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Orginally posted and written by my man Big Ced on his site Industry CoSign
http://www.theindustrycosign.com/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=4281
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It Needs To Be CED: Why New York is Not Winning
BY BIG CED
What made New York, in terms of Hip-Hop, the place to be, was the abundance of talent and the stories that needed to be told to the masses. It wasn't the poverty or the ghetto life that separated New York from the world, it was the melting pot, the air, the uniqueness of the city that made it stand out. It was also the sights, the atmosphere, the grittiness of the city that made it a place that others either wanted to visit or stay far away from. Any way you looked at it, it was always a place that was the center of attraction.
And I'm not speaking only in terms of Hip-Hop or even music. We have the Broadway shows, Central Park, the Botanical Gardens, Coney Island, etc. I could list all the major attractions and still have more places and things that make this great city stand out. Malcolm X, the Civil Rights Movement and Gay and Lesbian protests. And let's not forget the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the New York Giants. See where I'm going with this? It will never be just one event or attraction that makes us so notable.
Wall Street, the Empire State Building and the financial district. King Kong. All in the Family, the Jeffersons, NYPD Blue and New York Undercover. Union Square, the Tunnel, Studio 54 and the Palladium. Sylvia’s, Copeland’s and Amy Ruth’s. Damn, this could go on for days…….
But the real reason for me writing this is the ‘rumor’ (or is it truth) that New York Hip-Hop is dead, wack, stale, doesn’t matter anymore. Why does it take Jay-Z or Nas to make NY relevant? Where are the new cats who were supposed to take off where Jay left off? Remember when Public Enemy, KRS-ONE, Das Efx, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap, Slick Rick and every other successful New York Hip-Hop artist was hot and doing it? Remember when MC Hammer, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Uncle Luke, Common and any other emcee outside of NY wanted to be accepted by New York? What happened to those days?
Now we all have theories. It’s time for other regions, people were sick of the NY sound, cats outside the region didn’t care about being accepted by NY. Maybe we are the victims of our own arrogance. Maybe there were too many hot NY emcees and the competition with each other allowed everyone else to sneak in and take it from us. Doesn’t matter, we are officially wack right now and there is only one thing that will put us back on top again! And no, it’s not the Jay-Z/Nas collaboration we are anticipating. NY is missing a great big factor that was the VERY reason why New York is envied, yet targeted, even by terrorists. We have something that is built in us, especially if we are born here, others gain once they move here and others elsewhere try to duplicate it with their own twist. Once we get this back, WE WILL WIN and be BACK ON TOP! It’s one simple word and all the great emcees, past, current and hopefully, future heads has had and/or have. Are you ready? SWAGGER!!!
Let me repeat that word for the people who didn’t read it correctly the first time, SWAGGER. That’s what we are missing! I am challenging the new ‘breed’ of emcees to start incorporating that in the way they do things. I don’t feel that from any of the new, what I call, ‘mentionables’. Papoose, Jae Millz, Maino, etc. Granted, all are talented, some even lyrical, but I don’t ‘feel’ the ‘swaggerness’ from them that I feel from a 50 Cent, a Ludacris, a T.I. when those guys do ANYTHING and I’m not just talking about them rapping. They all have an air about them that makes you take notice to them, something this new crop is lacking. Once those young bucks realize that the swagger will make them hot, they will get it.
And on another note, New York Hip-Hop was always known for its diversity and grittiness. I had a conversation with Uncle Luke yesterday and he stated that you can’t know the streets if you are not in the streets. I agree completely, every one is trying to be Puff and Jay and anyone else who is able to afford the ‘bling’ lifestyle, yet they don’t want to work to get there. And another thing, STOP TRYING TO MAKE MUSIC LIKE THE OTHER HOT REGIONS AT THE TIME! We were hot because we went to the beat of our own drum, but nowadays, if Atlanta is hot, niggas from NY are trying to be like Atlanta. When are we gonna say fuck everybody and let’s take the lead once again? We NEVER followed, we may have ‘borrowed’ and made it ours, but we NEVER followed, but the current crop, all they do is mimic what the others are doing and until the cycle is broken and the right emcees lead the way, we will always be lagging in the Hip-Hop world, a world WE created, nurtured and controlled. Now all we can do is look as everyone else surpasses us in EVERYTHING!
