"I need New York to be New York again...oh fuck its real talk again." -Tru Life

Now that's some real talk for that ass. Before I say anything, let me remind you. New York is the mecca of rap. We started this shit. I'm not just bragging and grabbing my nuts for nothing. I'm simply telling the truth. In my eyes, it seems like New York is going through an identity crisis. Don't get it twisted though, everything I say is out of love. I LOVE NEW YORK. The pride and honor that I have to be born and raised in New York is indescribable. I wouldn't want to be from anywhere else, no matter how hot your weather is year 'round or how dope your bitches are.

But check it. This is the way I see it. Generally speaking, rap is like a big circle. Everything good goes bad and eventually becomes good again. It's a guarantee that everything will come back full circle. It returns to the point in which it began. Simply put, the beginning will be the end. That's just the way it is. Remember the days when the west couldn't get any spins on the east or the time when everybody was laughing at the south. Even the midwest. It was almost like the mid-what? Everything was New York from top to bottom. Now lets get this straight. I'm not going to sit here and start preaching, 'oh New York needs to smash the game and shut everybody the fuck down'....NOOOOOOO!!!! Not at all. To be real, I'm happy to see the movement. Matters fact, the movement only makes us stronger as a culture.

But my beef is this. In 2006, its no secret that the south now holds the influence in hip-hop. Like I said before, rap is like a circle. Right now its just their time. Sooner or later, its going to be someone's else turn. Now even though the south controls popular music, you don't see the west snappin' and poppin'. Why? Because they're too busy ridin', thats why. What about the southwest? Aren't they screwing their music. So in the most general sense, each region is maintaining their own culture even though popular music is swaying something different. So what about the East coast? New York to be exact. What can
be said about our music. Our culture. Like I said no disrespect, but you have Harlem's 'Chicken Noodle Soup' sounding like St. Louis' 'Chain Hang Low'. What part of the game is that?!

You have to understand that each region, whether its east, west, south or midwest has its own sound, culture and music. It reflects their way of life. Let me repeat that for those that missed it. It reflects THEIR way of life. In Texas, it's perfectly normal for them to drink sizzurp & screw their music. Just like in California, who incorporates a lot of funk and melody in their music. Even Atlanta, who is all about high energy music. New York is known to like their music hard, real and lyrical. The main thing to focus on is that everybody's music is reflective of how they live their life. It's whats depicted

in their hoods. It's a reflection of whats in their heart. It's their sense of pride of where they represent. It's their own regional culture. On a bigger and more important scale, all of the regions actually represent one culture...The Hip-Hop culture.

But for someone who lives in a distinctive region, it's hard not to remain loyal to the culture that bred you. As for me, the east coast is my region. New York is my heart.

So with that said, I feel that New York niggas is not doing them. Period. They're looking at everybody else. Better yet they're looking at whats selling and trying to emulate the popular music. That's right, I said it.
No New York nigga makes nursery rhymes and says 'mane'. What part of the fuckin' game is that! Anyway...what New York needs to do is just make their OWN music. Don't worry about what others are doing. People will gravitate toward you if it's good music. When you try and copy another region's sound, to the public it sounds like a watered-down version of who you're trying to emulate. If you stay true to yourself and your sound, people will respect you for it. The key to Hip-Hop is to rap about YOUR life. When you do that, then people from all over will relate to you. Don't you know curiosity is a motherfucker?

There hasn't been a nationwide / worldwide phenom from NY since 50 Cent and his 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'. During the height of 50 Cent's debut, the influence he had over every region was incredible. The reason why it sold so much is because it had elements that every region could relate to. The sounds was a melting pot of everybody's culture. During that time, I had spent a week down south. Everywhere I went I constantly heard people bumping different tracks off the album. If I closed my eyes, I would've sworn I was in New York for a minute. I remember me and this one cat was talking music and he told me "When you NY folk rap, you really gotta listen. Down here all we wanna do is get crunk." I say this because, if thats the case, what was it about 50 Cent that attracted this dude and so many others to him? Was it "Many Men", the NY anthem that had niggas grabbin' their chest while singing the chorus from the depths of their soul. What about that funkadelic sound of "21 Questions". Oh yeah, by the way, for your information, ol' boy
and I had this conversation while sitting down over "High All the Time". But back to the point at hand. If I knew the answer to this question, I would tell you. But unfortunately I don't. In the end, the point that I'm trying to make is that like 'Get Rich or Die Tryin', New York needs that individual or collective voice that speaks a truth that every region can relate to.

Another thing, let me just say something to New York real quick. When niggas come from out of town, they want to see the authentic New York. People want a glimpse of our life. They want to see the bright lights and big buildings. They want to ride the trains. They want to see that fly-ass Puerto-Rican mami. They want to see how we dress and how we talk....nahmeen? If they go into a club and they see 'us' snappin' n poppin' and shakin' and shit, what we look like? Tru Life said it best, "This is New York, you know what this represents? Shit, we're the fuckin' home of Malcolm X."

Hey listen, not for nothing, but in my honest opinion NEW YORK IS THE SHIT. This is why I'm venting.
New York needs to maintain their own identity, their own style and their own swag...no matter what everybody else is doing. There's no doubt in my mind that New York is going to retain the status that they once had, but for now, lets at least rep it like we're suppose to. It's up to you New York.

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