Welcome to the Hood: Importance of Location, Culture, and Totem
All throughout hop hop you will find every artist, in one way or another, talking about where they're from or the hood they grew up in. It has become a way for artists to represent their location, gain respect for their hood, or a way to 'put their city on the map. It's almost an alpha male type of trait where these hip hop artists claim their territories and want it to be heard and respected in the world of hop hop. You probably know where a lot of artists are from just from listening to their songs doing no research whatsoever. For example Big Sean always says "D-Town" or mentions Detroit in his raps. Wiz Khalifa often represents Pittsburgh with songs like "black and yellow" which shows his love for his city and it's football team (Pittsburgh Steelers). He also claims his city with some of his early songs like "Pittsburgh sound". There are many song examples to name like young joc's "put on for my city", Kendrick Lamar and Doctor Dre's "The Recipe", or even NWA's "straight outta Compton".
But there are other ways artists represent their location and territory.
For example ASAP Rocky and his mob who came out into the game with this new Harlem World trend, with a 'trill' style and new fashion.Or even artists like Chief Keef who constantly rep their area (Chicago) and basically bases most of his music through experiences in his hood. He frequently mentions blocks or gangs he is affiliated with. Common terms used by him like "O Block" "GBE" and "OTF" represent these things.
Not only does location play an important role in hip hop artists, but the importance of culture and totem play a large factor as well.
Like mentioned earlier this year in class, west side rappers were more known to be rapping about a laid back, ghetto, and partying type lifestyle with funky beats and a more mellow tone. On the other hand, east coast rappers were more into harder drugs, fashion, glamour, and living the lavish mafia lifestyle. I feel that similar cultural lifestyles can still be seen in today's world of hip hop. If you compare the works of some of today's west coast rappers like Kendrick Lamar and schoolboy q, who are both out of Compton, to some of today's east coast rappers like ASAP Rocky, Jay Z, and French Montana, you can see the big differences. The Rappers out of the east mainly rap about materialistic things and can be seen in their videos wearing hella gold chains or a plentiful amount of diamonds. Songs like "Fashion Killa" or " Angels" by ASAP Rocky portray this 'trill' era that may be arising in the northeast which contain a lot of gold chains and specifically all gold teeth.
But on the west coast, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy a mainly rap about other topics not concerning anything materialistic. You'd never catch them wearing golds in their mouth. Songs like "The Recipe" Kendrick explains his love for Compton and California. He says he would never leave because of how good the weed is, how nice the women are there, and how immaculate the weather is all the time. He gives a more down to earth topic compared to some of the east coast rappers I just mentioned.
You could even throw the south in the mix of hip hop cultures. You could throw in Atlanta and northern parts of Florida into the 'dirty south' culture which could be represented by songs like "Southern Hospitality" by Ludacris, or Outkast's whole album Aquemini which basically gives off very southern style sound and culture.
Essentially, location and culture give artists their own identity and style in the world of hip hop. It shapes their rapping flow, beats,song content,lifestyle, and even fashion.
This is an aspect that any artist use. This addition of pride brings out style in an artist song. If you notice, each song has a certain style that can be identified as a region on the map, west, east, and dirty south.
I think stating your city became important when rap and gangs started becoming affiliated with each other. In rap songs a lot of rappers still talk about their gang and their gang family so this created a competition between gangs. It also started the trend of repping for your city and your people. They talk about who they stand with or where they came from and it has carried on to todays hip hop artists. A little background about where they came from can also help a story they are telling. The styles in different areas of America are more similar to the other types of music you would find within that region. British and Arabic hip hop also has a very different style to it.
I liked your post. I liked how you mentioned the history of the West Coast vs. East Coast rappers, and how that distinction is still seen today. A lot of the rapping about their 'hood' comes out of showing pride in where you came from, as mentioned before. But going deeper, I believe its a way to show how far you've come. You can still have pride in where you grew up, but many rappers use it as a way to show their "rags to riches" story. A lot of these rappers use it as a way to showcase the struggles that their friends and families are going through, and bring issues such as homelessness, racism and poverty to the forefront.
I enjoyed the post. Out of the three different flows you mentioned, in respect to region, the South is probably my favorite. This is because I was born and raised here so Ive been surrounded by such music for a while now. I personally rep where I come from so I understand the feeling as a rapper and how it feels to put your hometown on the map.
I 100% agree with Kalisa. I think that rappers take pride in their gangs and gangs take pride in their city, thus rap songs include a lot about where the rapper is from. Once rap and gangs became intertwined, I believe that city pride and rap as well became intertwined. Going back to your post, I really like how you talk about the distinction between the West and East Coast rappers. Each have a unique style that they represent and are proud to show where they come from.