In closing, cause I’ve CED a lot, I am from New York, I live in New York, I will always represent New York, but no one likes being on a losing team. Right now we are the New York Knicks. Several years ago, ok, many years ago (during the Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniels, Jon Starks days), whenever a basketball team came into Madison Square Garden, they knew they were in for a fight and a loss, now, they come into the Garden knowing it will be easy. NY Hip-Hop right now is the New York Knicks. Regardless of who is coaching, the team STILL SUCKS.
We need to get the dynasty going again, like The New York Yankees. No one was beating the Yankees in the seventies, they went through a slump and who is beating them now (In terms of constantly being one of the better teams)? We need to be the New York Yankees, not the New York Knicks, but more importantly, we need to take the game back! We need to be the leaders! We need to be the trend setters again! We need to get down and dirty once more to prove that we can get dirty and come out on top again. But until that happens, we may as well stop claiming where we’re from cause it won’t matter. It’s not what we did yesterday, it’s what we are doing tomorrow!
To join theindustrycosign.com update list, send an email to- bigced@theindustrycosign.com
Check out my new blog page- Everything BIG CED: http://everythingbigced.blogspot.com/
http://www.theindustrycosign.com/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=4281
HOLLA BACK AND LET US KNOW HOW U FEEL ON THE SUBJECT....
It Needs To Be CED: Why New York is Not Winning
BY BIG CED
What made New York, in terms of Hip-Hop, the place to be, was the abundance of talent and the stories that needed to be told to the masses. It wasn't the poverty or the ghetto life that separated New York from the world, it was the melting pot, the air, the uniqueness of the city that made it stand out. It was also the sights, the atmosphere, the grittiness of the city that made it a place that others either wanted to visit or stay far away from. Any way you looked at it, it was always a place that was the center of attraction.
And I'm not speaking only in terms of Hip-Hop or even music. We have the Broadway shows, Central Park, the Botanical Gardens, Coney Island, etc. I could list all the major attractions and still have more places and things that make this great city stand out. Malcolm X, the Civil Rights Movement and Gay and Lesbian protests. And let's not forget the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the New York Giants. See where I'm going with this? It will never be just one event or attraction that makes us so notable.
Wall Street, the Empire State Building and the financial district. King Kong. All in the Family, the Jeffersons, NYPD Blue and New York Undercover. Union Square, the Tunnel, Studio 54 and the Palladium. Sylvia’s, Copeland’s and Amy Ruth’s. Damn, this could go on for days…….
But the real reason for me writing this is the ‘rumor’ (or is it truth) that New York Hip-Hop is dead, wack, stale, doesn’t matter anymore. Why does it take Jay-Z or Nas to make NY relevant? Where are the new cats who were supposed to take off where Jay left off? Remember when Public Enemy, KRS-ONE, Das Efx, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap, Slick Rick and every other successful New York Hip-Hop artist was hot and doing it? Remember when MC Hammer, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Uncle Luke, Common and any other emcee outside of NY wanted to be accepted by New York? What happened to those days?
Now we all have theories. It’s time for other regions, people were sick of the NY sound, cats outside the region didn’t care about being accepted by NY. Maybe we are the victims of our own arrogance. Maybe there were too many hot NY emcees and the competition with each other allowed everyone else to sneak in and take it from us. Doesn’t matter, we are officially wack right now and there is only one thing that will put us back on top again! And no, it’s not the Jay-Z/Nas collaboration we are anticipating. NY is missing a great big factor that was the VERY reason why New York is envied, yet targeted, even by terrorists. We have something that is built in us, especially if we are born here, others gain once they move here and others elsewhere try to duplicate it with their own twist. Once we get this back, WE WILL WIN and be BACK ON TOP! It’s one simple word and all the great emcees, past, current and hopefully, future heads has had and/or have. Are you ready? SWAGGER!!!
Let me repeat that word for the people who didn’t read it correctly the first time, SWAGGER. That’s what we are missing! I am challenging the new ‘breed’ of emcees to start incorporating that in the way they do things. I don’t feel that from any of the new, what I call, ‘mentionables’. Papoose, Jae Millz, Maino, etc. Granted, all are talented, some even lyrical, but I don’t ‘feel’ the ‘swaggerness’ from them that I feel from a 50 Cent, a Ludacris, a T.I. when those guys do ANYTHING and I’m not just talking about them rapping. They all have an air about them that makes you take notice to them, something this new crop is lacking. Once those young bucks realize that the swagger will make them hot, they will get it.
