This is spun off from a recent discovery.

Hip hop has, to me at least, always been such a regional form of music. So many different areas have such unique sounds, characters, etc.

But I'd begun to think, over the last few years, with the globalization of music thanks to blogs, message boards, twitter, etc., that the era of a true regional star in rap music was over.

Meaning, someone could be lighting up a city or state or area, and someone on the other side of the continent has NO idea. It was a cool phenomenon, but it felt dead because so much of the new shit we all get put onto comes from the same sources.

However, a friend of mine just got into town after spending the last year or so in Miami, and put me onto a rapper named Ice Berg who, according to him, is real big in the clubs (strip clubs esp.) and "streets" down there. Some research led me to find that dude either is or used to be down with Trick Daddy and was part of his Dunk Ryderz crew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZAekI1Ljc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWCtk9boOt0&feature=plcp&context=C34456a1UDOEgsToPDskJuOp_IeJp04lywEOQ8HMHI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2MmXaQvxx8&feature=plcp&context=C3d468e2UDOEgsToPDskI9HCiPFpWwlGw1yMRsUyen

The music is cool, I like some of it, but I was more facinated that there is a dude who is that big in a major market, and I had no clue. I consider myself pretty well informed on whats happening in rap music.

I assume there are other such stories out there. Who are they? Does your area have someone who the rest of us don't know about but is a local star?

___________________________
OL' DIRTY BASTARD on himself:
"I may curse, I may have a bad mouth, whatever whatever. I'm not that bad, yaknow'mean. Bad to y'all, I dunno how y'all... I don't give a fuck. Um, I'm a good person at heart, for real and shit.

Yes, Regional stars definitely exist, difference is most people nationwide have at least heard of them now.

For L.A., our biggest completely Regional star was Suga Free for the longest time. Before Lil Jon put him on his album, and even after that, people outside of CA had NO damn idea who he was. Quik was probably the biggest Regional one that folks at least knew of outside of the state...but with Free, NOBODY knew shit about him. Right now, the biggest one is YG...but then he was on that Freshman Cover in 2010 or 2011, and people nationwide at least know his name from tracks like "Toot it and boot it."

New York hasn't had many truly Regional stars, because everybody finds out about them fast. The mixtape folks like Papoose, Max B, etc etc...even the DJ Webstar types who make the Regional club music. But yeah, Florida still has a LOT of them. Bizzle, or cats like Brisco who might still be Cash MOney, but still unknown nationwide.

I will say this though, it's really a club thing. On the underground sounding tip, it's always been the opposite. It took FOREVER for people in L.A. to know who Murs was, while I met people in other states who knew him and were fans. Same with Little Brother...felt like some folks in Carolina didn't know them, but people in Atlanta and Florida who weren't into that type of Rap were DEFINITELY unaware. Kendrick and these stars represent this new era you speak on, where it's kind of even. He has fans in L.A., but still isn't "RUNNING" shit to some people here, although it's people in other states who say he's the best out.

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

to play his song "Shone" back in 08

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

But this is the only song I knew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRQV4-_jdww

___________________________
OL' DIRTY BASTARD on himself:
"I may curse, I may have a bad mouth, whatever whatever. I'm not that bad, yaknow'mean. Bad to y'all, I dunno how y'all... I don't give a fuck. Um, I'm a good person at heart, for real and shit.

he's probably the biggest example of such I can think of

___________________________
OL' DIRTY BASTARD on himself:
"I may curse, I may have a bad mouth, whatever whatever. I'm not that bad, yaknow'mean. Bad to y'all, I dunno how y'all... I don't give a fuck. Um, I'm a good person at heart, for real and shit.

ground. He's always had a huge fanbase nationwide, he just wasn't commercial. Dude at my job in 06 was telling me he was his favorite rapper

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

Husalah, Jacka, DB Tha General etc etc

Iamsu is only known by name in the Bay and a bit of L.A., but he's up next for sure...dude is dope as hell

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

but yeah the bays always had a local team

__

fairweather

puts out way too much product that's way too insular and lacking readily available producer information for me to really care. I stumbled onto dude for a PopMatters review in 09 and have tried to keep up since but it's almost impossible. Same shit happened with Jacka.



~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

____________________________________________________________________

San Diego State's holy trinity of sports:
Kawhi Leonard
Marshall Faulk
Tony Gwynn (RIP)

#Aztec4Life

-Loverance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUwdz6chHJk

and

ROD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-5z67Li1Kc just signed to majors.

-Erk tha Jerk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSbVOpKq9OI doing it indie on itunes and amazon.

-Lil B blowing up the internet

-Kreay (signed) and V doing it for the white girls hanging on to the last of their 15 minutes

-Bailey had a huge song for the 49ers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw5Eld-KRuQ


...this is all post hyphy movement with Young Money and MMG monopolizing urban media. bay area still doing it.

What ya'll know about Too $hort going pop with "Magazine Girl"?!?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Db2lkx6Mo

____________________________________________________________________

San Diego State's holy trinity of sports:
Kawhi Leonard
Marshall Faulk
Tony Gwynn (RIP)

#Aztec4Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvE5I4dORcA

I have NEVER heard of this dude lol

___________________________
OL' DIRTY BASTARD on himself:
"I may curse, I may have a bad mouth, whatever whatever. I'm not that bad, yaknow'mean. Bad to y'all, I dunno how y'all... I don't give a fuck. Um, I'm a good person at heart, for real and shit.

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

killa kyleon
zro
doe beezy

http://www.thafixx.com/?p=14600

theres hella lil regional acts, dont need to blow up nationwide they eating very well doing local shows


do or die

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

the world knows z-ro pretty much. Kyleon has had his opportunities, but he's been making a lot of solo noise lately touring around the country. haven't really heard any of doe beezy's stuff though...

Must be because of one of y'all, it's sure as shit not the kind of thing I'd find on my own.

he's really only known as the dude that had beef with Yo Gotti and got to shooting with some of his boys at a club here.

----------------------------------
www.maxptah.com
"you gotta be real white to hate on a nxgga for eating." (c) okp infin8

Dude's shows sell out in a matter of days, including the release party for his last album at First Ave. Check out this video from that show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2UNgOQknIU

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

Between the big acts in the main room, the lesser known acts in 7th St Entry and dance nights in the Record Room, I'm there 2 or 3 nights a month. First Ave is practically as big of a part of the local music scene as the musicians themselves.

There have been occasions in the past year where I've been there 2-3 times in a single week.

--

"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."

are all on that weird bubble where if you follow rap without any sort of self-imposed insulation you're probably aware of them but their popularity locally is still baffling


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

i think the bay area is on some slow food hip hop. they support all of their own artists, and they artists seem to fare well without expanding their base. e40 is example enough.

"If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready." -Suga Free

mainly ATL and the bordering states

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTy2lOLmkN8

Locksmith
Doey Rock aka Mean Doe Green
C-plus
Live Manikins
Chuwee

we keep it moving,