Your post was not only inofrmative but presented the information in such a way that made it unique and relatable. I feel as if the areas that each rapper reps are done so in order to distinguish themselves aside from other rappers in the music industry. I feel as if rapper like Kendrik Lamar who made it quite plain that he viewed where he came from as the beginnings of hiphop as a way to promote healthy competititon and show the diversity of backgrounds that hip hop truly has. Its each various background that brings its ehtnic and unique vibes to the sounds of hip hop itself.
This post is true. For most rap artist the area they come from plays a major role in the sound they produce . I think where a rapper is from makes it easier for them to be rappers. They use the things that is happening around them and tell a story about it. I think a rapper's hood also is a factor of their reputation. Most rapper's support comes from the city their from so its important to make their hood relative in their music
It seems only natural for an artist to rap about his or her up-bringing. It is quite interesting how there is a noticeable difference between different areas of the country. This shows how diverse not only the rappers are, but also the areas, and the ways of life. This post does a great job of explaining the information in a clear and concise manner.
I definitely agree with your post. I think that rappers definitely rep their where they came from and their background in their songs. I feel like they do this to make their songs stand out and separate themselves from the rest. I also liked the comparison you made between east and west coast rappers. I agree that east coast ones definitely focus more on the materialistic, mafia lifestyle, while west coast is more laid back and chill.
I understand where you are coming from for the most part. I think rappers represent where they come from to put their city on the map and see which coast can produce the best artists. Knowing where your favorite artist is from can explain a lot and validate his music, I think it stirs a little of competition as well. If we did not know where artist were from it will seem a little plain and boring. Location can be a very unique quality for some artists. Also I saw that you mention yung joc "put on for my city" as an example. Did you mean to put young jeezy?
I always wondered what chief keef said in 3hunna. Apparently he says "O block." Thank you for solving that mystery for me. I wonder if MF Doom reps his city? Since he's like a villain or an alien or something
In my opinion this "repping for my city" thing that artists use is becoming one of the biggest areas of hip-hop and rap. This is really the only genre that uses this style, you don't really see rock bands or other musicians using this to much. It's what makes rap what it is today, the whole city thing usually leads to a rivalry in the game. Not always friendly, but it has been going on for years, with Biggy and Tupac to today with guys like Kendrick from the West Coast and and Jay Z from the East Coast.
I liked your post and how you made the distinction between the the different regions of the East and West coast, along with the Dirty South as each region's flow and music is unique and different to the other. The repping of where they're from definitely is mainly because of pride and the "Never forget where you come from" or "never sell out" attitude/mindset. This is especially see with New York being the birth of hip-hop and the different regions in the state going back to the 80s or even NWA's "Straight Outta Compton".
I always hear these rappers talking about where they're from but never really caught the different styles done to do so from each region. From the East to the West and even to the South, rappers from these areas have their own ways of repping their city and now I know how.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I agree, there is a distinct sound difference between the different musicians from across the country. I liked the contrast you created between Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky. These two artists do have extremely different sounds, and those sounds are credited to the area that they grew up in.
I really liked this post. Your comparison to east and west coast rappers was good. You brought understanding o why rappers rap about where they're from. ALl of the examples were good. I really liked that you used Kendrick Lamar because he is a good example your claim.
I liked this post because I never thought of location as something that influences the way an artist raps. For example I have always known that artist like Jay-z and A$AP Rocky rap about materialistic topics but I never really made the connection between this style and where they come from. After seeing this post it makes sense why rappers talk about certain topics in their songs.
Culture and location is very important in hip-hop and it is something we should not rule out. Representing the city these rappers have come from is important to them because it has given them struggles and experiences that they can share with others. I definitely see the importance of their lives and culture.
Culture and location is very important in hip-hop and it is something we should not rule out. Representing the city these rappers have come from is important to them because it has given them struggles and experiences that they can share with others. I definitely see the importance of their lives and culture.
Culture and location is very important in hip-hop and it is something we should not rule out. Representing the city these rappers have come from is important to them because it has given them struggles and experiences that they can share with others. I definitely see the importance of their lives and culture.
This is an aspect that any artist use. This addition of pride brings out style in an artist song. If you notice, each song has a certain style that can be identified as a region on the map, west, east, and dirty south.
ReplyDeleteI think stating your city became important when rap and gangs started becoming affiliated with each other. In rap songs a lot of rappers still talk about their gang and their gang family so this created a competition between gangs. It also started the trend of repping for your city and your people. They talk about who they stand with or where they came from and it has carried on to todays hip hop artists. A little background about where they came from can also help a story they are telling. The styles in different areas of America are more similar to the other types of music you would find within that region. British and Arabic hip hop also has a very different style to it.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post. I liked how you mentioned the history of the West Coast vs. East Coast rappers, and how that distinction is still seen today. A lot of the rapping about their 'hood' comes out of showing pride in where you came from, as mentioned before. But going deeper, I believe its a way to show how far you've come. You can still have pride in where you grew up, but many rappers use it as a way to show their "rags to riches" story. A lot of these rappers use it as a way to showcase the struggles that their friends and families are going through, and bring issues such as homelessness, racism and poverty to the forefront.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the post. Out of the three different flows you mentioned, in respect to region, the South is probably my favorite. This is because I was born and raised here so Ive been surrounded by such music for a while now. I personally rep where I come from so I understand the feeling as a rapper and how it feels to put your hometown on the map.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with Kalisa. I think that rappers take pride in their gangs and gangs take pride in their city, thus rap songs include a lot about where the rapper is from. Once rap and gangs became intertwined, I believe that city pride and rap as well became intertwined. Going back to your post, I really like how you talk about the distinction between the West and East Coast rappers. Each have a unique style that they represent and are proud to show where they come from.
