The Return of NY: From A$AP Mob to Action Bronson & Everywhere In Between Posted by Dharmic X on 02/19/13 | Filed under Opinion, Return of NY

New York City has always been the Mecca of this hip-hop shit. The lineage of emcees is lengthy and historic: Chuck D, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Nas, Jay-Z... the list goes on. But over the last few years the death knoll has been ringing for NYC rap...until a new generation emerged to give the city life.

Is the golden age of New York City hip-hop returning? Did it ever really leave? Over the next few weeks we'll be breaking down what's currently going on in the Big Apple in our "The Return of NY" series. After breaking down the “Beast Coast” movement last week, it’s time to touch on some other crews that are breaking out in NYC.

Tan Boyz


The Tan Boyz are a collective that represent the Latino voice in the city, that has been largely ignored since the end of the Terror Squad. Unbeknownst to N.O.R.E., the crew’s star, Bodega Bamz came up with P.A.P.I. first, and even called his last mixtape “Strictly for my P.A.P.I.Z”. Bamz has collaborated across the spectrum of NYC’s scene, but despite that, him and his boys are very much a separate entity, and they are introducing a new style and energy to the city. While Bamz can rap, his trademark is arguably his charisma, which oozes out in his videos.

Meanwhile, the rest of the artists are definitely on the come up as well. Other rappers include Willie Hex (featured in “P.A.P.I”), Cuzzin Jo, and Wavy, and there is a very uniquely talented singer named The Youth is DEAD.

(Source: King Ace the OG).

A$AP Mob


The crew and its leader is well-known at this point, and if first-week album sales of “LongLiveA$AP” are any indication, one could argue that they are on top of the New York rap game right now. While Rocky and his boys came in with that “Texas screw” sound and brought it to Harlem, the album’s two most-discussed posse cuts (“Problems” and “1 Train) suggest a transition away from the signature sound.

An obvious question would be: How can a guy beefing with Gucci Mane over who gets to be considered the “Trap Lord” claim to run NYC? The fact of the matter is that the A$AP Mob represents New York City with everything they do as a movement, and has proven a willingness to link up with the rest of New York City’s crews. While Ferg is the guy the industry wants to push at the moment, don’t sleep on Twelvy.

World’s Fair


World’s Fair is perhaps the most enigmatic of the crews. This is partly due to the fact that there is a rap group inside the crew itself, called Children of the Night. It’s the group that garnered the most attention when they put out “Queens... Revisited” in March. Meanwhile, on the solo tip, the material appears sporadically (the last tape to drop was Prince Samo’s “Street Viceroy”, but it appears to be enough to keep them in the ears of fans and collaborating with the rest of the NYC scene.

Their style and sound is eccentric and enigmatic, much like their release schedule. The sound doesn’t compromise their rhyming abilities, and it shouldn’t, after all, they rep Queens to the fullest, and Queens always comes correct with the writing. That said, there are some unconventional, weird things coming out of their mouths.

Outdoorsmen


Influenced by Thirstin Howl III and mentored by J-Love, the Outdoorsmen rep Queens and the Lo Life culture to the fullest. This is the crew that has managed to grip onto both the burgeoning hipster-rap community and the NYC hip-hop purist community at the same time, a tremendous feat. They’ve done it with slick street slang, obscure food references, and hard, boom-bap beats.

The most prominent member of the group is Action Bronson, the red-bearded Albanian currently signed to Warner Bros (via Vice Records). His rise to superstardom has been aided by his outlandishly entertaining videos, which in turn is aided by his physical appearance. He looks bizarre and has embraced that image completely. He is appears to be a strong proponent of the one MC, one producer formula of rap, with his four projects each helmed by one talented beatsmith (Tommy Mas, Statik Selektah, Party Supplies, and finally The Alchemist). None of this is to suggest that he cannot rap; on the contrary, his rhyming ability is brought to the wider audience through these other facets.

Two other members have attained serious notoriety in the last year along with Bronsolino: Meyhem Lauren and AG Da Coroner. Meyhem is a voracious rhymer who can put together some pretty entertaining videos, while AG’s gruff voice and mean stinkface make his witty ad-libs even funnier. And there are a bunch of other talented rhymers in the crew as well, such as Science, Jay Steele, and the late Killa Sha. Meanwhile, the Lo Life family ties are thick, and as a result there are a bunch of other affiliates to the group such as Shaz Illyork and Spit Gemz, among others.

Ratking


This video is all you really need to see. There’s only one project out (a six song EP from 2011). But the group is signed to XL Records (home of Odd Future... and Adele), so it’s probably a safe bet to expect these guys to make more noise moving forward.

See Also:  The Return of NY: Breaking Down The Beast Coast Movement