Midwest hip hop
Encyclopedia
Midwest hip hop is hip hop music
performed by artists from the Midwestern United States
. In contrast with its East Coast
, West Coast
and Southern counterparts, Midwest hip hop has very few constants. Its first dose of national popularity in the mid-90s was associated with fast-paced styles of rappers such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
(Cleveland), Twista
(Chicago
), Tech N9ne
(Kansas City, Missouri
), Freddie Gibbs
(Gary, Indiana
) and Gerald Walker (Milwaukee, Wisconsin
), as well as for darker horrorcore
style represented mostly in Detroit by rappers such as Insane Clown Posse
, Eminem
and Twiztid
.
These artists became the first to introduce Midwest hip hop that rivaled the popularity of West and East Coast styles. However, subsequent acts which have since risen to national prominence such as Nelly
, D12
, Common
and Kanye West
share very few similarities. It is because these lack of constants between acts from different cities (and sometimes even between artists from the same city) that it can be extremely difficult to define a "typical" Midwest sound. One characteristic of Midwest hip hop is that beat tempos can range from 90 to about 180, while East Coast's beat tempo is 90-120, West Coast is 100-120, and Southern rap is 80-110. Prozak, as stated in his DVD "The Hitchcock of HipHop", says that the Midwest's style often revolves around "Dark beats and lyrics".
member Violent J
, not only is Detroit's hip hop scene signified by rap battles and waiting to be discovered by a major label, but by independently building up successful business empires, as local rapper Esham
did with Reel Life Productions
, and Insane Clown Posse did with Psychopathic Records
. Esham, Insane Clown Posse, and Kid Rock
were the first Detroit rappers to gain major notice. Kid Rock later merged rock influences into his music, creating a form of rap rock
, and in recent years focused predominately on more rock-oriented music.
Slum Village
was an act which emerged from the hip hop scene in Detroit in the mid 1990s. Their first album, Fantastic, Vol. 1 came out in 1996. The producer was J Dilla
, who also produced for notable hip-hop acts from around the country, including The Pharcyde
, Common
, and A Tribe Called Quest
. He would later become one of the most sought after producers in hip-hop, with many of his beats being used posthumously after his death in 2006.
Detroit's hip hop is mostly noted for its talented underground artists, and the city's freestyle battles. A popular place for rap battles there is the local Hip Hop Shop, located on W 7 Mile. Eminem
began as an underground Detroit rapper and released two albums before being signed; Infinite and The Slim Shady EP
. In 1999 he was signed to Dr. Dre
's Aftermath Entertainment
and he released his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP
. His second album, The Marshall Mathers LP
, became the fastest selling hip hop album in history, breaking Snoop Dogg
's record. He has gone on to have significant mainstream success with all his albums and is now one of the best selling rappers of all time, making him Detroit's most widely recognizable hip-hop star.
MC Breed
, from Flint, Michigan
is most notable for his songs "Gotta Get Mine" featuring Tupac Shakur
and "Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin'". However, he was on life support for two days in September after he collapsed during a game of pick-up basketball due to kidney failure. It is unclear if prior health complications were the cause of death Rapper Proof
, was also part of the Detroit-founded rap group D12
. Despite his success with D12, he also released two solo albums which were Searching For Jerry Garcia
and I Miss The Hip Hop Shop
. On April 11, 2006, he was fatally shot to death in a gunfight at a Detroit nightclub.
Music of West Michigan Grand Rapids,Grown Folks is based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan established by Super Producer DJ Strange and one the most Lyrically Talented MCs in the Midwest, Don Juan. This Group has committed there self to
recreating the meaning and substance for today’s Hip Hop style and Grown Folks, DJ Strange and Don Juan has worked closely with additional Artists such as… Adina Howard, Sir-Mix-A-lot and Chico DeBarge.
Although there is a vibrant underground hip hop scene, it's difficult to make it big in the city that was officially named the most dangerous city in America. Despite Detroit being over 85% African American, many of the most famous white rappers, including Eminem
, Insane Clown Posse
and Kid Rock
, are from the Detroit area. D12
, standing for Dirty Dozen or Detroit Twelve, made it big after Eminem's solo debut. Besides Eminem, former member Proof, and former member Bugz the rest of the group consists of members Bizarre
, Kon Artis
, Kuniva, Swift, and Fuzz Scoota. Detroit rapper Obie Trice
made his major-label debut in Shady Records
as he released Cheers
followed by Second Round's On Me
. Royce da 5'9, another Detroit rapper, debuted around the same time D12 did. Before that, Royce was part of the underground rap duo "Bad Meets Evil" with Eminem. Trick Trick is widely known and recognized as an important figure in Detroit's underground hip hop scene.
The most recent MC to get recognition from Detroit is Big Sean
. Earlier in his high school years, he developed a good relationship with Detroit's 102.7 (now 107.5) hip hop radio station by performing freestyles and being interacted with them on a weekly basis. When he heard that Kanye West
was being interviewed at the station, he came to rap for him. Kanye liked what he heard, and eventually signed Big Sean to his G.O.O.D. Music label. Sean later released Finally Famous: The Album
.
has harbored several locally popular acts since the early 1990s, including Do or Die
and Crucial Conflict; the former being a fast-rapping group associated with Twista
, and the latter of which was a group with a decidedly down-home, country sound. Chicago soon became known for more than fast rapping with the rising popularity of Common Sense
, protege of producer No I.D.
, who put flippant battle raps over a jazzy backdrop. Other rappers in this vein included Vakill
, who also gained some notoriety in Chicago. Da Brat
, a female Chicago native, also had a hit in this period with Jermaine Dupri
's label So So Def.
In 2004, Chicago producer and rapper Kanye West
broke the scene with his multi platinum
debut, College Dropout on Roc-A-Fella Records
. He became an industry commodity, reworking and repopularizing Wu-Tang
producer RZA
's style of speeding up Soul instrumental and vocal samples to fit hip hop beats. The style became known as "chipmunk
soul". The same year, West produced two hits for Twista, "Slow Jamz
" and "Overnight Celebrity"; these led to the rapper's first platinum release, Kamikaze. In 2005, Common (having dropped the "Sense" from his name) signed with Kanye's GOOD Music
, West also being a student of No I.D. This led to Be, Common's second gold album
. West attempted to push longtime associate Rhymefest
, a Chicago battle rapper and ghostwriter; his support helped carve the MC a local niche and some national attention. A guest spot on West's 2006 second album, Late Registration
, also solidified the buzz of up-and-coming Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco
, whose debut album Food & Liquor
was the #1 rap album in the country upon its release. His later album The Cool directly references his Chicago roots.
Chicago is currently home to a thriving underground rap-music scene. Blogs such as Fake Shore Drive, SBG (See Beyond Genre), and Midwest Live have become a "vital nerve center" for the local underground rap music scene. A 2009 film, I Am Hip Hop: The Chicago Hip Hop Documentary documented the underground rap-music scene in Chicago
from 2004-2009. In 2009, the song "Legendary" was released by Chicago rappers Saurus and Bones
, Twista
, and AK-47 of Do or Die
showcasing the Midwest style of fast lyrics over a dark beat.
consisting of Flesh-N-Bone
, Layzie Bone
, Wish Bone
, Krayzie Bone
, Bizzy Bone
. While in L.A. they visited The Good Life where they bore witness to the creators of their soon to be new style, a rapid-fire flow and melodic mesh of harmonizing vocals, called Chopping, that they called the Flow Motion. They released their LP Creepin on ah Come Up
with the smash single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone
" and "Foe tha Love of $
" featuring Eazy E. They later had hits like "1st Of Tha Month
", "Tha Crossroads
", Art of War
s "Look Into My Eyes", and "If I Could Teach The World
" which earned the group their first American Music Awards
. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were the first Midwest rappers to go platinum, which lead to a conflict with Chicago rappers as Twista
, Do or Die
, and Crucial Conflict
about stealing their style. They are also the only ones to collaborate with hip hop "Hall of Famers" like The Notorious BIG ("Notorious Thugs"), Tupac
("Thug Luv"), Big Pun
("When I Die"), and Eazy E ("Foe tha Love of $
") while they were all living, and have sold more than 40 million records only in the U.S. Today they have their own label after contractual difficulties with Ruthless records. Their most recent album, Uni5: The World's Enemy
was released in May 2010. They returned as a full group back with this album after 10 years of Flesh-n-Bone
being in jail, and Bizzy Bone
leaving the group twice, thus finally returning.
