New Yorkers are passionate people. You can easily get into a screaming match about bagels, coffee, the mayor, or baseball with most any of us. But hip-hop is a source of love, pride, conjecture and, all too often, violence for us in New York City.
Let's not forget that the universal Zulu Nation was founded to put an end to gang violence and support the five elements of hip hop: MCs, DJs, breakdancing, graffiti-- and having fun.
It wasn't until years later that gangsta rap established itself on the scene, giving rise to the glorification of violence and negativity within hip hop, but those MCs' stories are just as valid and valuable to the ongoing story of hip hop, the story of the 'hood, the story going on around the way.
Now, in the brave new world of 2015, hip-hop has re-diversified in a large way: we have Nikki Minaj near the top of the popularity game, a feat probably impossible without notable forerunners like Lil Kim, Salt n Peppa, and Queen Latifah.
We also have artists unafraid to admit they're afraid sometimes like Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Rather than just bolster their reps by over-bragging, the result is a type of authenticity that's not necessarily new, but rather fresh in the face of so much monotony over the last couple of decades.
So, because we're at an interesting cross section of hip-hop history and the constant prospect of a brighter future, it's a good time to run down a list of our favorite and most widely influential hip-hop artists from NYC, because this is where hip hop was born...
Remember, we're not ranking these artists. They're listed alphabetically for a reason, because it's not about who's better than whom, it's about who has imprinted a lasting popular impact on the City of New York and hip hop listeners around the world.
1. Big L (Harlem)
Born and bred Harlem rapper Big L was the founder of underground label Flamboyant Entertainment as well as a multi-faceted recording artist until 1999 when he was tragically gunned down in a drive-by.
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His debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, was pretty dope, and since his death there have been multiple posthumous record releases.
2. Big Punisher (the Bronx)
Big Pun is Big Pun. Before his death in 2000, Pun was everywhere. He was rapping and acting and pulling off both well, becoming the first Latino rapper to reach platinum sales as a solo artist.
3. Eric B & Rakim (Queens & Long Island)
The jury's in, Eric B & Rakim are widely considered to be the most influential hip hop duo in contemporary pop history, they've even been nominated for induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
The two of them are masters of their craft and well, if you don't know that already you have no business being on this page right now...besides learning, we guess.
4. KRS-One (The Bronx)
https://youtu.be/oENrgffA5VI
Politics and the story of the ghetto are intrinsically connected, and there few, maybe no better examples of intellectual rappers educating their audiences than KRS-One.
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Along with beat producer Scott La Rock, KRS founded Boogie Down Productions near the end of the 80s and even kept it going after La Rock's death until he began producing music under his own name in the early 90s. KRS has maintained deity level to heads, but remains largely unknown to youngins.
5. MC Lyte (Brooklyn)
Being the first female rapper to release a full-length album in 1988, it can be argued that every female hip hop artist today owes her career to MC Lyte.
She wasn't first female to rap, but she was the first one to do it all on her own.
,6. Nas (Queens)
https://youtu.be/M8L8F8xzQQA
Grammy Award-winner Nas is a great example of a thoroughbred NYC rapper. He's a naturally gifted son of jazz artist Olu Dara, and under the tutelage of Rakim, Nas has risen to meteoric levels of success and popularity.
It's one thing to be good at what you do, it's quite another to be popular and loved by most-- Nas has accomplished all three.
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1994's Illmatic set the stage for NYC hip hop for the rest of the decade in a large way. There are very few artists who can honestly say Nas has had absolutely no effect on them...
7. Notorious B.I.G. (Brooklyn)
Yo, Biggie is maybe the most popular MC in NYC right now, and he's not even alive. His style and drive have become legendary, and for good reason: Biggie's hot.
His '94 album Ready to Die is a classic. Classic. We don't have to tell you Biggie is loved, just count the murals of his face around the City.
8. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth (Mt. Vernon)
This duo is heavy. An entire generation has been brought up on Pete Rock's production methods, and they may not even know it. More than that, they created maybe the best hip hop song about losing a friend, "They Reminisce Over You."
It's been featured in video games since Super Nintendo and sampled countless times-- and that sax hook is still smooth as hell.
9. Run DMC (Queens)
DMC is another classic. They're one of the acts that really brought hip hop into the public eye and largely started the art form on its path towards easy association with pop music.
People disagree on whether or not that's a good thing. Some purist heads believe hip hop should've remained on the streets and never blown up, and as a result blame DMC for the eventual watering down of the art form.
10. Wu-Tang Clan (Staten Island)
Wu Tang Clan is genius. There aren't many groups who have reached such acclaim while almost every member pursues a solo career that also gains success. In fact, members of Wu like RZA and Method Man have successful acting careers as well-- a feat not easily achieved for most rappers.
The role Wu-Tang Clan has played in the development of hip hop over the last couple of decades cannot be understated. Because there are so many of them, their brand has come to represent such an amalgamation of themes that they're basically a poster child for everything that is hip hop, plus more.
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It's uncommon that a group doesn't tear itself apart (fully), or fall off in terms of skill, and the Wu hasn't done either. But if you want to hear their latest album you better have $5 million and a turntable, because there's only one copy and it might not be heard for close to a hundred years.
Honorable Mentions
glass_eyed_tigress #VordulMegalah the cannibal ate mics... #CannibalOx #Masqueradeatl #hiphop #zulugatekeepers #atlanta #emcee #atlphotographers #photography #underground
There's a multitude of hip-hop artists from NYC that are undeniably talented, well known, well-respected, and massively popular. But have they yet instilled a lasting and widespread impression on lyricism and craftsmanship of hip-hop?
If they're an honorable mention, we think not. That being said, they're too good to overlook.
You're wondering why Jay-Z is not on this list. We thought we could talk around that by titling the list the way we did, but we should address that Jay-Z has become more of a businessman rather than someone concerned with their hip-hop legacy (see: Tidal, Roc Nation, Kanye West etc.)
Again, alphabetically: Action Bronson, Cannibal Ox, El-P, Immortal Technique, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Mos Def, Sean Price, Talib Kweli, and Tupac Shakur gets the East Harlem Birthright Nod.
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[Feature Image Courtesy TheWordisBond]