ReplyDeleteYour post was not only inofrmative but presented the information in such a way that made it unique and relatable. I feel as if the areas that each rapper reps are done so in order to distinguish themselves aside from other rappers in the music industry. I feel as if rapper like Kendrik Lamar who made it quite plain that he viewed where he came from as the beginnings of hiphop as a way to promote healthy competititon and show the diversity of backgrounds that hip hop truly has. Its each various background that brings its ehtnic and unique vibes to the sounds of hip hop itself.
ReplyDeleteThis post is true. For most rap artist the area they come from plays a major role in the sound they produce . I think where a rapper is from makes it easier for them to be rappers. They use the things that is happening around them and tell a story about it. I think a rapper's hood also is a factor of their reputation. Most rapper's support comes from the city their from so its important to make their hood relative in their music
ReplyDeleteIt seems only natural for an artist to rap about his or her up-bringing. It is quite interesting how there is a noticeable difference between different areas of the country. This shows how diverse not only the rappers are, but also the areas, and the ways of life. This post does a great job of explaining the information in a clear and concise manner.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your post. I think that rappers definitely rep their where they came from and their background in their songs. I feel like they do this to make their songs stand out and separate themselves from the rest. I also liked the comparison you made between east and west coast rappers. I agree that east coast ones definitely focus more on the materialistic, mafia lifestyle, while west coast is more laid back and chill.
ReplyDeleteI understand where you are coming from for the most part. I think rappers represent where they come from to put their city on the map and see which coast can produce the best artists. Knowing where your favorite artist is from can explain a lot and validate his music, I think it stirs a little of competition as well. If we did not know where artist were from it will seem a little plain and boring. Location can be a very unique quality for some artists. Also I saw that you mention yung joc "put on for my city" as an example. Did you mean to put young jeezy?
ReplyDeletehaha yeah i did mean jeezy my bad
DeleteI always wondered what chief keef said in 3hunna. Apparently he says "O block." Thank you for solving that mystery for me. I wonder if MF Doom reps his city? Since he's like a villain or an alien or something
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion this "repping for my city" thing that artists use is becoming one of the biggest areas of hip-hop and rap. This is really the only genre that uses this style, you don't really see rock bands or other musicians using this to much. It's what makes rap what it is today, the whole city thing usually leads to a rivalry in the game. Not always friendly, but it has been going on for years, with Biggy and Tupac to today with guys like Kendrick from the West Coast and and Jay Z from the East Coast.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post and how you made the distinction between the the different regions of the East and West coast, along with the Dirty South as each region's flow and music is unique and different to the other. The repping of where they're from definitely is mainly because of pride and the "Never forget where you come from" or "never sell out" attitude/mindset. This is especially see with New York being the birth of hip-hop and the different regions in the state going back to the 80s or even NWA's "Straight Outta Compton".
ReplyDeleteI always hear these rappers talking about where they're from but never really caught the different styles done to do so from each region. From the East to the West and even to the South, rappers from these areas have their own ways of repping their city and now I know how.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I agree, there is a distinct sound difference between the different musicians from across the country. I liked the contrast you created between Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky. These two artists do have extremely different sounds, and those sounds are credited to the area that they grew up in.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post. Your comparison to east and west coast rappers was good. You brought understanding o why rappers rap about where they're from. ALl of the examples were good. I really liked that you used Kendrick Lamar because he is a good example your claim.
ReplyDeleteI liked this post because I never thought of location as something that influences the way an artist raps. For example I have always known that artist like Jay-z and A$AP Rocky rap about materialistic topics but I never really made the connection between this style and where they come from. After seeing this post it makes sense why rappers talk about certain topics in their songs.
ReplyDeleteCulture and location is very important in hip-hop and it is something we should not rule out. Representing the city these rappers have come from is important to them because it has given them struggles and experiences that they can share with others. I definitely see the importance of their lives and culture.
ReplyDeleteCulture and location is very important in hip-hop and it is something we should not rule out. Representing the city these rappers have come from is important to them because it has given them struggles and experiences that they can share with others. I definitely see the importance of their lives and culture.
ReplyDeleteCulture and location is very important in hip-hop and it is something we should not rule out. Representing the city these rappers have come from is important to them because it has given them struggles and experiences that they can share with others. I definitely see the importance of their lives and culture.
ReplyDelete