In 2008, most Northeast Ohio (NEO) Hip-Hop has either a faux-southern sound (usually from inner city Cleveland/Akron), while Youngstown
(on the PA Line) preserves a more classic vibe. However, both the Eastern and Western sides of Cleveland itself hold light to a conscious Hip Hop sound coined by artists such as Mos Def and Talib Kweli, while the southern portion of the city holds more to a flashier, more glamorous side of hip hop.
Cleveland was named as xxlmag.com
top ten hip hop cities and with Ohio being named as Americas most hip-hop states, and having the full support of Cleveland Cavaliers
star small forward LeBron James
's imprint, DeamLife Ent., Cleveland and the whole Northeast Ohio music scene showing itself as a force in Midwest as well as mainstream hip-hop.
Cleveland remains on the scene with Kid Cudi
, who collaborates with a wide array of musicians, Machine Gun Kelly
, who signed with Diddy in August 2011, and other notables, such as Chip Tha Ripper, Ray Cash
, and Al Fatz.
, Five Deez
, and Tanya Morgan
are some of the artists that have gained international prominence. However, while these artists usually perform within the alternative hip-hop genres, this does not reflect the typical Cincinnati style of rap which is usually characterised with deep Southern influences as well as its own original contributions.
Despite being shunned by major labels, the area's deep talent base has found an audience through local efforts. Beat Gang has enjoyed local popularity with its "Mr. Miyagi" song/dance as well as hosting rap battles. A website, NatiStreets.com, has been launched to address the growing hiphop fanbase in the area.
has several blossoming artists such as Kutt Calhoun
, Skatterman & Snug Brim
, Big Scoob
, Krizz Kaliko
and most notably, Tech N9ne
. Tech N9ne has sold over 1,000,000 albums independently. Kansas City is home to successful independent record label Strange Music
, owned by Travis O'Guin and Tech N9ne
, all of which stated above are part of the label.
Other notable Kansas City rappers include Mac Lethal
who is signed to the Rhymesayers Entertainment, Fat-Tone
who was murdered in 2005 and Rich The Factor who has made tracks with Messy Marv
, Mac Dre
, JT The Bigga Figga
and many other notable California rappers.
Eminem
is originally from St. Joseph, just north of Kansas City.
, is a native of the city-strung together a set of commercially successful hits.
Until the end of the 1990s, the Milwaukee scene was largely confined to the city’s North Side. However, as members of the hip hop generation began to attend college in the early 2000s, cultural organizations at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee began to invite acts such as Talib Kweli
to perform on the East Side campus. The success of these shows led to local groups with similar followings, such as Black Elephant and Rusty P’s being booked for on-campus sets as well. This, in turn, opened the door for the local acts to play off-campus venues on the East Side such as Onopa (now Stonefly) Shank Hall, Up & Under and BBC that had previously been off limits to hip hop (presumably due to the stereotypes associated with such crowds).
Meanwhile, Memphis
club music was rapidly finding its way to Milwaukee’s North Side via Southern transplants and North Siders who either had relatives and/or attended college in the area. During this time Coo Coo Cal, who had a more typical Midwestern quick-tongued style (albeit, with a noticeably slower delivery) enjoyed moderate commercial success with his debut single “My Projects” and the follow-up “How Does It Feel”. The result is a more artistically driven scene that is centered on the East Side, and a more commercially driven scene that is centered on the North Side .
The East Side scene is characterized by socially and politically charged lyrics, neo-soul influences and the relatively common use of live instrumentation. Conversely, the North Side scene is characterized by its gritty lyrics, southern club music influences and willingness to follow commercial trends.
Acts such as Rico Love
, and Gerald Walker have had (or been featured on) moderately successful singles and mixtapes in recent years. Streetz & Young Deuces, 2006 Get 'Em Magazine Award Winners, have gained national support with the release of their mixtapes. .
88.9 Radio Milwaukee has acknowledged several hip hop artists during their Milwaukee Music Awards including artists such as ¡¡OYE!! , Klassik, and Prophetic.
For the past several years, Milwaukee has hosted a local event called The Miltown Beatdown which served as a beat showcase/battle for local area producers. This has been another tool that has helped to join the North and East side styles together. Milwaukee is also the founding city of the largest DJ organization in the world, The Core DJ's (founder, Milwaukee native & DJ, Tony Neal)
of the Twin Cities area. Shows took place at many venues, most notoriously Club Hip Hop on Selby Avenue in St. Paul
. Other artists and DJs include Disco T, Verb X, Brother Jules, Delite, and Truth Maze. The first real album to come out of the Twin Cities was called The I.R.M. Crew, released in 1985. Graffiti and b-boy crews were also existent in the city. This is the world that the current movers of Twin Cities Hip Hop were brought up in.
The main movers of Twin Cities Hip Hop came together to form the group Headshots, a precursor to the Rhymesayers Entertainment
label. Members of this group included Slug
, I Self Devine, Micranots, Musab, Siddiq, and Ant
. Slug was one of the main artists to move into the foreground, setting the tone for the style of music to follow in the years to come.
Since the emergence of Rhymesayers Entertainment, the Minneapolis hip hop scene has seen the local hip-hop scene erupt with talent including Brother Ali
, Eyedea
, Wide Eyes, the Doomtree
collective and Heiruspecs
.
The Twin Cities Celebration of hip-hop is an annual event hosted by Yo! The Movement, bringing together people from all walks of life to celebrate the power of community through hip-hop culture. Over the past five years nearly 20,000 people from around the world have taken part in the festival and conference.
Another notable annual event is Soundset which started its first year on Memorial Day Weekend in May 2008. It features several big name hip hop acts and had over 14,000 in attendance. For 2009, the Soundset music festival was much larger. Some of the notable performing acts include Atmosphere
, Pharcyde, Brother Ali
, P.O.S, MF Doom
, Freeway & Jake One
, Immortal Technique
, Eyedea & Abilities
The Cunninlynguists
, Sage Francis
, El-P, Heiruspecs
, Buck 65
, Haiku D'Etat
, Blue Scholars
, I Self Devine, One Be Lo
, Unknown Prophets
. Other artists who have performed at Soundset include Aesop Rock
, Cameron Mann
, Wiz Khalifa
, Method Man
& Redman, Hieroglyphics, Cage, De La Soul
, Big Boi
, Slaughterhouse (group), Mac Miller
, and Curren$y
is also home to a growing underground hip hop
scene. For a long period of time, the scene was defined by North High School
graduate Houston Alexander
, aka Scrib or FAS/ONE. In the 1980s he led a hip hop movement in North Omaha called the Scribble Crew as an alliance of graffiti writers who developed a reputation as the top tag
artists in the area. The art stands today at 24th and Binney Streets, to 16th and Corby Streets, and other North Omaha locations, and is still respected by the community. His Midwest Alliance act was active through the 1990s and into the new millennium, and is seen as influential on the Omaha scene. Today Alexander is a DJ on a local radio station in Omaha that hosts an independent music show featuring hip hop, and he facilitates an elementary school program that teaches students about hip hop called the "Culture Shock School Tour". Alexander has also been vocal about Omaha's lack of support for its hip hop artists.
