The Return of NY, The Last Episode: Don’t Call It a Comeback Posted by Dharmic X on 03/27/13 | 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 last few weeks, we have been breaking down what's currently been going on in the Big Apple in our "The Return of NY" series. Having gone over the rappers, producers, and executives instrumental in the current events, it is time to bring the series full circle and ask the most important question in conclusion: Will New York hip-hop come back?

For many critics and media personalities, the decline of New York stems from the decline of its sound, which was so prominent in the 90s and early 2000s. Some people, including South Carolina-bred Charlemagne the God, currently a personality for New York City’s Power 105.1 Breakfast Club show, continue to suggest that the Big Apple needs a “new signature sound” to re-cement its position of prominence from yesteryear. The idea of a unified style of rap propelling a host of rappers from the same region to stardom is fueled by examples such as the recent success of Chicago and its drill scene.

First of all, this theory is outdated at best. Looking at Chicago one year later, while it is quite possible that Chief Keef is here to stay for at least another year, affiliates such as Lil Reese and Lil Durk attract attention for name recognition alone, while artists such as Sasha Go Hard and King Louie remain semi-relevant, the former largely removing herself from the “drill” lane, the latter trying to force himself into prominence with a daily release series. Outside of Keef, Chicago’s biggest story right now is Chance the Rapper, an artist who has very little in common with the sound and style of the drill scene.

A regionalized sound was the product of an older music industry, devoid of the Internet and its connectivity. Sure, geography still influences the music being made; Gucci Mane, Yelawolf, and Danny Brown are products of their environment stylistically. But in 2013, an artist can secure a fan base from anywhere in the world, without the need to sign a label deal. Fans will often find one or two artists from a region that they prefer and mix up a national brew of diverse talent, listening to Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, and Chief Keef at the same time, rather than listening to Kendrick Lamar, Pac Div, and Thurz exclusively.

With that said, at this point New York City offers music of all sounds and styles at this moment. Not only are artists such as A$AP Rocky, Action Bronson, and Joey Bada$$ garnering praise within the city, but they are successfully touring the world to packed crowds. Their names, and the names of many other New Yorkers are receiving praise and attracting hype. There is new music coming out of hip-hop’s storied birthplace for every type of fan, and all of this music is being noticed, if not by the traditional industry structure then by the fans who actively check for music.

The traditional industry structure is sinking quicker than the Titanic anyways. The top two selling albums of 2012 were Good Kid, m.A.A.d City by Kendrick Lamar and The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and only one of those albums has thus far gone gold. Viral videos eventually trickle down to commercial radio stations. Corporate endorsements and festival appearances are replacing plaques as the litmus test of financial viability. In this sort of climate, why would one listen to an out-of-touch critic’s foolish belief that New York hip-hop is obsolete?



The Outdoorsmen’s AG Da Coroner said it best with the title of his latest track: “NY Never Left.” New York could never leave as long as emcees continue to represent the Big Apple as they propel their careers forward. New York could never become irrelevant as long as it continues to mold future stars beneath its bright lights and constant events. And New York will always be an important player in hip-hop as long as fans from Jersey to Japan—and everyplace in between—continue to check for music from the city’s many artists.

In conclusion, New York City has definitely received a surge in fresh, innovative talent in the last couple of years, talent that has embraced the digital age in order to flourish and grow. But to ask the Mecca of this culture to return to its “golden era” is to ignore the fact that the music industry itself cannot turn back the clock to days without LimeWire or 2DopeBoyz. The Tunnel is not coming back, and songs are more likely to be premiered by Nah Right or Noisey rather than by Funkmaster Flex. It is time to embrace New York City hip-hop for what it has become and what it will be in the next two years. It’s not the artists who have become obsolete; it is those milestones and platforms people continue to pine for.

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