Rap Regions
East Coast
Welcome to the East Coast, where rap/hip hop music was born. East Coast Rappers are the originators, and usually what most people think of when they think “Rapper”. Here’s a look at the Eastside.
Major Cities of Influence: New York (Brooklyn, Queens…), New Jersey
Key rapping traits: Lyricism is valued very highly. Complex word play and Continual delivery.
If it were kid at high school: The upperclassmen who are just cruising along, and is
known as “the cool kid”.
Major Rappers
Jay-z: Whether you love him or hate him, Jay-z is THE MOST versatile rapper alive. In fact he’s the most versatile rapper that ever rapped in the East Coast. He can rap slow, fast, or…in between. Jigga has been putting it down since 1996 with his first album and despite retiring in 2003, he shows no sign of slowing down since his return to the rap game in 2006. HOVA can make party songs with the best of them, or make songs for the hood, he even excels at love songs like Excuse Me Miss. He’s not the best at socially conscious songs anymore. Jay is not a businessman he’s a business MAN!
A Notable Song: Dirty off Ya Shoulder
Nas: Rap’s Prophet from Queens bridge has been making quality music officially since 1994. His first album, Illmatic is hailed as a top 5 rap album all-time . As of today Nas’ longevity and quality of his albums are rivaled only by Jay-z. Nas excels when he talks about relevant issues ranging from the hood, the state of the rap game, or more sensitive topics like race and politics. He’s so good that he can talk about about few topics in just one song. He doesn’t really excel at “party songs” but he can make a decent love song like Hey Nas. Nas is one of the most versatile rappers of all time.
ANS: N.Y. State
The Notorious B.I.G.: Biggie Smalls as he was called, had perhaps the most potential of any rapper. He died at the young age of 24. Biggie’s debut album, Ready to Die is one of the best rap albums I’ve ever heard. The album tells of the grit of the NY streets. One of the best things about Biggie was his delivery. Its by far the best on the mic, rivaled maybe by only a few rappers like Pac or The Game. As far as having a powerful voice/delivery nobody matched Big. Of course then there was his incredible flow. Yea I won’t say hes unmatched there, but he was one of the best hands down. Overall he is iconic and rap hasn’t been the same since his death in 1997.
ANS: Juicy
Raekwon: Raekwon is generally considered to be the best rapper in the Wu Tang Clan. I certainly agree with this statement, as only Ghostface Killah comes close. The man is hardcore gangsta rapper. What sets him apart I think, is his flow. He has flow that I think even Jay-z would envy. The way he just gets inside the beat is awesome. Overall he’s not the most versatile rapper; his topics are rather one or 2 dimensional. However the way he can portray the hood and rap game are just awesome. The Chef’s first and latest album have been hailed as a classic and near classic respectively.
ANS: House of Flying Daggers
Talib Kweli: An interesting comment was said about this NY rapper, by Jay-z, “If Skills sold, truthfully, I’d prolly be, lyrically Talib Kweli”. Then I’ve also heard that if skills sold, Talib would sell like Jay-z. Talib is an extremely talented rapper with complex subject matters and songs. Talib has been frustrated by is lack of commercial sales, but when it comes to East Coast rap, he’s one of the best around. His solo debut album Quality is really good, as is his collaborative albums with producer Hi-Tek.
ANS: Get By
Key Albums by Other notable artitsts
Puff Daddy/Diddy: No Way
50 Cent: Get Rich or Die Tryin
Lil Kim: La Bella Mafia
Q-Tip: The Renaissance