And on another note, New York Hip-Hop was always known for its diversity and grittiness. I had a conversation with Uncle Luke yesterday and he stated that you can’t know the streets if you are not in the streets. I agree completely, every one is trying to be Puff and Jay and anyone else who is able to afford the ‘bling’ lifestyle, yet they don’t want to work to get there. And another thing, STOP TRYING TO MAKE MUSIC LIKE THE OTHER HOT REGIONS AT THE TIME! We were hot because we went to the beat of our own drum, but nowadays, if Atlanta is hot, niggas from NY are trying to be like Atlanta. When are we gonna say fuck everybody and let’s take the lead once again? We NEVER followed, we may have ‘borrowed’ and made it ours, but we NEVER followed, but the current crop, all they do is mimic what the others are doing and until the cycle is broken and the right emcees lead the way, we will always be lagging in the Hip-Hop world, a world WE created, nurtured and controlled. Now all we can do is look as everyone else surpasses us in EVERYTHING!
In closing, cause I’ve CED a lot, I am from New York, I live in New York, I will always represent New York, but no one likes being on a losing team. Right now we are the New York Knicks. Several years ago, ok, many years ago (during the Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniels, Jon Starks days), whenever a basketball team came into Madison Square Garden, they knew they were in for a fight and a loss, now, they come into the Garden knowing it will be easy. NY Hip-Hop right now is the New York Knicks. Regardless of who is coaching, the team STILL SUCKS.
We need to get the dynasty going again, like The New York Yankees. No one was beating the Yankees in the seventies, they went through a slump and who is beating them now (In terms of constantly being one of the better teams)? We need to be the New York Yankees, not the New York Knicks, but more importantly, we need to take the game back! We need to be the leaders! We need to be the trend setters again! We need to get down and dirty once more to prove that we can get dirty and come out on top again. But until that happens, we may as well stop claiming where we’re from cause it won’t matter. It’s not what we did yesterday, it’s what we are doing tomorrow!
To join theindustrycosign.com update list, send an email to- bigced@theindustrycosign.com
Check out my new blog page- Everything BIG CED: http://everythingbigced.blogspot.com/
4 comments:
She asked how come I don't smile
I said, Everything's fine,
but I'm in a New York state of mind!- rakim
Ced u said a mouthful boy. And you hit it right on the nail. New York as well as some New Yorkers have lost its swagger.
Everyone did wanna be like New York, Everyone was busting their ass for New York exceptance and at one point if New York said your joint was wack, it got no love. You had to love in New York to get love in your own backyard in some instances. We were the creators, the originators, The leaders we set the trends.
But even though I live in Atl now I am NY for life and NY current crisis is self inflicted.
The problem of being the shit is you start to believe the hype. Instead of continuing to do it like it was doen at the time we speak of NYs became complacent.
Being the shit, being number one take work, like lifting weights, u stop and let yourself go and those muscles you flex turn to fat.
We in NY got spoiled, we had video shows before others, hip hop playing on the radio, we had the major labels, Def Jam and Tommy Boy we based in NY.
But then labels started seeing other regions that werent as fortunate as NY to have a emcee and DJ on every corner, you can trip over 10 dope emcees and DJs no one has ever heard of on the way to teh bodega to get a loosy in NY
Other regions that didnt and still dont have that supported their artists when they did get it. New Yorkers dont buy records so NY artsist cant go platinum or even gold in their own neighborhood.
Everyone is NY is industry affilated and figures they should get shit for free. In teh hey day of Public Enemy they could never go gold of platinum in Strong Island, 500,000 BX kids aint buy KRS's joints
the way the Bay supported Too Short for instant
Artists could say F*@K New York cause they could go gold or sell 150,000 units out the truck. Like him or not thats how MC Hammer got teh big deal with Capitol he was movin units in the Bay.
New York State of Mind
became like a God-like complex
and no longer did NY's disapproval mean bad sales.
Master P proved that the whole nation was Bout It Bout It for a year before Flex dropped a bomb on it. NYers didnt have a clue, but P was moving units in the west, midwest and the south like ist was all good. Flex dropped a bomb on it and NY became bout it.
Others saw that and went after the other 49 states cause if you get their support NY has to follow
NYers then went into that whole we started this shit, and thats the thanx we get mentality instead of puttin out fire. Then they to appeal to other regions Jay was Big Pimpin with UGK and its goes down hill from there
Now cats from Bed Sty to Brentwood was be TI, Luda and Lil Jon. Fat Joe got his biggest hit messing with Lil Jon
dont take my word for it what did Joe say in Lean Back remix...
