California is the new home of hip-hop

Fo Real

New York has historically been the home of hip-hop. After all, that is where the culture developed among the graffiti on the subways and the rap battles in the parks. Many great rappers hailed from New York but the truth is nothing original has come out of NY in years.

The culture is progressing and moving forward in California. The craze out here at the moment is learning new styles of street dance. Two of the biggest hits that you may be familiar with include Cat Daddy and Teach Me How To Dougie. The whole next generation of artists are based in California, and they have a unique sound - the same way California developed the G-funk sound in the mid 90s. Skinny jeans, colourful runners, skateboards and BMXs are the order of the day. The towering skyscrapers of Manhattan have been replaced by palm trees on Venice beach.

I'm not commenting on anybody on this forum, but the average Irish rap fan is a skanger from a council estate playing Jay-Z pop songs on his mobile phone at the back of the bus. That's why no culture ever developed in Ireland. Everybody is an imitator. Similarly, NY has stagnated because everybody dresses the same, uses the same slang..nothing new or original. Many old-skool rappers will begrudge the new gen ration like Soulja Boy of their success, but this is the direction hip-hop is going. The genre must grow and change to remain fresh and relevant to the youth today.

ImGettinPaper

Fo Real wrote: »

New York has historically been the home of hip-hop. After all, that is where the culture developed among the graffiti on the subways and the rap battles in the parks. Many great rappers hailed from New York but the truth is nothing original has come out of NY in years.

The culture is progressing and moving forward in California. The craze out here at the moment is learning new styles of street dance. Two of the biggest hits that you may be familiar with include Cat Daddy and Teach Me How To Dougie. The whole next generation of artists are based in California, and they have a unique sound - the same way California developed the G-funk sound in the mid 90s. Skinny jeans, colourful runners, skateboards and BMXs are the order of the day. The towering skyscrapers of Manhattan have been replaced by palm trees on Venice beach.

I'm not commenting on anybody on this forum, but the average Irish rap fan is a skanger from a council estate playing Jay-Z pop songs on his mobile phone at the back of the bus. That's why no culture ever developed in Ireland. Everybody is an imitator. Similarly, NY has stagnated because everybody dresses the same, uses the same slang..nothing new or original. Many old-skool rappers will begrudge the new gen ration like Soulja Boy of their success, but this is the direction hip-hop is going. The genre must grow and change to remain fresh and relevant to the youth today.

I take it you're living out in LA. Sounds good, look forward to hear it. Anyone in particular you can tell us about now??

Boom_Bap

I dont necessarily agree. There is some incredible hip hop coming out of NY at the moment, the likes of Homeboy Sandman, Fresh Daily, P.So are just some.....not many household names but some incredible talent and great music.
Another factor is that there is quality Hip Hop coming out of most states in the US at the moment and NY and Cali are no longer the sole mecca states.
Dont get me wrong, there is some dope stuff from Cali as well, but I dont think its at the forefront of what is happening. If anything, artist from Cali are taking on board the sound and style that has been in Florida for a few years and blending it with what they are doing.

PrettyBoy

Fo Real wrote: »

New York has historically been the home of hip-hop. After all, that is where the culture developed among the graffiti on the subways and the rap battles in the parks. Many great rappers hailed from New York but the truth is nothing original has come out of NY in years.

The culture is progressing and moving forward in California. The craze out here at the moment is learning new styles of street dance. Two of the biggest hits that you may be familiar with include Cat Daddy and Teach Me How To Dougie. The whole next generation of artists are based in California, and they have a unique sound - the same way California developed the G-funk sound in the mid 90s. Skinny jeans, colourful runners, skateboards and BMXs are the order of the day. The towering skyscrapers of Manhattan have been replaced by palm trees on Venice beach.

I'm not commenting on anybody on this forum, but the average Irish rap fan is a skanger from a council estate playing Jay-Z pop songs on his mobile phone at the back of the bus. That's why no culture ever developed in Ireland. Everybody is an imitator. Similarly, NY has stagnated because everybody dresses the same, uses the same slang..nothing new or original. Many old-skool rappers will begrudge the new gen ration like Soulja Boy of their success, but this is the direction hip-hop is going. The genre must grow and change to remain fresh and relevant to the youth today.

What does the real hip-hop culture never catching on over here have to do with California being the new home of it How is it relevant to your point?

Didnt Soulja Boy most recent album sell something like 9,000 copies? And he's from the South (Atlanta) IIRC?

