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For those of us who grew up on New York hip-hop, we remember the glory days of the Golden Era, when there was no shortage of incredibly diverse rappers in the game, delivering their own unique brands of hip-hop to the world from the genre’s main stage. From party rockers like Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, to lyrical wizards like Rakim and Gang Starr’s Guru, to left-field Native Tongues affiliates like Tribe and De La – the city sparked a renaissance in hip-hop and made it a legitimate cultural force and relevant art form. It’d be an understatement to say the 2000s was something of a drought for New York hip-hop, though. As regional markets like Houston, Miami, and the Bay each took their turns in the spotlight, New York’s last hopes Papoose and Saigon struggled to find crossover success and their albums ended up on shelves for close to a decade. Meanwhile, fans and washed up rappers continued to bicker about bringing New York rap back.
Then the summer of 2012 came, and the super-young Brooklyn newcomer, Joey Bada$$, dropped his 1999 mixtape. The stellar 15-track tape was a smooth, boom bap-inspired, bold opus, expertly calling back to the good old days of New York hip-hop. Sure, there were plenty of artists buzzing before Joey blew up, but the dude demanded attention for his city, and he got it. And the truth is, there are a lot of rappers repping the New New York – some of them like to rap about selling coke, some of them like to rap about skateboarding, and some of them just like to rap about swag – but what made the Golden Era great for hip-hop was its diversity, and there’s definitely a lot of that. And as a mutually respectful wave has washed over our city’s young rappers, XXL feels like the more New New York rappers there are, the merrier.
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Pro Era
Borough: Brooklyn
Twitter: @thefckingera
Notable song: “Suspect”
Sounds like: Golden Era boom-bap channeled through DOOM’s metal fingers.
Why you need to know them: Pro Era is at the forefront of the New New York movement, thanks to Joey Bada$$’s rising fame from underground hits like “Survival Tactics” and “Unorthodox.” But the crew is also in a position to be one of the few artists with an incomparable NY sound to find success.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Vinny Cha$e
Borough: Manhattan (Harlem)
Twitter: @VinnyCHASEnyc
Notable song: ”Biggie & Jordans”
Sounds like: A fashion-focused Harlem rhymester.
Why you need to know him: Harlem is on the rise right now, and Vinny is one of Uptown’s newest cats to be leading the pack. Sure, A$AP Mob’s takeover is in full swing, but Cha$e and his Cheer$ Club wave is one to pay close attention to. Not only is he hip on the fashion side of things, Vinny’s also talented on the mic and thanks to well-received mixtapes in Survival of the Swag and Golden Army he landed a joint-venture deal with LA Reid’s Epic Records powerhouse earlier this month after fielding offers from Bad Boy and Atlantic Records. Now with his infectious “Biggie & Jordans” single getting traction, it’s safe to say that it’s time to make way for the “swag god.”
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Ratking
Borough: Manhattan (Harlem)
Twitter: @RatKing
Notable song: “Wikispeaks”
Sounds like: Early Eminem recitals with a grime band, taking place in an early Harmony Korine film.
Why you need to know them: Sportinglife, Ramon, Hak, and front man Wiki (collectively known as Ratking) first caught the public’s attention thanks to “Wikispeaks.” The record/video, which featured a then-18-year-old Wiki spewing endless, young-Slim Shady-style bars, immediately caught the attention of rap zealots, championing the youngster as a solid candidate to reignite the torch of New York rap’s dwindling flame. Since then, a whole batch of MCs influenced by their ‘90s predecessors has emerged. And while Wiki and Ratking’s musical presence experienced a facelift with more grime and hardcore gushes, there’s nothing more classically New York City than this rat pack’s discourses.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![image]()
Clik here to view.
For those of us who grew up on New York hip-hop, we remember the glory days of the Golden Era, when there was no shortage of incredibly diverse rappers in the game, delivering their own unique brands of hip-hop to the world from the genre’s main stage. From party rockers like Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, to lyrical wizards like Rakim and Gang Starr’s Guru, to left-field Native Tongues affiliates like Tribe and De La – the city sparked a renaissance in hip-hop and made it a legitimate cultural force and relevant art form. It’d be an understatement to say the 2000s was something of a drought for New York hip-hop, though. As regional markets like Houston, Miami, and the Bay each took their turns in the spotlight, New York’s last hopes Papoose and Saigon struggled to find crossover success and their albums ended up on shelves for close to a decade. Meanwhile, fans and washed up rappers continued to bicker about bringing New York rap back.
Then the summer of 2012 came, and the super-young Brooklyn newcomer, Joey Bada$$, dropped his 1999 mixtape. The stellar 15-track tape was a smooth, boom bap-inspired, bold opus, expertly calling back to the good old days of New York hip-hop. Sure, there were plenty of artists buzzing before Joey blew up, but the dude demanded attention for his city, and he got it. And the truth is, there are a lot of rappers repping the New New York – some of them like to rap about selling coke, some of them like to rap about skateboarding, and some of them just like to rap about swag – but what made the Golden Era great for hip-hop was its diversity, and there’s definitely a lot of that. And as a mutually respectful wave has washed over our city’s young rappers, XXL feels like the more New New York rappers there are, the merrier.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Pro Era
Borough: Brooklyn
Twitter: @thefckingera
Notable song: “Suspect”
Sounds like: Golden Era boom-bap channeled through DOOM’s metal fingers.
Why you need to know them: Pro Era is at the forefront of the New New York movement, thanks to Joey Bada$$’s rising fame from underground hits like “Survival Tactics” and “Unorthodox.” But the crew is also in a position to be one of the few artists with an incomparable NY sound to find success.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Vinny Cha$e
Borough: Manhattan (Harlem)
Twitter: @VinnyCHASEnyc
Notable song: ”Biggie & Jordans”
Sounds like: A fashion-focused Harlem rhymester.
Why you need to know him: Harlem is on the rise right now, and Vinny is one of Uptown’s newest cats to be leading the pack. Sure, A$AP Mob’s takeover is in full swing, but Cha$e and his Cheer$ Club wave is one to pay close attention to. Not only is he hip on the fashion side of things, Vinny’s also talented on the mic and thanks to well-received mixtapes in Survival of the Swag and Golden Army he landed a joint-venture deal with LA Reid’s Epic Records powerhouse earlier this month after fielding offers from Bad Boy and Atlantic Records. Now with his infectious “Biggie & Jordans” single getting traction, it’s safe to say that it’s time to make way for the “swag god.”
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Ratking
Borough: Manhattan (Harlem)
Twitter: @RatKing
Notable song: “Wikispeaks”
Sounds like: Early Eminem recitals with a grime band, taking place in an early Harmony Korine film.
Why you need to know them: Sportinglife, Ramon, Hak, and front man Wiki (collectively known as Ratking) first caught the public’s attention thanks to “Wikispeaks.” The record/video, which featured a then-18-year-old Wiki spewing endless, young-Slim Shady-style bars, immediately caught the attention of rap zealots, championing the youngster as a solid candidate to reignite the torch of New York rap’s dwindling flame. Since then, a whole batch of MCs influenced by their ‘90s predecessors has emerged. And while Wiki and Ratking’s musical presence experienced a facelift with more grime and hardcore gushes, there’s nothing more classically New York City than this rat pack’s discourses.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
