May 21st is the birthday of one Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. Two decades after his brief vocation was cut shortsighted , the Brooklyn native is still wide consideredthe illest hip - hop artist of all time . While we do n’t differ with the affirmation , we also think that Biggie – who , in a clip ofgreat interregional tensions , reached across the function to act with Cleveland’sBone - Thugs - N - Harmony , Miami’sUncle Luke , and Oakland’sToo Short– might apprise a more geographically nuanced look at tap .
Long get are the"East Coast vs. West Coast " dayswhen NYC and LA harness , and everyone else might as well have been in outer space . The net largely dismantle pelvic arch - hops ’s playacting field , discover down the regional roadblock that existed in Biggie and 2Pac ’s solar day . So we ’ve scanned the playlists from 25 of the USA ’s great city and underground areas in search of the better doorknocker ever from each – a rosehip - hop Knights of the Round Table to Biggie ’s King Arthur , if you will .
Determining factor in our selections included , but were not specify to : the strength and consistency of their lyrical content ; their local and nationwide impact ; and their continue influence on other artist . In the case of rappers who ’ve moved around , we ’ve assigned them a single hometown ground on where they got their scratch , as opposed to where they might have landed after they take famous . As Biggie and Bone Thugs oncesaid , " Let ’s sit … "
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Atlanta: André 3000
Most " Atlanta " track:“Elevators ( Me & You)“Atlanta was n’t a agent in any conversation about rap until Outkast ’s Andre Benjamin ( then roll in the hay simply as " André " ) and Antwan " Big Boi " Patton kicked start the room access for the Dungeon Family and the " Dirty South " with their debut single " Player ’s Ball " in 1993 . Outkast was probably one of the most evenly jibe blame duos around , talent - wise , but it ’s Benjamin – who would formally rebrand himself André 3000 in 2000 – who listeners gravitate to the most . Over 10 age and five albums , he distinguished himself as the South ’s most imaginative doorknocker , a lyrical and sartorial innovator whose rejection of whang ’s inflexible maleness norms was way ahead of the curve . Today , the ATL is rest home to more pavilion rapper than any other urban center but , from Killer Mike to Future , the best of these can trace a line mightily back to André and Outkast . Runner - up : Big Boi
Baltimore: 2Pac
Most " Baltimore " track:“Dear Mama"Twenty years after their competition reached an inauspicious end , Tupac Shakur remains right next to Biggie on rap ’s Mount Rushmore . But assigning him a hometown is as sly as choosing the good caterpillar track from his schizoid catalog . The boy of Black Panther Afeni Shakur spend his earlier old age in New York City . He clear his first exposure with Digital Underground in Oakland . And he lived his final , most productive days in LA . Though he never memorialise there , the embodiment of West Coast whack first rap during his gamey school years in Baltimore . Better known forBaltimore club , a cross of hip - record hop break and house music emphasize party chants over lyrics , the Charm City has never had a home rap ace , a good enough reason to concede it custody of hip - hops ’s gravid nomad . Runner - up : Bossman
Boston: Guru
Most " Boston " track:“Take It Personal"As the representative of iconic duo Gang Starr ( with Houston - accept DJ Premier ) and the Godhead ofJazzmatazz , an experimental vanity project that fused hip joint - hops with live jazz , the later Keith " Guru " Elam is rightly tie in with Brooklyn , the New York borough where he did much of his classic work . But the rapper , known for his gravelly voice and conversational delivery , spend his formative years in Roxbury , Massachusetts , founding an earlier incarnation of Gang Starr with other local doorknocker before relocating to NYC . Boston has produced a handful of great MCs who kept things local – most notably , fellow Roxbury product EDO.G – but none can match up to Guru in terms of influence and seminal output . Runner - up : EDO . G
Chicago: Kanye West
Most " Chicago " song:“Homecoming"Chicago had principal rappers before Kanye . But as the unambiguously immodest musical auteur would in all probability differentiate you himself if he has n’t already , he did for pat in Chicago what Jordan did for basketball . With each of his six album , Kanye ’s positioned himself , and by annex his city , at the center of the conversation – rap - wise and for euphony in cosmopolitan . And , as much as he ’s ventured further outward musically with each project , he ’s consistently acknowledged his hometown through language ( perhaps most notably onGraduation ’s " Homecoming , " which recapitulate the metaphor from one of the metropolis ’s most iconic , pre - Kanye rap tracks , Common ’s " I Used to Love H.E.R " ) as well as his patronage of local artist , preceding ( i.e. , featuring ' 90s Chi icon Twista on earlyCollege Dropoutsingle " Slow Jamz " ) and present ( Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper , the shiny lights of the city ’s next knock generation , both have onThe Life of Pablo ) . While it ’s true he ’s more extremely regarded as a producer and often misfire lyrically , his highs as a doorknocker have been systematically memorable . Runner - up : coarse
Cleveland: Bizzy Bone
Most " Cleveland " song:“Thuggish Ruggish Bone"Midwest rap was miss a placeable identity until Bone Thugs - N - Harmony came on the fit in the other ' 90s with their " chopper - mode " double - metre flows , thugged - out presentation , and trademark group harmonies . Although the chemical group ’s greatest strength was its collective cohesion , Bizzy Bone ( Bryon Anthony McCane ) straightaway distinguish himself as its most distinctive comportment , with an impassioned , high - pitched obstetrical delivery . For a bit of Bizzy at his best , cue up"Notorious Thugs"from Biggie ’s 1996 albumLife After Death . It ’s one of the few time the peachy rapper of all metre was outshone on one of his own tracks . Runner - up : The ease of Bone Thugs
Dallas: The D.O.C.
Most " Dallas " song:“Ain’t It Funky"Like many landlocked rappers of his day , Tracy Lynn Curry , The D.O.C. , had to head for the coast to find success . After appearing on N.W.A. ’s 1987 unveiling , N.W.A. and the Posse , with his Dallas group , the Fila Fresh Crew , he remained in LA , ghostwriting for some of the urban center ’s most germinal gangster rap albums , includingStraight Outta ComptonandThe Chronic Doggystyle . However , his own solo vocation was cut back as quickly as it lead off in 1989 , when a car accident left his outspoken chord badly damaged just months after the sack of his authoritative debut , No One Can Do It Better . These days , Curry – who has of late regained some of his outspoken king and begun perform again – is back in Dallas , working on a raw album and reportedly filming an upcoming documentary for Netflix . Runner - up : Big rapier
Detroit: Eminem
Most " Detroit " song:“Lose Yourself"Do we really need to explain this one ? To suggest anyone other than Eminem as the pinnacle of Detroit whang would be like phone a label other than Motown the city ’s most important criminal record ship’s company . You do n’t have to be a fan , you just have to admit that , when it comes to hip - record hop in the Motor City , Slim Shady will always be the man . Runner - up : Royce da 5'9 "
Houston: Scarface
Most " Houston " song:“On My Block"There ’s no question here either . For longevity and consistency , few doorknocker anywhere can come to Brad Jordan . Along with fellow Geto Boys Willie D and Bushwick Bill , ' front create a gritty , noir lane for Houston rap , beginning with ' 89’sGrip It ! On That Other Level . Today , the source ofpossibly the most bright birdsong ever about going insaneis as revere for his catalogue of 12 solo L-P as he is for those former Geto Boys let go ; shadow of his influence can be felt in the medicine of Drake , a outspoken acolyte of authoritative Houston hip-hop , and somewhat much any MC who invokes mental unstableness for lyrical gravitas . And 25 years after the release of his solo introduction , Mr. Scarface Is Back , he still generates interestingness in his current piece of work , a obedience afford to few of his ' XC - geological era peers . Runner - up : Z - Ro
Kansas City: Tech N9ne
Most " Kansas " City song:“Am I A Psycho"Tech N9ne has quietly built up Kansas City tap ’s visibility since the tardy ' ninety with hislucrativelabel Strange Music and solo releases , which regularly top Billboard ’s indie chart . Well , " quietly " if you ’re outside the Midwest . On his home turf , he sells out venues in the decade of thousands . ( late collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne and the single " Hood Go Crazy " featuring B.O.B. and 2 Chainz , as well as appearances onForbes ’ " Cash Kings " lean , however , have begin to bring him some mainstream vulnerability . ) The rapper ’s aggro - rhyme style andJuggalo - friendly presentationaren’t for all penchant , but you ca n’t deny that he ’s had an outsized wallop on his metropolis and area . Runner - up : Solé
Los Angeles: Ice Cube
Most " LA " song:“Straight Outta Compton"With the very first line ( " Straight outta Compton , a crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube , from the bunch called Niggaz with Attitude " ) of the first rhyme of the first song of the first record album by N.W.A. ( we do n’t count 1987 ’s compiling " mixtape"N.W.A. and the Posse ) , Ice Cube define the gangster rap ethos : profane , visceral , threatening . Cube , who left N.W.A in 1989 , released four mostly classical albums on his own before turn primarily to acting , the influence of which should not be overlooked : " It Was a Good Day " a lighthearted , clean inversion of gangsta tropes from ' 92’sThe marauder , is a vindicated antecedent to the storytelling on Kendrick Lamar’sGood Kid , M.A.A.D. City . presently , we ’ll be shout Kendrick Lamar LA ’s greatest rapper ( let ’s give the kid one more record album to firm that up ) . Until then , if we ’re talking about a local who soak LA with a long - last lyrical legacy , it ’s Ice Cube , all day . Runner - up : Kendrick Lamar
Miami: Trick Daddy
Most " Miami " song:“I’m a Thug"Asalready - famous / wealthy rappersattracted by South Beach ’s jiggy political party vista flocked to Miami in the late ' 90s , Trick Daddy showcased a farinaceous , more authentic fade of local life-time on unity like " You Do n’t Know Nann " and " keep out Up . " Before Trick , Miami strike was notably thin on lyric content – window fecundation , essentially , for the booming 808s and call - and - response chants of the city’shomegrown Bass sound . Trick helped change that with his scene - stealing visual aspect on " marred , " the 1996 Uncle Luke bingle which instantly thrust him into the metropolis ’s spotlight ; he soon became the flagship act for Slip - N - Slide , the definitive Miami label of the previous ' 90s and other aught . He has n’t been very prolific lately , but even Rick Ross would probably have to acknowledge that no rapper well body forth the 305 area codification . Runner - up : Rick Ross
Memphis: Juicy J
Most " Memphis " song:“Tear Da Club Up"Juicy J , the former Three 6 Mafia extremity bang for his punchy pitch and " trippy " ( his word ) drug - inspired rhyme , continues to ride rap ’s most unbelievable third act . Having enjoyed fleeting success in two different era with Three 6 – first in the ' 90s , as the disobedient ambassadors of Memphis ' aggressive dollar bill music style , and then with a more sleek , Oscar - winning rendering of the grouping in the mid - zippo – he ’s now cognize to a unfermented generation of rap fans thanks to stripper anthems like " Bandz A Make Her saltation , " and his body of work with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry . That the 41 - year - previous is enjoy such a resurgence , while former Three 6 compadres like Koopsta Knicca have returned to obscureness , is a testament to persistence , timing , and the fortunate advantage of having a neat voice that sounds nerveless over much anything . Runner - up : Eightball and/or MJG
Minneapolis: Brother Ali
Most " Minneapolis " song:“Us"In contrast to Prince ’s flash , sexy funk , rap music in Minnesota ’s Twin Cities region is a drab - collar affair . The area ’s national presence is largely the work of one recording label , Rhymesayers Entertainment , founded by phallus and associates of the group Atmosphere . Of the company ’s local signings , probably the most noteworthy is Brother Ali , a lawfully blind , Muslim , albino rapper know for socially conscious menu like " Uncle Sam Goddamn " and " Us , " sport local R&B great Stokley Williams of Mint Condition . Runner - up : Slug ( of Atmosphere )
Milwaukee: Coo Coo Cal
Most " Milwaukee " song:“My Projects"That the most substantial rap song to ever come from Milwaukee was made by a bozo call Coo Coo Cal should differentiate you about all you need to cognize about Milwaukee hip-hop . Runner - up : Anybody ’s shot
New Orleans: Lil Wayne
Most " New Orleans " song:“Go DJ"Believe it or not , New Orleans is n’t among the 50 most populous US city . But when it comes to producing great rap euphony , this famously melodious town go in the top five . A fond list of unequaled Crescent City voice includes Mystikal , Juvenile , Jay Electronica , Curren$y , and Big Freedia . However , no one ’s brought NOLA whack to greater heights than one Weezy F. Baby . During his mixtape - enhanced peak from the mid- to late aughts ( a period culminate with 2009’sTha Carter III ) Lil Wayne was unrivaled in full term of productiveness , and off - the - paries lyrical inventiveness . He ’s since cauterize out , allowing his lead to be surpassed by YMCMB cohorts Drake and Nicki Minaj , but his periodic flashes of splendor ( not to name former hits with the Hot Boys ) are enough to secure his place at the pinnacle of New Orleans ' whang solid food chain . Runner - up : Mystikal
New York: The Notorious B.I.G.
Most " New York " song:“Unbelievable"NYC , the birthplace of hip - hop , has spawned so many great and influential rappers that to choose just one should be a daunting task . But it ’s not . It ’s Biggie . He took the best panorama of the best talents that came before him ( Big Daddy Kane ’s opulent swagger , Scarface ’s weighty gravitas , the visual profoundness of Rakim ) , added his own innovations ( changing styles and " character " within the same verse , for one ) , and changed the tone and pace of New York rap overnight , at once inspiring the next undulation of MCs ( here’swhat Jay Z fathom like , pre - Biggie ) to alter their whole approach . runner - up : Nas , Jay Z , Big Daddy Kane
Oakland: Too Short
Most " Oakland " song:“Cuss Words"Oakland is one of the great knock urban center , and while E-40 ( who in reality hails from nearby Vallejo ) and Mac Dre could each easily be anointed with top - dog position for their share to Bay Area dupe alone , it all depart with Too Short . For over 30 years , " Short Dog from the Dangerous Crew " has been dropping explicit story rap and " freaky story , " never deviating from the pattern that made him an Oaktown legend . The first of Too Short ’s approximately 20 studio albums was calledDon’t stop over Rappin’and , with the exception of a publicity stunt " retirement " in the ' 90s , he never really has . Runners - up : Mac Dre , E-40
Philadelphia: Black Thought
Most " Philly " song:“The Next Movement"Though overshadow in the publicity department by drummer and bandleader Questlove , Tariq " Black Thought " Trotter has been the etymon ' soulful voice of grounds for more than two decades . Philly ’s had more influential rappers ( Schoolly D , whose 1986 individual , " P.S.K. , What Does It think " laid the earliest cum of mobster rap ) , more emotionally resonant ones ( Beanie Sigel , whose grapples with street lifespan made for some of the most poignant music of the Roc - A - Fella era ) , and gaudy I with panache ( Cool C , Meek Mill ) . But none can take to be as systematically acuate or more admired by his peers . Runners - up : Beanie Sigel , Schoolly D
Phoenix: Marcus “MC Magic” Cardenas
Most " Phoenix " song:“Down For Yours"Phoenix is America ’s sixth - big city , but it miss a home identicalness . I could n’t name a exclusive rapper from PHX ( no , DMX , who ’s been reside – andfrequently arrested– in the area late does n’t count ) so I consult local diary keeper and formerPhoenix New Timesmusic editor in chief Jason Woodbury . He suggested Mexican - American rapper Marcus " MC Magic " Cardenas , know locally for solo albums like 2006 ’s Magic City , and as the leader of Nastyboy Klick , a Chicano rap crew that also included Magic ’s own boy . " trick is uniquely Arizona , Chicano flavor , Art Laboe lowrider oldies style , " Woodbury says , offering the caution : " He ’s not put out uniformly keen albums . " Magic ’s best - known track is belike " Down For Yours " featuring talkbox king Roger Troutman , which peaked at No . 10 on the Billboard rap chart in 1996.Runner - up : Willy Northpole
Pittsburgh: Wiz Khalifa
Most " Pittsburgh " song:“Black and Yellow"After honing his stoner persona on mixtapes likeKush & Orange Juice , Wiz Khalifa gave Pittsburgh its first rap anthem , 2010 ’s " Black and Yellow , " a character to the colour worn by the city ’s three professional sports squad . A handful of Steel City rappers have gained notice since then , but just about all seem to have some affiliation to Wiz , one of few local acts to achieve popular succeeder in recent yr ( only Christina Aguilera get to mind ) . Wiz ’s output since those former mixtapes has been hit or lose , but it ’s safe to say he ’ll be the " prince " of Pittsburgh for a foresighted time to come in . Runner - up : Mac Miller
San Francisco: Andre Nickatina
Most " San Francisco " aong:“Smoke Dope and Rap"San Francisco overshadows Oakland in almost every mensurable arena – except strike . If you ’re not from the Bay , you might have a baffling sentence naming an MC from San Fran ; most local rap icons , if not from Oakland proper , hail from some part of the East Bay . Not that there are n’t any sound I from the Golden City . raise in the Fillmore , SF ’s now - gentrifying pitch-black core , Andre Nickatina has been a cult shape locally since the ' 90 , when he was sleep with as Dre Dog , releasing decidedly non - commercial menu like " Smoke Dope and Rap " from ‘ 93’sThe New Jim Jones . Runner - up : San Quinn
Seattle: Ishmael Butler
Most " Seattle " song:“Motion Sickness"Sir Mix - a - Lot and Macklemore , those guys you know from novelty hits " Baby get Back " and " Thrift Shop , " respectively , both hail from Seattle . For a local product who;s made a more farseeing - term , if jolly less recognizable , impression on whack , there ’s Ishmael " Ish " Butler , aka Palaceer Lazaro . While dwell in New York during the early ' 90s , Butler formed Digable Planets , the malarkey - inspired Brooklyn trio well known for 1993 ’s " Rebirth of Slick ( Cool Like Dat ) . " A decade and a half later on , here - emergedin his hometown with Shabazz Palaces , a duo with Seattle - raise , Zimbabwean musician Tendai " Baba " Maraire . The group has recorded three albums of ambitious , emphatically non - commercial rap for Sub Pop , the indie - rock recording label best fuck for Nirvana . They veer rosehip - hop track that are about as " Seattle " as it have . Runner - up : Sir Mix - a - Lot
St. Louis: Nelly
Most " St. Louis " song:“Country Grammar"No one would ever cite Nelly as an elite lyricist . He ’s more hookmeister than MC , promotion rhymes in a catchy , sing - birdsong stream . But you;ve got to give him credit for defining his city ’s " Midwest Swing " sound along with his St. Lunatics gang . With " Country Grammar , " the lead single from his 2000 introduction of the same name , he instantly apply the local rap scene a interior profile and a distinguishable individuality that was adequate division Southern and Midwestern , in maintain with the metropolis ’s account as a regional intersection . Nelly would also open up the door for likewise styled local artists like Chingy , J - Kwon , and the St. Lunatics ' own Murphy Lee . Runner - up : Murphy Lee
Virginia Beach: Missy Elliott
Most " Virginia Beach " song:“The Rain ( Supa Dupa Fly)“As the large metropolis in Virginia ’s sprawling Hampton Roads metroplex ( which also includes Norfolk , Portsmouth , Hampton , Chesapeake , and Newport News ) , Virginia Beach became a hotbed for hip - hop and R&B gift in the ' 90s , especially behind the scenes . There , Portsmouth - have Melissa " Missy " Elliott and Timothy " DJ Timmy Tim " Mosley – soon to be know as Timbaland – colligate , writing and producing music for Elliott ’s girl group , Sista , and , later , Aaliyah . afterwards in the 10 , Missy step out as a rapper withSupa Dupa Fly , in a flash attaining champion status with her futurist arrangements , rap / R&B fusion , and bold , animated cartoon - instigate visuals . Health issue have stagger her productivity in recent year , but her up-to-the-minute single , " WTF , " a collaboration with fellow Virginia Beach product Pharrell , will prompt you just how much today ’s pat faggot Nicki Minaj owes to Miss E.Runner - up : Pusha T
Washington, DC: Wale
Most " DC " song:“Pretty Girls"Like nearby Baltimore , DC ’s never been a belt town . Go - go medicine , the performance - oriented , pleximetry - based music style pioneered here by Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers , has been the Chocolate City ’s dominant sound since the ' 70s . It ’s only in the last few years that the city ’s tap tantrum emerged into the public eye . That ’s mostly due to Wale , who , before he was plucked by Rick Ross to join Maybach Music Group , cemented his repp locally by pink over go - go beats on songs like 2006 ’s " Dig Dug " and ( later , on his major - label debut , Ambition ) , " Pretty Girls . “Runner - up : DJ Kool
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