Is the rap game as regional as it once was?

[20HotBeats]

As hip hop began to grow around the country in its early stages artists would breakthrough their specific region, bringing the style of their region with them. Artists were often characterized as east coast rappers, west coast, midwest, and dirty south to name the more prevalent styles. I feel that in the game today the new sub genres are formed by terms that do not directly tie them to a geographic area, such as new school, underground, club, hipster, boom bap to name a few. Producers often classify their beats as a certain genre, and most individual tracks by artists can be identified the same way. However, as more and more artists hit the scene I find it difficult to attach their style to their respective region compared to the days of Biggie and Pac where they were obviously east coast and west coast. I feel many artists in the new era crossover into various sub genres.

Do you think the game is still regional as it once was, or do you feel that artists have a wider range in this era? Has the internet exposed people to so many different flavors of rap that regional influence isn't as strong on upcoming artists? Do you think fans still favor local trends, or are does their location have little effect on who they chose to listen to?

[Savage Capone]

Originally Posted by 20HotBeats

As hip hop began to grow around the country in its early stages artists would breakthrough their specific region, bringing the style of their region with them. Artists were often characterized as east coast rappers, west coast, midwest, and dirty south to name the more prevalent styles. I feel that in the game today the new sub genres are formed by terms that do not directly tie them to a geographic area, such as new school, underground, club, hipster, boom bap to name a few. Producers often classify their beats as a certain genre, and most individual tracks by artists can be identified the same way. However, as more and more artists hit the scene I find it difficult to attach their style to their respective region compared to the days of Biggie and Pac where they were obviously east coast and west coast. I feel many artists in the new era crossover into various sub genres.

Do you think the game is still regional as it once was, or do you feel that artists have a wider range in this era? Has the internet exposed people to so many different flavors of rap that regional influence isn't as strong on upcoming artists? Do you think fans still favor local trends, or are does their location have little effect on who they chose to listen to?

me personally, i think that regions style wise are definitely going away, but thats a good thing imo. Rap & hip hop needs to grow, i understand about the oldskool ways things were done with knowing for sure what region an emcee was from strictly on their flow and beats they used, but its a good thing that rappers are becomign more versatile with their flow.... look at eminem he is midwest but has changed alot over the years to his own style. i think thats what rappers need is their own style and to not be subjected to just the sttyle of where they're from, im from Oklahoma. some call it south, some call it south west, some call it nid-west. i say its mid-west but there are alot of different styles here. i dont have a particular style i rap with, i just go off what i feel from the beat. i have an eclectic style of rap. i can rap on any subject on any beat, and whatever kinda beat it is i ride the fuck out of it.. i guess thats what i can call my style mid-west beat rider... i get the beat in my body and just let lose wit what ever my mind decides to pump out.... so yes the regional rapper style is coming to a close, but i feel as long as that rapper reps wherr theey're from the style they do it with doesnt matter...

It's definitely faded. I personally still throw up the W every now and then....ukno.

[Boss-MC]

not necessarily, being from those areas no longer defines how u spit but from producerd etc there are still these "regional" sub genres, south hiphop is the most obvious difference now and always was i suppose. artists themselves may not have to only use east west south beats anymore but as hiphop spread more widely this was always the case anyway, some biggie tracks had a heavy westcoast feel....basically my point is people have more choice and the listeners have a wider knowledge of music so there are different beats they can now choose more freely from. BUT regional as a sub genre is very much still there

[Rhifle]

I guess it just depends on what lifestyle you live because imo if you're gunna rap over beats and put the shit out, you need to be real and true. Cassidy and AR AB talk gunplay coz they live that life being from Philly n all so they have a right to talk about that. Most famous cats own a weapon of some sort so I feel they are allowed to talk about the weapons they keep and how they'll bust if a nigga act up but they shouldn't just act out right hard coz that's what gets niggas shot down. Just be you would be my honest input on this topic and don't feel ashamed if you feed off another's style because you grew up listening to them. Just switch it up a bit and be unique.

[Evolution]

I was thinking the same thing. The whole style of rapping from you region has definitely left, if not vanished. It used to be so important. It's weird how things just change like that. Seems as though rappers still ''repp their hood'' but their styles are so diverse now. I think this is a negative AND a positive, ya know?

IDC where it's from, if it's lyrical, I listen. Always been that way. Using my favorite rappers to influence me, I just wrote and did my own thing, not thinking of styles or regions. It's funny, people said I have a ''west side'' type style of rapping, though I'm from the east coast really.

Idk man, one minute I can bump Pac and the next Jay-z, haha. It's a good thing to be diverse I suppose.

[20HotBeats]

One of the things that got me on this topic in the first place was the evolution of the Cash Money crew. It started as a group of mainly talent from Louisiana and the South, but after many of the big names fell off or parted ways like Juvi, Mannie Fresh, B.G., Lil Turk, etc... Birdman and Wayne started recruiting, and instead of staying local, they reached out to people like Drake from Canada, Nicki from N.Y., and Tyga from out West. I feel like the artists in Young Money/Cash Money sound more like one another rather than the part of the map than the came from. Tyga sounds more like Wayne then Snoop or Dre. Nicki sounds more like Wayne then Nas or Jay-Z. Drake.......... well Canada isn't quite a hip hop super star factory, but y'all get what I'm sayin.