From Concrete Jungle to Southern Reign: Tracing the Demise of NY Hip Hop and the Southern Domination in Rap

For more than 20+ years Atlanta and the South have commanded the rap game however even now numerous refuse to acknowledge this undeniable reality. It is essential to try to remember that in the 00s men and women dismissed “ringtone rap” and held onto the belief that just about every mixtape rapper from NYC (such as Papoose Saigon Troy Ave and so forth.) would resurrect New York’s prominence proving that the South wasn’t the epitome of “genuine hip hop.”
The South’s dominion stretched from roughly 2003 to the present day though New York had its prime from 1973 to 1991 and seasoned a resurgence from 1997 to 2002. The West Coast had its heyday from 1992 to 1996.
The decline of New York Hip Hop can be attributed in portion to Hot 97 and other radio stations that failed to help regional artists. Nas for instance was deprived of airtime which led to his disputes with these stations.
The era of Puff and Poor Boy additional contributed to the decline. Their emphasis on opulence along with the behind-the-scenes blackballing of fellow New York artists opened the door for Southern artists. This beef weakened each the East and West Coasts. Andre 3000 emerged as a lyrical MC who could not be questioned meeting all expectations. Meanwhile Hot 97 with figures like EBRO—a Californian—began strategically programming additional Southern and West Coast Hip Hop steadily dismantling New York’s position.
The Fall of New York Hip Hop gained momentum when Jay Z took charge at Def Jam. As an alternative of advertising established veterans from NY/NJ like Strategy Man LL Cool J Redman and DMX Jay Z sought fresh talent specifically from the South such as Jeezy and T.I. He had the chance to help hometown heroes but chose otherwise.
NY radio stations stopped championing regional artists and New York artists began imitating sounds slang and cultures from other regions. For instance employing phrases like “fuck 12” to refer to the police—a term originating from Atlanta slang—became typical in NYC. Previously New York set the trends that other regions followed but now it feels as even though the roles have reversed. Record labels also started pushing artists from the South and other places advertising easier lyrics though New York artists thrived on lyricism and exceptional style.
The downfall of NYC Hip Hop escalated when artists from New York began adopting Southern designs. The South enjoyed a prolonged dominance that is at the moment waning but remains undeniable. On top of that the present NY Drill scene originated in London with London producers bringing the sound to Brooklyn. Regrettably New York lost its distinct identity and failed to recognize its personal history. Internal conflicts and a lack of genuine programming additional hindered NYC’s rap scene. Rather than embracing their authenticity artists in NYC now strive to be an individual or some thing else.
Jay-Z played a function in the decline as properly. In “Every day a Star Is Born” he had the chance to contact out a NYC rapper though collaborating with Jay Cole but as an alternative he declared that if Lil Wayne continued his path he would pass him the torch. Money Revenue artists which includes Wayne had been entertaining but their style was noticed as gimmicky reminiscent of Eminem. An additional aspect that broken NY Hip Hop was the decline of its nightlife. Venues started shifting costs onto the audience eroding the vibrant club scene and pushing artists to create their personal audiences or execute at particular venues.
Whilst NYC artists had been battling amongst themselves Southern rappers demonstrated unity and collaborated to realize good results. The South had the music and it was only a matter of time ahead of their influence expanded. Sadly NYC lacks a unified front and generally fails to help other folks.
New York’s decline intensified when 50 Cent engaged in beef with all of NYC adopting a sound influenced by the South beneath Dr. Dre’s guidance. He divided the city and clashed with its major artists with the drama overshadowing the music itself. NY rappers spent the early 2000s and 2010s attempting to outshine every other though the South dominated with their mastery of crafting catchy and memorable songs. Jay Z managed to sustain good results throughout this period simply because he excelled in each lyrical prowess and hook creation. Early adopters like MIMS and Dipset understood the shift and French Montana Bobby Shmurda ASAP Ferg and numerous other folks followed suit. Southern production and simplistic hooks became the allure and ultimately the sector normal.
If we examine the period prior to the so-named “South takeover” all of New York’s greatest hits had been club records. Every anthem was developed for the club scene. About 2004/2005 the South started churning out club music at an impressive price though New York wasn’t making comparable tracks. Consequently when New York did release club-oriented music it was generally misperceived as Southern. Examples include things like MIMS’ “This Is Why I am Hot” 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” and Fat Joe’s “Lean Back.”
New York’s decline can be attributed to the absence of an influential era. The likes of Max B Chinx Stacks Juelz Uncle Murda Maino Shea Davis Banks Papoose J Hood French JR Writer Mims Saigon and Vado had been anticipated to elevate NY Hip Hop to new heights. Sadly due to different unfortunate situations this did not materialize. This lost generation of NY rap was waiting for figures like Jay Z 50 Cent and Puff to uplift them but they became entangled in radio politics due to relationships and affiliations with specific DJs. Numerous of them perceived the increasing younger artists as competitors rather than prospective collaborators in the limelight. On top of that quite a few artists from NY throughout the transitional period struggled to adapt to the new sound and relied heavily on radio help.
But I want to know what you feel. What are your thoughts on the fall and decline of NY Hip Hop which led to the rise of the South getting a stronghold on the rap game?
TLDR The New York infighting/beefs egos and not respecting the talent of the south back then as properly as the South bringing new artists style designs and beats to the mainstream though New York stopped innovating and lost their wave when the sector filtered and diluted their distinct sound all led to the decline and fall of New York Hip Hop and the takeover of the South in the rap game.