OTR Entertainment, a Latin American hip hop collective, has had artists that have collaborated Krazy Race and Armageddon, former member of Fat Joe
's Terror Squad and executive producer of Fat Joe's J.O.S.E album. Jerry Wade, aka DJ Kamikaze, was first a member of Omaha's Posse-N-Effect. Their first show was in 1989 in Miller Park
in North Omaha. Pigeon John
, an increasingly popular Christian rapper, is originally from Omaha. Cerone Thompson, known as Scrybe, has had a number one single on college radio stations across the United States. He has also had several number one hits on the local hip hop station respectively titled, "Lose Control" and "Do What U Do".
Mars Black, perhaps the Omaha rapper with the most national exposure, has released an album on New York City's Team Love Records label. However, in a review of the Mars Black album Folks Music, one reviewer noted that Mars describes the Omaha hip-hop scene as "almost non-existent". Continuing about the album, the reviewer writes, "It's only in such a desolate music environment that his pitiful flow, painfully corny emo-rhymes, and insulting bling-boasts could exist."
Today many hip hop shows are held at the Sokol Auditorium
in Omaha's Little Bohemia
, as well as The Clabourne, Formally Cleopatra's on Ames Street.
and his St. Lunatics
, Huey, Jibbs
, J-Kwon
, , Chingy
, Unladylike
, Sylk Smoov, and Murphy Lee
.
In the 1990s the St. Louis rap scene didn't get much national attention, but there were artists such as Sylk Smoov, who released his self titled debut album in 1991 that sold 100,000 or more copies. Sylk Smoov was the first rap artist to make music videos, tour, appear in a movie and the soundtrack (produced by DJ Quik)House Party 3
, and get national attention. Then a decade later came Nelly and his St. Lunatics
collective went on to a career driven by commercial singles, many of which were produced by St Louis production team Basement Beats. Country Grammar
sold over 10 million copies and became one of the highest selling hip-hop albums of all time. In 2001 the St. Lunatics released their debut album Free City
with hits such as "Summer in the City" and "Midwest Swing". Ali
released his solo album Heavy Starch
in 2002 and Murphy Lee
released his solo album Murphy's Law in 2003.
Rapper Huey received recognition with the smash hit Pop, Lock & Drop It from his 2007 album Notebook Paper at the age of 18. In 2004, FLAME
, also from St. Louis, became the first national Christian hip hop artist from the Midwest. FLAME has been nominated for Dove Awards, Stellar Award, and Grammy Award
for Best Gospel Rap/Rock Album of the Year. St. Louis native Chingy
signed to Atlanta rapper Ludacris' label DTP
. Jibbs
received his major deal at age 15 gaining popularity with hits such as "Chain Hang Low
" and "King Kong
", the latter featuring Texas rapper Chamillionaire
.
Another St. Louis native, J-Kwon
, gained popularity at the age of 17 with the hit single "Tipsy
". Akon
(born in St. Louis but raised in Senegal, Africa
) who is known for his African melodic singing, is also a native of St. Louis. Akon became the first and only solo artist to hold the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100
charts twice. Konvicted
was a major hit in the global level selling over 21 million copies worldwide.
St Louis deejays and producers have held their own on a national level as well. B-Money placed songs on Jay-Z
's Kingdom Come and 50 Cent
's Get Rich or Die Trying soundtrack, DJ Charlie Chan tours internationally as the backing DJ for DMC
(from Run-DMC), and the DJ crew Wax Murdaraz
(which B-Money and Charlie Chan are both members of) have competed on a USA national level in DJ battles such as the DMC World DJ Championships
and Kool Mixx. Producer and vocalist Black Spade has developed an underground cult following with his nationally distributed OM Hip-Hop album release To Serve With Love, working with like-minded soul and Hip-Hop artists such as J*Davey and his group, The Hawthorne Headhunters.
many local artists have begun to get some recognition. Madison based rappers also receive recognition through opening up for major acts at concerts in the area, many have shared stages with the likes of Sean Kingston
, Fat Joe
, and Trina
. Many have also collaborated and developed relations with other major rappers most notably Beloit
-based Bodiaga's work with Bun B
and DJ Pain 1 producing beats for Young Jeezy
. Madison is also the hometown of Brother Ali
. This scene is heavily influenced and connected with neighboring Milwaukee. Minneapolis and Chicago
's hip-hop scenes.
Madison hip-hop has a classic and slower style with more relatively lighter hearted lyrics than other Midwestern cities such as Detroit and Cleveland.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
performed by artists from the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. In contrast with its East Coast
East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the East Coast...
, West Coast
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
and Southern counterparts, Midwest hip hop has very few constants. Its first dose of national popularity in the mid-90s was associated with fast-paced styles of rappers such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
(Cleveland), Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
(Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
), Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
(Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
), Freddie Gibbs
Freddie Gibbs
Fredrick Tipton , better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an emerging hip hop performer. He was signed by Interscope Records before being let go from his deal without a record being released...
(Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
) and Gerald Walker (Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
), as well as for darker horrorcore
Horrorcore
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop music based in horror-themed lyrical content and imagery. While the style is rarely popular, some performers have sold well in the mainstream scene.-Origins:...
style represented mostly in Detroit by rappers such as Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Twiztid
Twiztid
Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Warren, Michigan. The group is composed of Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric, who perform under the respective personas of Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child...
.
These artists became the first to introduce Midwest hip hop that rivaled the popularity of West and East Coast styles. However, subsequent acts which have since risen to national prominence such as Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
, Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
share very few similarities. It is because these lack of constants between acts from different cities (and sometimes even between artists from the same city) that it can be extremely difficult to define a "typical" Midwest sound. One characteristic of Midwest hip hop is that beat tempos can range from 90 to about 180, while East Coast's beat tempo is 90-120, West Coast is 100-120, and Southern rap is 80-110. Prozak, as stated in his DVD "The Hitchcock of HipHop", says that the Midwest's style often revolves around "Dark beats and lyrics".
Michigan
After hip hop originated in the late 70s and gained popularity through time, Detroit was home to a vibrant underground hip hop scene by the 1990s. According to Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
member Violent J
Joseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
, not only is Detroit's hip hop scene signified by rap battles and waiting to be discovered by a major label, but by independently building up successful business empires, as local rapper Esham
Esham
Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
did with Reel Life Productions
Reel Life Productions
Reel Life Productions, also known as Gothom Records, is an independent record label based in Detroit, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1988 by James H. Smith and his younger brother, rapper Esham...
, and Insane Clown Posse did with Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an American independent record label based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse....
. Esham, Insane Clown Posse, and Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
were the first Detroit rappers to gain major notice. Kid Rock later merged rock influences into his music, creating a form of rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
, and in recent years focused predominately on more rock-oriented music.
Slum Village
Slum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
was an act which emerged from the hip hop scene in Detroit in the mid 1990s. Their first album, Fantastic, Vol. 1 came out in 1996. The producer was J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
, who also produced for notable hip-hop acts from around the country, including The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...
, Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, and A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
. He would later become one of the most sought after producers in hip-hop, with many of his beats being used posthumously after his death in 2006.
Detroit's hip hop is mostly noted for its talented underground artists, and the city's freestyle battles. A popular place for rap battles there is the local Hip Hop Shop, located on W 7 Mile. Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
began as an underground Detroit rapper and released two albums before being signed; Infinite and The Slim Shady EP
The Slim Shady EP
The Slim Shady EP is a debut EP by American rapper Eminem, released on the Detroit-based record label Web Entertainment in 1997. The Slim Shady EP was released on cassette, vinyl, and CD .Eminem first introduced his "Slim Shady" persona on this EP,...
