I was going to make a post about how hard it is for DMV rappers (Cordae/Wale/IDK) to blow up majorly/distinguish themselves because they don't have a recognizable sound/accent/feel but it got me thinking about what rapper has been able to get the largest without really repp'ing a major city.

And I feel like there are two questions in there. One being name the biggest rapper who isn't from NYC/LA/ATL/Detroit/Miami/Houston/PHL/SF/Memphis (and maybe also Toronto).

But I guess I am asking the question is it possible for a rapper to blow up and NOT talk incessantly about their home city? Anyone do it?


I think about the Clipse (not from a major city) tried to rap about Virginia as a whole which I thought was strange to rep a whole state ( a song about bad news would be dope). J Cole raps about Fayetteville but, does it do anything for anyone?

Anyway, I think I am mudding up the original question. What do you think?




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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

he's not mainstream at all, but he has a huge underground following

While it's definitely true that there are plenty of folks who don't rock with him, you can't deny his place as one of the "big 3"

Nelly?
Wiz Khalifa?
Macklemore? (Regardless of what we think about him, was huge for a brief moment.)
Freddie Gibbs?
Griselda?
Trippie Redd?
NBA Young Boy?



And I don't know if Memphis counts as a major city.

My point is more he isn't from a major city worth repping.
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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

kodak black - pompano beach/ft lauderdale
rod wave - st petersburg/tampa bay
trippie redd - canton/cleveland
joyner lucas - worcester, MA

this is more common than you might assume, mostly due to the democratization of releasing music post-soundcloud/yt/bandcamp

.

But they're not as recognizable as, say, Jay or Big or OutKast who rep bigger cities.

I'd have to say Cole. Like Hitokiri (I think) said, J. Cole is one of the leaders of his generation. Looking back, outside of someone like Nelly or BONE or Sir Mix-a-lot bubbling up for an album or two, I can't think of a major star that didn't come one of the 'meccas.'

Ok, he’s not the biggest. Yet. But I gotta mention him as the one rapper from my area to really get on. He’s bubbling. Reasonable Drought and those two Westside Gunn albums he was all over got him on the verge. Next album could really put him over, if he produces. One dimensional content aside, he’s one of the most unique rappers I’ve heard in awhile in terms of style, voice and delivery. Punchlines are slick. Confidence and attitude are infectious. And he did Reasonable Drought with zero features. Every verse and hook was him.

Phonte’s from Greensboro. Pooh is from Northern Virginia(don’t even know what city?). They formed in Durham. That all works for this post.

And given the way they made it - which many of us were first hand observers of/participants of…..their influence on so many that came after them is just enormous. Developing a fanbase on the internet, smaller cities, relatable content with both a fresh edge and throwback aesthetic. Your favorite rapper’s favorite rappers(unless you’ve been on here, In which case you just skip the middleman). They might not be the biggest artist here in record sales, but in influence? They’ve got an argument.

My appreiciation for NYC rap grew immensely when I started living here and started to recognize all the places and NYC things they would drop in their rhymes.

Little Brother rapped about life in a non-major metropolis in ways that is relatable if you grew up similarly.



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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Is probably the biggest compared to location, especially since Gibbs kinda became more of an LA guy in terms of what he repped and talked about as he got out of the blog nerd circles


But KRIT never really left Mississippi behind and comes from the seventh largest city in a state with one of the smallest large cities in the entire country. The fact that he got as big as he did and has remained fairly relevant is pretty intense.


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"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

Maybe because he bounced around so much as a youth, but never really repped a city.