I guess I'm bicoastal now
Took a down south brother to bring your boy out
now he makin platinum joints with all this non NY artist like tha Miami joint
Sorry for the long reply I am passionate about this as well
and Ced said it best once the new NY artists get their swagger back, NY will
be all that again,
But I dont think a NY artists will go Gold or Platinum in NY alone
so I understand why they reach out to the other regions
Even if thats what you feel you gotta do, do it as only a New Yorker can do it
if you know what I mean we may have a chance if you cant feel what I said here, NY HIPHOP IS DEAD and wont be makin a comeback
-AJ WOODSON
professional hip-hop junkie
Heavy Rotation Mag
the total urban experience
www.heavyrotationmag.com
www.myspace.com/heavyrotationmagazine
It's never been about selling when it came to NY being the Kings of this shit, that's well-documented. My main concern is in the mindset, attitude and mentality when these artists go creating their 'masterpieces'.
I think because of the money factor, some have lost or never had the passion to do it the way it was done in the past and that is understandable, but in this current climate, wackness sells records and some of these cats are just trying to sell records. I can give you many examples of the wack songs being played on the airwaves today. Brothers see that and dumb themselves down in order to gain the mass appeal the wack artists are getting now.
I want to hear some shit that I can STILL play in my itunes in 7, 9, 16 years. Examples? Kick In The Door- Notorious B.I.G., Politics As Usual- Jay-Z, They Want Efx- Das Efx, Rappaz R N Danja- KRS-ONE. These are just examples of songs that when I play it today, I still feel the energy that went into it when they were recorded. I can go on and on with countless examples and it pains me that over the last 5 years, I can pick very few songs that bring across that energy that will have the same strength in years to come......
I'm sayin..... :)
Damn Ced you hit the nail right on the fucking head man with that shit. I've been waiting for someone to finaly say this shit as it was long overdue. All these new cats are all cut from the same fucking cloth and it's like an assembly line of cloned emcees. People outside of NY can say what the fuck they will about NYC but we are the fucking shit and in true NYC style to the haters FUCK YOU!! I blame the industry for letting this wack shit develop, the A&R's who plug this shit as the next thing, the labels for putting this wack shit out and the emcees who are being followers instead of leaders. That swagger is not even present right now in nobody that's out except for who ced sited and yet they hating on that nigga 50. Up in Da Club had all these motherfuckers shaking they ass and they can't deny it. It's time to bring this shit back to NYC fuck all that crunk bullshit and all that down south shit it's time for the fucking boom bap to make it's presence felt again and reclaim what we ain't lost but fucking mis-placed.
These emcees need to be fucking relevant now if they want my money and I demand that the music that I'm gonna spend my hard earned dollars on be something worth buying. I'm tired of mediocre and bland now. I'm tired of hearing emcees talking shit about they stunting like they daddies and like a ceiling fan and about they chirp on they motorollas and all kinds of fucking wack shit. I get music sent to me for reviews every fucking day and you have to wonder why people listen to this shit or even record this shit. All these fucking yes men want to keep they fucking jobs so yeah that shit is hot to death and the producers that do these tracks should be exiled and have they hands cut off so they don't touch another MPC or keyboard for making wack shit like that ever again.
All these big name producers I'm putting on blast as well Primo, Pete Rock, Diamond D, RZA, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder, Ayatollah and the rest of ya'll it's time for ya'll to make that difference as well with the music. Bring that NYC sound back to the motherfucking forefront and forget all that bullshit 6/4 time signatures and bring that straight 4/4 head banging, neck snapping beats back on point. Enough of the NY shit and all that shit bigging up NY, we know who the fuck we are and it's time to show them again. Yeah, I'm an angry black man so what!!
Oh and one other thing fuck you eeax, who the fuck is you to tell us what we should or should not do? You not a New Yorker so what u have to say is not relevant, if you from NYC then u have some leeway but if not u gets the dilz. If you feeling chicken noodle soup then u a bigger fucking fool than I anticipated because that shit is fucking wack. NYC is in the blood of all New Yorkers and it ain't about us being impatient about nothing we always and steadily on the motherfucking grind. We take quality over fucking quantity any day, real heads know what the fuck I'm talking about with that statement when it comes to hip hop. You an outsider on the outside looking in you not on the inside to know what real New Yorkers are all about with hip hop. In every hood or borough in NYC you will get lessons about hip hop because that shit is ingrained like DNA and right now we trying to preserve that shit for the next generation. So yeah u keep listening but just don't say nothing.
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