. In 1999 he was signed to Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
and he released his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on February 23, 1999. It is his major-label debut, and was released under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and Web Records....
. His second album, The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
, became the fastest selling hip hop album in history, breaking Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's record. He has gone on to have significant mainstream success with all his albums and is now one of the best selling rappers of all time, making him Detroit's most widely recognizable hip-hop star.
MC Breed
MC Breed
Eric Breed better known as MC Breed, was an American rapper best known for his singles "Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin", which peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Gotta Get Mine", featuring 2Pac, that made it to #6 on the Hot Rap Singles.-Biography:Born in Flint, Michigan, Breed is also...
, from Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
is most notable for his songs "Gotta Get Mine" featuring Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
and "Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin'". However, he was on life support for two days in September after he collapsed during a game of pick-up basketball due to kidney failure. It is unclear if prior health complications were the cause of death Rapper Proof
Proof (rapper)
DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
, was also part of the Detroit-founded rap group D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
. Despite his success with D12, he also released two solo albums which were Searching For Jerry Garcia
Searching for Jerry Garcia
-Samples:*"Clap wit Me" contains a sample from "Total Satisfaction" by Brief Encounter* "Forgive Me" contains a sample from "Ghetto Qu'ran " by 50 Cent*"High Rollers" contains a sample from LTD*"No. T...
and I Miss The Hip Hop Shop
I Miss The Hip Hop Shop
I Miss the Hip Hop Shop is an album by Detroit rapper Proof, released under Iron Fist Records in 2004.- Diss track :One of the most notable tracks is "Ja In A Bra" a diss track to rapper Ja Rule for the feud he had with Shady Records which Proof was a part of...
. On April 11, 2006, he was fatally shot to death in a gunfight at a Detroit nightclub.
Music of West Michigan Grand Rapids,Grown Folks is based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan established by Super Producer DJ Strange and one the most Lyrically Talented MCs in the Midwest, Don Juan. This Group has committed there self to
recreating the meaning and substance for today’s Hip Hop style and Grown Folks, DJ Strange and Don Juan has worked closely with additional Artists such as… Adina Howard, Sir-Mix-A-lot and Chico DeBarge.
Although there is a vibrant underground hip hop scene, it's difficult to make it big in the city that was officially named the most dangerous city in America. Despite Detroit being over 85% African American, many of the most famous white rappers, including Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
and Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
, are from the Detroit area. D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
, standing for Dirty Dozen or Detroit Twelve, made it big after Eminem's solo debut. Besides Eminem, former member Proof, and former member Bugz the rest of the group consists of members Bizarre
Bizarre (rapper)
Rufus Arthur Johnson , better known as Bizarre is an American recording artist best known for his work with Detroit hip-hop group D12. His songs are often about subjects which create shock value such as rape and drugs.-Early life:Bizarre was born as Rufus Arthur Johnson on July 5, 1976 in Detroit,...
, Kon Artis
Kon Artis
Denaun Porter , known by his stage name Kon Artis or his alter ego Mr. Porter, is an American rapper and record producer, who is best known for being an original member of the Detroit rap group D12, as well as the co-founder of Runyon Ave. record label...
, Kuniva, Swift, and Fuzz Scoota. Detroit rapper Obie Trice
Obie Trice
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
made his major-label debut in Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
as he released Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
followed by Second Round's On Me
Second Round's on Me
Second Round's on Me is the second studio album by rapper Obie Trice and is his final album released under Shady Records. The track "Wanna Know" can be heard on the HBO series Entourage in the episode "The Sundance Kids" and also in the game Fight Night: Round 3 for the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3...
. Royce da 5'9, another Detroit rapper, debuted around the same time D12 did. Before that, Royce was part of the underground rap duo "Bad Meets Evil" with Eminem. Trick Trick is widely known and recognized as an important figure in Detroit's underground hip hop scene.
The most recent MC to get recognition from Detroit is Big Sean
Big Sean
Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
. Earlier in his high school years, he developed a good relationship with Detroit's 102.7 (now 107.5) hip hop radio station by performing freestyles and being interacted with them on a weekly basis. When he heard that Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
was being interviewed at the station, he came to rap for him. Kanye liked what he heard, and eventually signed Big Sean to his G.O.O.D. Music label. Sean later released Finally Famous: The Album
Finally Famous: The Album
Finally Famous is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Big Sean, the album was released on June 28, 2011 by G.O.O.D. Music and Def Jam Records...
.
Chicago
ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
has harbored several locally popular acts since the early 1990s, including Do or Die
Do or Die
Do or Die is an American rap trio originally from Chicago, Illinois, consisting of group members Belo Zero, N.A.R.D. and AK-47. The trio has sold more than 3 million albums. The group experienced mainstream success with the gold single "Po Pimp", Produced by The Legendary Traxster off of their...
and Crucial Conflict; the former being a fast-rapping group associated with Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
, and the latter of which was a group with a decidedly down-home, country sound. Chicago soon became known for more than fast rapping with the rising popularity of Common Sense
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, protege of producer No I.D.
No I.D.
No I.D., officially known as Immenslope and also known as Ernest Wilson , is a hip hop and R&B record producer, also the vice-president of Def Jam Recordings, best known for his early work with Chicago rapper Common and is known as "The Godfather of Chicago hip hop".. The nickname No I.D...
, who put flippant battle raps over a jazzy backdrop. Other rappers in this vein included Vakill
Vakill
Vakill is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Vakill is known through his association with Chicago Hip Hop collective The Molemen, and for his literate, witty, punch line-filled lyricism and detailed story-telling.-Early years:Raised on the South side of Chicago on 119th Street, Vakill was...
, who also gained some notoriety in Chicago. Da Brat
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
, a female Chicago native, also had a hit in this period with Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
's label So So Def.
In 2004, Chicago producer and rapper Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
broke the scene with his multi platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
debut, College Dropout on Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
. He became an industry commodity, reworking and repopularizing Wu-Tang
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
producer RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
's style of speeding up Soul instrumental and vocal samples to fit hip hop beats. The style became known as "chipmunk
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
soul". The same year, West produced two hits for Twista, "Slow Jamz
Slow Jamz
"Slow Jamz" is the Grammy-nominated first single from Twista's album Kamikaze and from Kanye West's debut album The College Dropout. Released in 2003, the single, which features Kanye West and Jamie Foxx peaked at number one in the USA for a week on February 10, 2004 becoming Twista's, West's and...
" and "Overnight Celebrity"; these led to the rapper's first platinum release, Kamikaze. In 2005, Common (having dropped the "Sense" from his name) signed with Kanye's GOOD Music
GOOD Music
GOOD Music is a record label and management firm founded by music producer and artist Kanye West. "GOOD" is an acronym for "Getting Out Our Dreams".-History:...
, West also being a student of No I.D. This led to Be, Common's second gold album
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
. West attempted to push longtime associate Rhymefest
Rhymefest
Che Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced...
, a Chicago battle rapper and ghostwriter; his support helped carve the MC a local niche and some national attention. A guest spot on West's 2006 second album, Late Registration
Late Registration
Late Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
, also solidified the buzz of up-and-coming Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
, whose debut album Food & Liquor
Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, commonly referred to as Food & Liquor, is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lupe Fiasco, released on September 19, 2006, on 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, Craig...
was the #1 rap album in the country upon its release. His later album The Cool directly references his Chicago roots.