Pharrell, Kanye, Lupe etc were doing the Skinny jeans, bright colors, skateboards thing in 2004. Look at them now, has their style changed at all?

I like West Coast hip hop and would like to see more Cali artists succeeding but I really cant make head or tail of your post, surely its a joke or something? Makes no sense whatsoever.

ImGettinPaper

PrettyBoy wrote: »

What does the real hip-hop culture never catching on over here have to do with California being the new home of it How is it relevant to your point?

Didnt Soulja Boy most recent album sell something like 9,000 copies? And he's from the South (Atlanta) IIRC?

Pharrell, Kanye, Lupe etc were doing the Skinny jeans, bright colors, skateboards thing in 2004. Look at them now, has their style changed at all?

I like West Coast hip hop and would like to see more Cali artists succeeding but I really cant make head or tail of your post, surely its a joke or something? Makes no sense whatsoever.

I thought we were talking about rap and hip hop, not pop

PrettyBoy

ImGettinPaper wrote: »

I thought we were talking about rap and hip hop, not pop

Im responding to the original post.

pragmatic1

California has had by far the best talent for the past few years. Detroit is also ****ting on New York.

Stab*City

Fo Real wrote: »

New York has historically been the home of hip-hop. After all, that is where the culture developed among the graffiti on the subways and the rap battles in the parks. Many great rappers hailed from New York but the truth is nothing original has come out of NY in years.

The culture is progressing and moving forward in California. The craze out here at the moment is learning new styles of street dance. Two of the biggest hits that you may be familiar with include Cat Daddy and Teach Me How To Dougie. The whole next generation of artists are based in California, and they have a unique sound - the same way California developed the G-funk sound in the mid 90s. Skinny jeans, colourful runners, skateboards and BMXs are the order of the day. The towering skyscrapers of Manhattan have been replaced by palm trees on Venice beach.

I'm not commenting on anybody on this forum, but the average Irish rap fan is a skanger from a council estate playing Jay-Z pop songs on his mobile phone at the back of the bus. That's why no culture ever developed in Ireland. Everybody is an imitator. Similarly, NY has stagnated because everybody dresses the same, uses the same slang..nothing new or original. Many old-skool rappers will begrudge the new gen ration like Soulja Boy of their success, but this is the direction hip-hop is going. The genre must grow and change to remain fresh and relevant to the youth today.

I dont think that any of the tracks you posted up sound original. Miami bass artists have been making tracks like those for the last two decades. Just cuz someone dresses like the bastard child of Kanye West and the fresh prince of bel-air does not mean they are advancing the culture. New styles of street dance are being done every day of the week all over the planet. Just cuz someone can do a variation of the humpty dance 20 yrs later does not in my eyes advance hip hop in the slightest. As for the rappers in the vids you posted their flow reminds me of some old snoop dogg tracks.. I think you put it correctly when you called this a craze. crazes come and go.

Your comments on Irish Hip Hop culture are almost as narrow minded as your views on the progression of Hip Hop stateside. You only have to listen to the likes of cunninlynguists, outkast and others to hear how hip hop has progressed over the last few yrs. colourful runners, skateboards and BMXs were the order of the day when i lived in the states too so not much has changed there. Skinny jeans have been popular since the 60's. The palm trees of venice beach have featured on many hip hop videos long before the rej3ctz were even born.

And yes you are commenting on everybody on this forum because we are all your average irish hip hop listeners. We love Hip Hop dearly here in Ireland. We live Hip Hop every day. You dont need to be from the bronx or compton or venice beach or ballymun to be a true Hip hop fan. You can forget about any progression with minds like yours.

Boom_Bap

Just listened to this, straight out of Brooklyn New York.

Tell me that this aint dope:

http://mishkanyc.bandcamp.com/album/mr-mutha****in-exquire-lost-in-translation

Oh, you'll notice there are some El-P beats there. El-P is making the most original music out there at the moment. And yes, he is from New York.

Shapey Fiend

New York is having the best year in a long time. That said a lot of the cool new stuff sounds like it's from the south even if it's NY.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3ktDxAjWI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjgLpoli3gc

And the aforementioned Mr. Mutha****in eXquire tape.

There's good stuff coming out of every city at the moment just a matter of doing the research. Most of the blogs only cover people who're already famous cos that gets you more hits. No point in covering up and comers.

conor.hogan.2

Hip-hop is global, good music is coming out of everywhere. What an oversimplification and the skanger comment is pointless and wrong.

I am not going to mention various artists from new york, or miami, or canada or ireland or sweeden….. it is there if you look.