By Chris Spangenberg, Grade 10
The argument is everywhere. From school classrooms to street corners, from store counters to YouTube channels: the question is posed, discussed with immediate attention, and confronted with a brewing mixture of apprehension and fierce pride: Which is better, East Coast rap, or West Coast rap? Hip-Hop heads and residents alike will argue for their coast savagely, with bitter feuds and a lot of tears spilled at the end of the day. And almost everyone tends to forget Midwest and Southern rap, when giving you a piece of their mind.
Let's take a deeper look at this, shall we? Hip-Hop originated in New York City, The Bronx. Groups such as the Sugarhill Gang and Run-DMC were several of its pioneers. The West Coast started getting in on the rap scene, and bred the infamous rap group N.W.A.- still one of the most hardcore rap groups ever. Groups such as the Wu-Tang Clan started dragging the genre, kicking and screaming back to the East Coast, its roots. Rappers such as 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. began dominating the scene with smooth flows and a laid-back East Coast vibe.
It all depends, really. If you were to ask me which I think is better, I'd probably stroke my chin sagely for a period of time, before answering with East Coast. I just blast their laid-back soundscapes; their flow and lingo is just wickedly sinful to the eardrums. However, I do understand why people are die-hard fans of the West Coast too. To my hearing, N.W.A plays like a thrilling action flick. Ice-Cube has one of the chillest flows ever. Nevertheless, I am still a rookie to the sonic war between the two coasts. Making up your mind about who's the best, is a life-long decision. But it'll always be a competition between the two, with no winner. And that's a given.
2Pac was a West coast rapper, not East. The whole controversial feud between 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. would've never started if they were both from the East Side.
ReplyDeleteBefore writing a critical analysis of the beauty of what you call hip-hop, please learn facts and do a bit of research to not embarrass yourself, as well as the people that made this unique genre so prevalent.
East wins it for me. 2Pac is born in Eat Harlem NY...? But he is still a west coast rapper. And Run DMC is from Queens, not the Bronx. But The Bronx is where it all started and sugarhill gang yes they were the pioneers. Good article Chris, your friend Keith...
ReplyDeleteFLO RIDA is he east cost?
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