Chicago is currently home to a thriving underground rap-music scene. Blogs such as Fake Shore Drive, SBG (See Beyond Genre), and Midwest Live have become a "vital nerve center" for the local underground rap music scene. A 2009 film, I Am Hip Hop: The Chicago Hip Hop Documentary documented the underground rap-music scene in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from 2004-2009. In 2009, the song "Legendary" was released by Chicago rappers Saurus and Bones
Saurus and Bones
Keith Hoskins and Brett Hoskins, better known as Saurus and Bones, are American rap artists from Chicago, Illinois. They gained notoriety in 2009 after the release of their debut album, Mind Like Mine, with their single "Legendary" which featured Chicago hip hop legends Twista and AK47 of Do or Die...
, Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
, and AK-47 of Do or Die
Do or Die
Do or Die is an American rap trio originally from Chicago, Illinois, consisting of group members Belo Zero, N.A.R.D. and AK-47. The trio has sold more than 3 million albums. The group experienced mainstream success with the gold single "Po Pimp", Produced by The Legendary Traxster off of their...
showcasing the Midwest style of fast lyrics over a dark beat.
Cleveland
In the early 1990s, five drop outs formed the unit Bone Enterpri$e and took a one way bus ticket to Compton. They went searching for Eazy E, a pioneer of gangsta rapper, and signed to his label. They were signed to Ruthless when they got back to Cleveland for a concert, where they performed for Eazy on the spot. They changed their name to Bone Thugs-n-HarmonyBone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
consisting of Flesh-N-Bone
Flesh-n-Bone
Stanley Howse, better known as Flesh-n-Bone, is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio and is known as a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony...
, Layzie Bone
Layzie Bone
Layzie Bone is rapper and hip-hop artist known primarily for being a member of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He has also has gone by the names L-Burna and The #1 Assassin. He is the younger brother of fellow group member Flesh-N-Bone...
, Wish Bone
Wish Bone
Charles C. Scruggs, better known by his stage name Wish Bone, is an American rapper and former member of the Grammy-Award winning Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Early life:...
, Krayzie Bone
Krayzie Bone
Anthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998...
, Bizzy Bone
Bizzy Bone
Bryon Anthony McCane II , better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone, is an American rapper and a member of the Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.- Solo career :Bizzy Bone started his solo career in 1998...
. While in L.A. they visited The Good Life where they bore witness to the creators of their soon to be new style, a rapid-fire flow and melodic mesh of harmonizing vocals, called Chopping, that they called the Flow Motion. They released their LP Creepin on ah Come Up
Creepin on ah Come Up
Creepin on ah Come Up is an EP by rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. The album was released on June 21, 1994 on Ruthless Records. In 1998 the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums .-History:...
with the smash single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone
Thuggish Ruggish Bone
"Thuggish Ruggish Bone" is the debut single of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, from their debut EP Creepin on ah Come Up. It features local Cleveland singer Shatasha Williams. The song reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" and "Foe tha Love of $
Foe tha Love of $
"Foe tha Love of $" is the second single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, featuring Eazy-E, from their debut album, Creepin on ah Come Up. The song was produced by DJ Yella and executive produced by Eazy-E. "Foe tha Love of $" was a huge success for the group, making it to #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, #37...
" featuring Eazy E. They later had hits like "1st Of Tha Month
1st of tha Month
"1st of tha Month" is the first single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from their album E. 1999 Eternal.It was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies. It peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first top twenty single, and was later was nominated for a Grammy Award in...
", "Tha Crossroads
Tha Crossroads
"Tha Crossroads" is a Grammy Award–winning song performed by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, dedicated to the late rap icon Eazy-E and released in 1996...
", Art of War
The Art of War (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony album)
-Album:-Singles:-See also:*List of number-one albums of 1997 *List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 -External links:[ allmusic.com]...
s "Look Into My Eyes", and "If I Could Teach The World
If I Could Teach The World
"If I Could Teach the World" is a single of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from their album The Art of War. It reached number 27 on the U.S. Hot 100. The group also won an AMA for best hip-hop artist for this song. Bizzy Bone appears in the song but not the video & Flesh-n-Bone appears in the video but not...
" which earned the group their first American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were the first Midwest rappers to go platinum, which lead to a conflict with Chicago rappers as Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
, Do or Die
Do or Die
Do or Die is an American rap trio originally from Chicago, Illinois, consisting of group members Belo Zero, N.A.R.D. and AK-47. The trio has sold more than 3 million albums. The group experienced mainstream success with the gold single "Po Pimp", Produced by The Legendary Traxster off of their...
, and Crucial Conflict
Crucial Conflict
Crucial Conflict is a Chicago hip hop group best known for its 1996 single "Hay" and "Scummy" . The members of Crucial Conflict are Coldhard, Wildstyle, Kilo, and Never. They frequently collaborate with fellow Chicago rappers Do or Die and Twista...
about stealing their style. They are also the only ones to collaborate with hip hop "Hall of Famers" like The Notorious BIG ("Notorious Thugs"), Tupac
Tupac
Tupac is a relatively uncommon male name. Notable people with the name include:*Túpac Inca Yupanqui , tenth Sapa Inca of the Incan Empire*Túpac Amaru , last indigenous leader of the Inca people in Peru...
("Thug Luv"), Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
("When I Die"), and Eazy E ("Foe tha Love of $
Foe tha Love of $
"Foe tha Love of $" is the second single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, featuring Eazy-E, from their debut album, Creepin on ah Come Up. The song was produced by DJ Yella and executive produced by Eazy-E. "Foe tha Love of $" was a huge success for the group, making it to #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, #37...
") while they were all living, and have sold more than 40 million records only in the U.S. Today they have their own label after contractual difficulties with Ruthless records. Their most recent album, Uni5: The World's Enemy
Uni5: The World's Enemy
Uni5: The World's Enemy is the 8th studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released on May 4, 2010 on BTNH Worldwide with distribution via Warner Bros. Records. The mixtape, The Fixtape Vol...
was released in May 2010. They returned as a full group back with this album after 10 years of Flesh-n-Bone
Flesh-n-Bone
Stanley Howse, better known as Flesh-n-Bone, is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio and is known as a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony...
being in jail, and Bizzy Bone
Bizzy Bone
Bryon Anthony McCane II , better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone, is an American rapper and a member of the Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.- Solo career :Bizzy Bone started his solo career in 1998...
leaving the group twice, thus finally returning.
In 2008, most Northeast Ohio (NEO) Hip-Hop has either a faux-southern sound (usually from inner city Cleveland/Akron), while Youngstown
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
(on the PA Line) preserves a more classic vibe. However, both the Eastern and Western sides of Cleveland itself hold light to a conscious Hip Hop sound coined by artists such as Mos Def and Talib Kweli, while the southern portion of the city holds more to a flashier, more glamorous side of hip hop.
Cleveland was named as xxlmag.com
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
top ten hip hop cities and with Ohio being named as Americas most hip-hop states, and having the full support of Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
star small forward LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
's imprint, DeamLife Ent., Cleveland and the whole Northeast Ohio music scene showing itself as a force in Midwest as well as mainstream hip-hop.
Cleveland remains on the scene with Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
, who collaborates with a wide array of musicians, Machine Gun Kelly
Machine Gun Kelly (rapper)
Richard Colson Baker , best known by his stage name Machine Gun Kelly or MGK, is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio. His stage name was given for his rapid-fire lyrical flow. He is known for his two mixtapes, 100 Words and Running and Lace Up. He also has been featured in XXL. In mid 2011 MGK...
, who signed with Diddy in August 2011, and other notables, such as Chip Tha Ripper, Ray Cash
Ray Cash
Wardell Raymond Cheeks better known by his stage name Ray Cash, is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio.-First album:Cheeks grew up in eastern Cleveland. While a high schooler, he performed freestyle raps with his friends providing beats by banging on lunchroom tables...
, and Al Fatz.
Cincinnati
Many well-known hip-hop artists hail from the southern Ohio city. Hi-TekHi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
, Five Deez
Five Deez
Five Deez is an American hip hop group from Cincinnati, Ohio and a part of the Wanna Battle collective, which also includes DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Rubix, and Lone Catalysts. The group consists of members: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician , Pase Rock , Kyle David , and Sonic...
, and Tanya Morgan
Tanya Morgan
Tanya Morgan is an American hip hop group from which consists of MCs Donwill and Ilyas, and MC/producer Von Pea. Both Donwill and Ilyas are from Cincinnati, Ohio, while Von Pea is from Brooklyn, New York. Their debut album, Moonlighting, was acclaimed upon its release in 2006 .-History:Tanya Morgan...
are some of the artists that have gained international prominence. However, while these artists usually perform within the alternative hip-hop genres, this does not reflect the typical Cincinnati style of rap which is usually characterised with deep Southern influences as well as its own original contributions.
Despite being shunned by major labels, the area's deep talent base has found an audience through local efforts. Beat Gang has enjoyed local popularity with its "Mr. Miyagi" song/dance as well as hosting rap battles. A website, NatiStreets.com, has been launched to address the growing hiphop fanbase in the area.
Kansas City
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
has several blossoming artists such as Kutt Calhoun
Kutt Calhoun
Melvin Calhoun Jr., better known by his stage name Kutt Calhoun, is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. His second album, Feature Presentation, debuted at #60 on the Billboard "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" chart in its first week of release...
, Skatterman & Snug Brim
Skatterman & Snug Brim
Skatterman & Snug Brim is a rap duo from Kansas City, Missouri, best known for their song, Block Party.After releasing projects separately, Skatterman and Snug Brim combined as a group. The duo released their first album, Worth A Million, in 2002 through Below Radar Records...
, Big Scoob
Big Scoob
Stewart D. Ashby, Jr., better known by his stage name Big Scoob is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri and a member of Strange Music. Though he is one of the newest on the label, he isn't new to the rap game. He has been rapping since 1998 with a Local KC rap group called 57th Street...
, Krizz Kaliko
Krizz Kaliko
Samuel William Christopher Watson better known by his stage name Krizz Kaliko, is an American rapper and singer...
and most notably, Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
. Tech N9ne has sold over 1,000,000 albums independently. Kansas City is home to successful independent record label Strange Music
Strange Music
Strange Music is an American independent record label specializing in hip hop music. It was founded by Tech N9ne and Travis O'Guin in 1999. It is currently distributed through Fontana Distribution.-History:...
, owned by Travis O'Guin and Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
, all of which stated above are part of the label.
Other notable Kansas City rappers include Mac Lethal
Mac Lethal
Mac Lethal is a rapper from Kansas City, MO of Irish descent.-Biography:Mac Lethal was born David McCleary Sheldon on July 25, 1981....
who is signed to the Rhymesayers Entertainment, Fat-Tone
Fat-Tone
Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins was an American rapper. During his career, he worked with several artists, including Nate Dogg, Butch Cassidy, Mac Dre, E-40, Yukmouth, C-Bo, Killa Tay, Messy Marv, JT The Bigga Figga and San Quinn. Fat Tone can be heard on a wide variety of local and California rappers'...
who was murdered in 2005 and Rich The Factor who has made tracks with Messy Marv
Messy Marv
Marvin Watson, better known by his stage name Messy Marv, is an American rapper from Pittsburg, CA, but represents the Fillmore Area of San Francisco, CA.Messy Marv is affiliated with the blood gang...
, Mac Dre
Mac Dre
Andre Hicks , better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper.-Biography:Andre Hicks was born in Oakland, California but moved to Vallejo while still a child...
, JT The Bigga Figga
JT the Bigga Figga
JT the Bigga Figga born Joseph Tom is a hip hop producer/rapper from San Francisco, California's Fillmore neighborhood. The popularity of his self-released Playaz n' the Game led to his signing with Priority Records in 1995....
and many other notable California rappers.
Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
is originally from St. Joseph, just north of Kansas City.
Milwaukee
Milwaukee hip hop dates back to the early 80’s, but it first received national attention in 1992 when Arrested Development-whose front-man, SpeechSpeech (rapper)
Todd Thomas , better known by the stage name Speech, is an American rapper and musician. He is a member of the progressive hip hop group Arrested Development and has released a number of solo albums.-Background:...
, is a native of the city-strung together a set of commercially successful hits.
Until the end of the 1990s, the Milwaukee scene was largely confined to the city’s North Side. However, as members of the hip hop generation began to attend college in the early 2000s, cultural organizations at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee began to invite acts such as Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
to perform on the East Side campus. The success of these shows led to local groups with similar followings, such as Black Elephant and Rusty P’s being booked for on-campus sets as well. This, in turn, opened the door for the local acts to play off-campus venues on the East Side such as Onopa (now Stonefly) Shank Hall, Up & Under and BBC that had previously been off limits to hip hop (presumably due to the stereotypes associated with such crowds).
Meanwhile, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
club music was rapidly finding its way to Milwaukee’s North Side via Southern transplants and North Siders who either had relatives and/or attended college in the area. During this time Coo Coo Cal, who had a more typical Midwestern quick-tongued style (albeit, with a noticeably slower delivery) enjoyed moderate commercial success with his debut single “My Projects” and the follow-up “How Does It Feel”. The result is a more artistically driven scene that is centered on the East Side, and a more commercially driven scene that is centered on the North Side .
The East Side scene is characterized by socially and politically charged lyrics, neo-soul influences and the relatively common use of live instrumentation. Conversely, the North Side scene is characterized by its gritty lyrics, southern club music influences and willingness to follow commercial trends.
Acts such as Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
, and Gerald Walker have had (or been featured on) moderately successful singles and mixtapes in recent years. Streetz & Young Deuces, 2006 Get 'Em Magazine Award Winners, have gained national support with the release of their mixtapes. .
88.9 Radio Milwaukee has acknowledged several hip hop artists during their Milwaukee Music Awards including artists such as ¡¡OYE!! , Klassik, and Prophetic.
For the past several years, Milwaukee has hosted a local event called The Miltown Beatdown which served as a beat showcase/battle for local area producers. This has been another tool that has helped to join the North and East side styles together. Milwaukee is also the founding city of the largest DJ organization in the world, The Core DJ's (founder, Milwaukee native & DJ, Tony Neal)
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Although strictly underground, there existed a subterranean hip hop culture in the Twin Cities starting as early as 1981. Similar to the development of hip hop in the South Bronx, Twin Cities rap started as humble parties with a DJ and an emcee. A DJ named Travitron was comparable to the DJ Kool HercDJ Kool Herc
Clive Campbell , also known as Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music, in The Bronx, New York City...
of the Twin Cities area. Shows took place at many venues, most notoriously Club Hip Hop on Selby Avenue in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. Other artists and DJs include Disco T, Verb X, Brother Jules, Delite, and Truth Maze. The first real album to come out of the Twin Cities was called The I.R.M. Crew, released in 1985. Graffiti and b-boy crews were also existent in the city. This is the world that the current movers of Twin Cities Hip Hop were brought up in.
The main movers of Twin Cities Hip Hop came together to form the group Headshots, a precursor to the Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....
label. Members of this group included Slug
Slug (rapper)
Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug or "'Sep Seven'", is an American rapper. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one fourth of the hip hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner...
, I Self Devine, Micranots, Musab, Siddiq, and Ant
Ant (producer)
Ant is a hip hop producer whose full name is Anthony Davis.He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum...
. Slug was one of the main artists to move into the foreground, setting the tone for the style of music to follow in the years to come.
Since the emergence of Rhymesayers Entertainment, the Minneapolis hip hop scene has seen the local hip-hop scene erupt with talent including Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
, Eyedea
Eyedea
Micheal Larsen , known by his stage name Eyedea, was a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins included the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO and a victory at Scribble Jam...
