a birthday party in the early 70’s, spinning records in a way to create this new, fun, rhythmic sound. From there, over time, the art form morphed into this new sound that took over the New York music scene, especially within the African-American community.

In 1973, just 6 years after DJ Cool Herc began the Hip Hop sound, the Sugarhill Gang released one of the genre’s most well known and influential songs, Rappers Delight.

That song was one of the first in its genre to really take off, and is generally looked at as the first “mainstream” song in Hip Hop. From there, the Sugarhill gang paved the way entering the 1980s for New York artist to raise the platform in new, creative ways that propelled Hip Hop to, more consistently, the mainstream.

LL Cool J. Run-DMC. Big Daddy Kane. Eric B. and Rakim. KRS-One. The Beastie Boys. These are just a few of the multitude of rappers to take the Hip Hop mantle and raise it to the level that allowed the genre to become such a popular mainstay in modern American pop culture.

In the next post about New York, we will examine how the genre expanded in the 90s, and how those artists pushed the genre even further for it to become the cultural movement it is today.

Across the country, different communities have formed that have allowed the Hip Hop genre to grow a unique, niche culture specific to the region.

In this blog, I intend on exploring the Hip Hop scene across the country, how different cities and regions have taken the broad culture of Hip Hop, and shaped it into something unique to the city/regions identity.

This publication will not be about the songs that come out of these regions specifically, but rather the overall sound of the genre in the area. I will not be splitting hairs over one rappers lyrics or verbiage that may contrast with area as long as I feel that this region does have it’s own unique, specific sound.

Hip Hop has been one of my great passions since I was about 11 years old. I was perusing Youtube, and Beautiful by Eminem popped up as a recommended video, and it was such a profound moment that I instantly became hooked to this amazing genre. From there, Eminem introduced me to the Detroit hip hop scene, which made me interested in the scenes in all the other cities in the nation.

With all the different Hip Hop scenes across the country (and world), I have always been in awe and inspired by how these rappers and artists have been able to collaborate with each other and build this unique sound that fits them so well, yet also operate within that sound individually, and collectively.

Hopefully, this blog can attract like minded hip hop heads like myself. I am no music critic and I am not here to pick apart anybody’s art, rather I just want to appreciate the genre for what it is. I want to attract people that truly love and cherish the genre, and how the genre has shaped regional cultures as much as those cultures shaped hip hop.

Hopefully, readers may discover previously unknown niche pockets within the genre and would be encouraged to check them out. I always get a certain amount of joy when I put somebody on to new music, so the idea that I can reach many people with a blog is quite exciting.

Hip Hop has become such a huge part of American culture, it started in this country (Bronx, New York) and has grown so to become the most popular genre in the US in i’s relatively short history. I am excited to be able to explore the different ways Hip Hop has shaped its identity across the country in this blog.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton