East Coast hip hop

East Coast hip hop is occasionally referred to as New York rap due to its origins and development at block parties thrown in New York City during the 1970s.[2] According to AllMusic, "At the dawn of the hip-hop era, all rap was East Coast rap."[4] Leading up to hip hop, there were spoken-word artists such as the Last Poets who released their debut album in 1970, and Gil Scott-Heron, who gained a wide audience with his 1971 track "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". These artists combined spoken word and music to create a kind of "proto-rap" vibe.[8] Following this, early artists of hip hop such as DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, the Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Jam Master Jay and Run-DMC, pioneered East Coast hip hop during hip hop's earlier years in the 1970s and 1980s.[4] As the genre developed, lyrical themes evolved through the work of East Coast artists such as the Native Tongues, a collective of hip hop artists associated with generally positive, Afrocentric themes, and assembled by Afrika Bambaataa. New York-based groups such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers also earned recognition for their musical eclecticism.[4]

RZA, producer and member of the Wu-Tang Clan

This was called "The Golden Age" of hip hop.[9] Although East Coast hip hop was more popular throughout the late 1980s, N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton (released in the summer of 1988) presented the toughened sound of West Coast hip hop, which was accompanied by gritty, street-level subject matter.[4] Later in 1992, Dr. Dre's G-funk record The Chronic would introduce West Coast hip hop to the mainstream. Along with a combined ability to keep its primary function as party music, the West Coast form of hip hop became a dominant force during the early 1990s.[4] Although G-Funk was the most popular variety of hip hop during the early 1990s, the East Coast hip hop scene remained an integral part of the music industry. During this period, several New York City rappers rising from the local underground scene, began releasing noteworthy albums in the early and mid-'90's, such as Nas, The Notorious B.I.G. and others.[10] The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show was the launch pad for many East Coast rappers during this era.

Nas's 1994 debut album Illmatic was critically acclaimed.

Nas's 1994 debut album Illmatic has also been noted as one of the creative high points of the East Coast hip hop scene, and featured production from such renowned New York-based producers as Large Professor, Pete Rock and DJ Premier.[10] Meanwhile, The Wu-Tang Clan, Onyx, Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, Big L, Lost Boyz and Mobb Deep became pillars in New York's hardcore hip hop scene, achieving widespread critical acclaim for their landmark albums, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993), Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995), Enta da Stage (1993), Bacdafucup (1993), Dah Shinin' (1995), Legal Drug Money (1996) and The Infamous (1995).

The Notorious B.I.G. became the central figure in East Coast hip hop during most of the 1990s. Bad Boy Records comprised a team of producers known as the Hitmen Stevie J, Derrick "D Dot" Angelletie and Amen Ra directed by Sean Combs to move the focus on hip hop to New York with the Notorious B.I.G.'s Billboard topping hits.[11] His success on the music charts and rise to the mainstream drew more attention to New York at the time of West Coast hip hop's dominance.[11] According to AllMusic editor Steve Huey, the success of his 1994 debut album Ready to Die "reinvented East Coast rap for the gangsta age" and "turned the Notorious B.I.G. into a hip-hop sensation — the first major star the East Coast had produced since the rise of Dr. Dre's West Coast G-funk".[11] Many saw his dominating presence as a catalyzing factor in the East Coast/ West Coast hip hop rivalry that polarized much of the hip hop community, stirring the issue enough to result in the Brooklyn rapper's 1997 death, as well as his West Coast counterpart, Tupac Shakur, months prior.[12] His commercial success helped pave the way for the success of other East Coast rappers such as Jay-Z, DMX, Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule, The Lox, Fat Joe, Big Pun and many upcoming rappers.[11][13]

Mainstream hip hop began to commercialize styles of Southern hip hop over traditional East and West Coast hip hop in the early 2000s, leading many critics and rappers, such as Nas, to proclaim that hip hop was 'dead' by the mid-2000s (although Nas claimed 15 years later that he was only referring to New York).[14] Southern hip hop artists such as Lil Wayne and T.I. gained prominence, with regional scenes in New Orleans and Atlanta. Other southern cities such as Houston and Miami received attention in the mainstream, with subgenres such as Houston's chopped and screwed hip hop, bounce and trap attracting commerical recognition.[15] Yet, despite this overall trend, individual East Coast hip hop artists did see significant success in the first decade of the 2000s, such as 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Fabolous, Cam'Ron, Lloyd Banks, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones and Talib Kweli. Jay-Z's seven studio albums and three collaborative albums released between 2000 and 2010 were all certified platinum, and nine out of ten reached #1 on US charts.[16]

Wiz Khalifa performing in Toronto in 2012.

A partial mainstream revival of East Coast rap has occurred in the last decade, albeit without the same level of commercial success as in the nineties, due to various factors, such as the rise of social media, music streaming and the internet, which has led to a decline in unique regional scenes across many musical genres. In addition, rivalries between different cities and regions have declined significantly and artists across different regions and genres are much more willing to collaborate than in the past. Despite this, the distinctive East Coast sound is still notable in today's music. Major artists who have risen to prominence in the past decade include A$AP Mob particularly, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg, Joey Bada$, Vast Aire, Azealia Banks, as well as French Montana, and most notably Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and J.Cole (himself a transplant from North Carolina), all based in New York City. Other notable artists include Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, and Lil Uzi Vert from Pennsylvania, Fetty Wap from New Jersey, and Wale and Logic from Washington, DC.

In addition, New York City's drill movement, heavily influenced by UK drill (and often using the same London producers), has injected new energy into the New York hip hop scene, attracting critical acclaim, media controversy and a significant following, despite departing from standard hip hop song structures. Initially focused in Brooklyn, led by artists such as the late Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G, Sleepy Hallow, Bizzy Banks, J.I. Prince of N.Y., Jay Critch and others; and more recently in the Bronx, with artists such as A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Lil Tjay, Kay Flock, B Lovee, among others.[17]