, Wide Eyes, the Doomtree
Doomtree
Doomtree is a hip hop collective based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Members of Doomtree bring various bases of knowledge and musical backgrounds together to create alternative-influenced rap and hip-hop music. Nearly as prominent as the influence of hip-hop in their music is that of punk, and their...
collective and Heiruspecs
Heiruspecs
Heiruspecs is a live rap/hip hop band based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, specifically the Midway neighborhood. The band's name is based on a deliberate misspelling of haruspex.Their album, 10 Years Strong, was released in December of 2007...
.
The Twin Cities Celebration of hip-hop is an annual event hosted by Yo! The Movement, bringing together people from all walks of life to celebrate the power of community through hip-hop culture. Over the past five years nearly 20,000 people from around the world have taken part in the festival and conference.
Another notable annual event is Soundset which started its first year on Memorial Day Weekend in May 2008. It features several big name hip hop acts and had over 14,000 in attendance. For 2009, the Soundset music festival was much larger. Some of the notable performing acts include Atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, Pharcyde, Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
, P.O.S, MF Doom
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
, Freeway & Jake One
Jake One
Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One, is an American hip hop record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Dutton grew up in Capitol Hill and moved to the North End of Seattle when he was 15. He started making music on a Casio keyboard in 1992. He attended the University of Washington and...
, Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
, Eyedea & Abilities
Eyedea & Abilities
Eyedea & Abilities was an influential American indie rap duo from Saint Paul, Minnesota, consisting of DJ Abilities and the rapper Eyedea...
The Cunninlynguists
Cunninlynguists
CunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti...
, Sage Francis
Sage Francis
Paul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...
, El-P, Heiruspecs
Heiruspecs
Heiruspecs is a live rap/hip hop band based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, specifically the Midway neighborhood. The band's name is based on a deliberate misspelling of haruspex.Their album, 10 Years Strong, was released in December of 2007...
, Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
, Haiku D'Etat
Haiku D'Etat
Haiku D'Etat is a hip hop supergroup trio consisting of Aceyalone & Myka 9 of the Freestyle Fellowship, and Abstract Rude, the leader of Abstract Tribe Unique . Abstract Rude previously worked with Aceyalone as the A-Team. All three artists are heavily affiliated with the Project Blowed, group...
, Blue Scholars
Blue Scholars
Blue Scholars is a hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, created in 2002 while the members, DJ Sabzi and MC Geologic, were students at the University of Washington....
, I Self Devine, One Be Lo
One Be Lo
Nahshid Sulaiman better known by his stage name One Be Lo is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums...
, Unknown Prophets
Unknown Prophets
The Unknown Prophets, are an American Hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-History:Big Jess and MaD SoN are both graduates of Edison High School in Northeast, Minneapolis, where they met and began playing music together. After high school, the duo played at the Bon Appetit in Dinkytown in...
. Other artists who have performed at Soundset include Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...
, Cameron Mann
Cameron Mann
Cameron Douglas Mann is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He finished his career with the EIHL's Nottingham Panthers, initially signing with the team on July 22, 2009...
, Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
, Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
& Redman, Hieroglyphics, Cage, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Big Boi
Big Boi
Antwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André...
, Slaughterhouse (group), Mac Miller
Mac Miller
Malcolm McCormick , known by his stage name Mac Miller , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, and Curren$y
Omaha
OmahaOmaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
is also home to a growing underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
scene. For a long period of time, the scene was defined by North High School
Omaha North High School
Omaha North High Magnet School is a public high school located at 4410 N 36th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. The school is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics magnet school in the Omaha Public Schools district. North has won several awards, including being named a 2007 Magnet Schools of...
graduate Houston Alexander
Houston Alexander
Houston Alexander is an American professional mixed martial artist, who fights as a light heavyweight and heavyweight. He also works as a DJ in North Omaha, Nebraska...
, aka Scrib or FAS/ONE. In the 1980s he led a hip hop movement in North Omaha called the Scribble Crew as an alliance of graffiti writers who developed a reputation as the top tag
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artists in the area. The art stands today at 24th and Binney Streets, to 16th and Corby Streets, and other North Omaha locations, and is still respected by the community. His Midwest Alliance act was active through the 1990s and into the new millennium, and is seen as influential on the Omaha scene. Today Alexander is a DJ on a local radio station in Omaha that hosts an independent music show featuring hip hop, and he facilitates an elementary school program that teaches students about hip hop called the "Culture Shock School Tour". Alexander has also been vocal about Omaha's lack of support for its hip hop artists.
OTR Entertainment, a Latin American hip hop collective, has had artists that have collaborated Krazy Race and Armageddon, former member of Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
's Terror Squad and executive producer of Fat Joe's J.O.S.E album. Jerry Wade, aka DJ Kamikaze, was first a member of Omaha's Posse-N-Effect. Their first show was in 1989 in Miller Park
Miller Park (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Miller Park neighborhood in North Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community housing a historic district and several notable historic places. It is located between Sorenson Parkway on the south and Redick Avenue on the north, Florence Boulevard on the east and 30th Street on the west...
in North Omaha. Pigeon John
Pigeon John
Pigeon John is an American hip hop rapper raised in Hawthorne, California and based in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Pigeon John is a Los Angeles area rapper who has recorded four studio albums as a solo artist, as well as several others as a member of the groups like L.A. Symphony and...
, an increasingly popular Christian rapper, is originally from Omaha. Cerone Thompson, known as Scrybe, has had a number one single on college radio stations across the United States. He has also had several number one hits on the local hip hop station respectively titled, "Lose Control" and "Do What U Do".
Mars Black, perhaps the Omaha rapper with the most national exposure, has released an album on New York City's Team Love Records label. However, in a review of the Mars Black album Folks Music, one reviewer noted that Mars describes the Omaha hip-hop scene as "almost non-existent". Continuing about the album, the reviewer writes, "It's only in such a desolate music environment that his pitiful flow, painfully corny emo-rhymes, and insulting bling-boasts could exist."
Today many hip hop shows are held at the Sokol Auditorium
Sokol Auditorium
The Sokol Auditorium is located at 2234 South 13th Street in the Little Bohemia neighborhood of south Omaha, Nebraska. It is a local icon for its historical context, as well as modern musical performances and gymnastics....
in Omaha's Little Bohemia
Little Bohemia (Omaha, Nebraska)
Little Bohemia, or Bohemian Town, is a historic neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Starting in the 1880s, Czech immigrants settled in this highly concentrated area, also called "Praha" or "Bohemian Town", bounded by South 10th Street on the east, South 16th Street on the west, Pierce Street on the...
, as well as The Clabourne, Formally Cleopatra's on Ames Street.
St. Louis
St. Louis is one of the most popular cities in midwest hip-hop, with many popular artists such as NellyNelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
and his St. Lunatics
St. Lunatics
The St. Lunatics are a hip hop group from St. Louis, Missouri formed in 1995. The group consists of Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and City Spud. Former member Slo'Down left the group after a dispute.- Career :...
, Huey, Jibbs
Jibbs
Jovan Campbell , better known by his stage name Jibbs, is an American rapper. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, but raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He had one top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, which was his debut single "Chain Hang Low"...
, J-Kwon
J-Kwon
Jerrell Jones, better known by his stage name J-Kwon, is an American rapper from St. Louis best known for his 2004 hit single "Tipsy".-Biography:...
, , Chingy
Chingy
Howard Bailey, Jr. , better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper.Chingy grew up in the Walnut Park section of St. Louis and began rapping in earnest in his late teens...
, Unladylike
Unladylike
Unladylike is an East St. Louis hip hop duo composed of Teosha "Tee" Thomas and Jasmine "Gunna" Baker, which is are signed to Def Jam Recordings. The duo released its debut album, Certified, on June 2, 2009.-Discography:...
, Sylk Smoov, and Murphy Lee
Murphy Lee
Torhi Harper , better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. Lee is also the chief executive of his own label, U C Me Entertainment.-Career:Murphy Lee formed the St...
.
In the 1990s the St. Louis rap scene didn't get much national attention, but there were artists such as Sylk Smoov, who released his self titled debut album in 1991 that sold 100,000 or more copies. Sylk Smoov was the first rap artist to make music videos, tour, appear in a movie and the soundtrack (produced by DJ Quik)House Party 3
House Party 3
House Party 3 is a 1994 comedy film, starring Kid 'n Play and Bernie Mac. It is the third and intended final installment of the House Party film series, and the last film in the series to feature Kid 'n Play. This was to be the last film in the franchise, making it a trilogy but 7 years later, a...
, and get national attention. Then a decade later came Nelly and his St. Lunatics
St. Lunatics
The St. Lunatics are a hip hop group from St. Louis, Missouri formed in 1995. The group consists of Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and City Spud. Former member Slo'Down left the group after a dispute.- Career :...
collective went on to a career driven by commercial singles, many of which were produced by St Louis production team Basement Beats. Country Grammar
Country Grammar
Country Grammar is the debut studio album by American rapper Nelly, released on June 27, 2000.- Reception :- Commercial performance :...
sold over 10 million copies and became one of the highest selling hip-hop albums of all time. In 2001 the St. Lunatics released their debut album Free City
Free City (album)
Free City is the debut studio album by hip-hop group St. Lunatics. It was released on June 5, 2001, almost a full year after the release of group member Nelly's debut, Country Grammar. The album was a commercial success as it debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 with 196,000 copies sold in its first...
with hits such as "Summer in the City" and "Midwest Swing". Ali
Ali (rapper)
Ali Jones , better known by his stage name Ali is an American rapper and member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics.-Career:...
released his solo album Heavy Starch
Heavy Starch
Heavy Starch is the first album of rap artist Ali, released on April 30, 2002.The first single released from the album was the song "Boughetto", which features St. Lunatic faithful Murphy Lee.-Track listing:#"Intro"#"I Got This"...
in 2002 and Murphy Lee
Murphy Lee
Torhi Harper , better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. Lee is also the chief executive of his own label, U C Me Entertainment.-Career:Murphy Lee formed the St...
released his solo album Murphy's Law in 2003.
Rapper Huey received recognition with the smash hit Pop, Lock & Drop It from his 2007 album Notebook Paper at the age of 18. In 2004, FLAME
FLAME
Flame is a Christian hip hop recording artist with Clear Sight Music. He has released five albums including: Flame, Rewind, Our World: Fallen, Our World: Redeemed, and Captured. Our World: Redeemed was nominated for a Grammy Award...
, also from St. Louis, became the first national Christian hip hop artist from the Midwest. FLAME has been nominated for Dove Awards, Stellar Award, and Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Gospel Rap/Rock Album of the Year. St. Louis native Chingy
Chingy
Howard Bailey, Jr. , better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper.Chingy grew up in the Walnut Park section of St. Louis and began rapping in earnest in his late teens...
signed to Atlanta rapper Ludacris' label DTP
Disturbing Tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace is a record label founded by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, his manager Chaka Zulu and Zulu's brother Jeff Dixon...
. Jibbs
Jibbs
Jovan Campbell , better known by his stage name Jibbs, is an American rapper. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, but raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He had one top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, which was his debut single "Chain Hang Low"...
received his major deal at age 15 gaining popularity with hits such as "Chain Hang Low
Chain Hang Low
"Chain Hang Low" is the debut single by Jibbs from his debut album Jibbs Featuring Jibbs. The song went on to rack up more than 20,000 ringtone downloads in a span of two weeks. The video shows adolescents doing the snap dance...
" and "King Kong
King Kong (Jibbs song)
"King Kong" is the second single from the album Jibbs Featuring Jibbs by rapper Jibbs. The song features Chamillionaire. It is written by Javon Campbell , Derryl Howard, Bradford Ray, Orlando Watson, and Maurice Wilson.-Song information:...
", the latter featuring Texas rapper Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
.
Another St. Louis native, J-Kwon
J-Kwon
Jerrell Jones, better known by his stage name J-Kwon, is an American rapper from St. Louis best known for his 2004 hit single "Tipsy".-Biography:...
, gained popularity at the age of 17 with the hit single "Tipsy
Tipsy (song)
"Tipsy" is the title of a song recorded by J-Kwon. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, being held off the top spot by Usher's "Yeah!", and number four in the United Kingdom. To date, "Tipsy" has been his only hit, with his next single "You and Me" being a moderate success peaking in...
". Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
(born in St. Louis but raised in Senegal, Africa
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
) who is known for his African melodic singing, is also a native of St. Louis. Akon became the first and only solo artist to hold the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts twice. Konvicted
Konvicted
-Samples:*"Mama Africa" samples Gentleman's "Dem Gone"*"Tired of Runnin'" samples Bobby Bland's " I Don't Want to Be Right"*"Once in a While" samples 3 Dog Night's "I'd Be So Happy"*"Don't Matter" interpolates the melody of R...
was a major hit in the global level selling over 21 million copies worldwide.
St Louis deejays and producers have held their own on a national level as well. B-Money placed songs on Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Kingdom Come and 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
's Get Rich or Die Trying soundtrack, DJ Charlie Chan tours internationally as the backing DJ for DMC
Darryl McDaniels
-Video game appearances:*The Warriors - Scopes*Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Himself- External links :* * * * * http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12...
(from Run-DMC), and the DJ crew Wax Murdaraz
Wax Murdaraz
Wax Murdaraz are a crew of vinyl specialists united to enhance the public's understanding about the art of hip-hop deejaying and music production. The roots of the group date back to the late 1980's when founding members D-Ex and DJ Professional recorded several tapes in album form under the name...
(which B-Money and Charlie Chan are both members of) have competed on a USA national level in DJ battles such as the DMC World DJ Championships
DMC World DJ Championships
DMC World DJ Championships is an annual DJ competition hosted by Disco Mix Club which began in 1986. The most recent instance of this competition will take place in New Orleans and in Denver TBA.-World DJ Champions:*1985 - Roger Johnson...
and Kool Mixx. Producer and vocalist Black Spade has developed an underground cult following with his nationally distributed OM Hip-Hop album release To Serve With Love, working with like-minded soul and Hip-Hop artists such as J*Davey and his group, The Hawthorne Headhunters.
Madison
Thanks in part to the local hip hop radio station WJQMWJQM
WWQN is a radio station licensed to Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and surrounding areas. The station is owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting and simulcasts the country format of sister station WWQM-FM...
many local artists have begun to get some recognition. Madison based rappers also receive recognition through opening up for major acts at concerts in the area, many have shared stages with the likes of Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, and Trina
Trina
Katrina Laverne Taylor , better known by her stage name Trina, is an American rapper, songwriter and model from Miami, Florida. Trina first gained notoriety in 1998 with her appearance on Trick Daddy's second studio album www.thug.com to the single "Nann Nigga"...
. Many have also collaborated and developed relations with other major rappers most notably Beloit
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
-based Bodiaga's work with Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
and DJ Pain 1 producing beats for Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
. Madison is also the hometown of Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
. This scene is heavily influenced and connected with neighboring Milwaukee. Minneapolis and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's hip-hop scenes.
Madison hip-hop has a classic and slower style with more relatively lighter hearted lyrics than other Midwestern cities such as Detroit and Cleveland.