How come Baltimore and DC never produced any rappers?

[slikkp]

I can tell y’all exactly why nobody from Baltimore has ever blown up. I used to rap so I saw it first hand. Now this was the early 2000s so I can’t really speak on now. But in most cities a lot of rappers gain some type of local following first. For along time DJs broke new shyt in the club and on radio shows. That didn’t really happen too much here becuz a lot of DJs were too focused on club music and they would hate. First rapper who did kinda blow was Tim Trees with Bankrolls and I think mostly becuz the producer was a club music DJ who had all the connections. I think he produced Bossman’s first hit too if I’m not mistaken. I actually heard Bankrolls on the radio in ATL once tho back in like 03

On top of all this there’s a lot of crabs here


Glad you mentioned him. I was gonna bring him up. I used to play Pop Warner football with him and we ran in the same circles in hs. Even rapped together for a little while

Shout out to N.E.K.

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Shout out to N.E.K.

I put some of those stickers up around town

 

[Deoji]

I lived on Tuckerman Ave and in Columbia Heights and Takoma Park during college years after coming back Hampton.
Family on Suitland Pkwy and in Fort Washington and I was present during the entire U Street Renaissance.
and I didnt say all or most DC nikkas but if we gonna keep it 100 then keep it 100.
A lotta dudes was emulating- that was the biggest criticism for DC from people coming here for college or work- that we couldnt decide if we were more NYC or ATL (the ATL thing started happening later).
And it wasnt Chicago or Cali or Carolina dudes scooping up the local chicks, it was NY nikkas - listen to old rap tapes on how they would talk about coming down to DMV to hustle or hide-out or book hoes. We used to be hurt chilling around NYC dudes who talked about DC girls like they were slow moving chickens in a den of wolves. Girls would go out of their way to avoid local nikkas and find the NYC "swag" - so bad that nikkas from Connecticutt and Jersey would front like they were from NYC.
Of course in 91-92 New Jersey nikkas started popping sh-t on their own cuz Jersey was emerging with its own identity at that time. They moved out of NYC's shadow and I bring it up cuz I was frontrow watching it happen and its a perfect example of how NYC held their status for a long time. I worked in several studios in DC and the emulation was real.

I ain't making this up - it was a genuine observation/complaint from folks trying to cultivate a DC music art scene during the 90s and early 2000s before the gentro wave really took over. Back when folks was trying NOT to make gogo/rap blends and you could still drive past the front of the White House and before BET moved to NYC.

There are SO MANY colleges in the DMV area and so many kids from new england (NY, Mass, Jersey, Conn, New Hampshire) that come to the area for school- even they saw how NYC cultural influence was deep down here - it made them feel at home in a new englandy type of way. This is not so much of an issue now but in the 90s it was a major issue.
And I'll say it one more time, NYC emulating nikkas dont hold a candle to the crabs in a barrel mentality which still handicaps the DC area RIGHT NOW.

My bad for another long post but I remember all this sh1t like it was yesterday and the fact this thread was started because there is a perception the area hasn't produced any rappers makes me hella sad.

You never answered my question and imma have to take your word for it. I'm from PG where we never emulated anything from NY. Went to college in NC and the DC area and NY area nikkas always had this underlying competition but with mutual respect. We made fun of each other but rarely came to blows. DC and MD folks rolled together and we prided ourselves on being original. I need specific examples on DC copying NY because all we did was joan on them nikkas.

 

[submarine1]

You never answered my question and imma have to take your word for it. I'm from PG where we never emulated anything from NY. Went to college in NC and the DC area and NY area nikkas always had this underlying competition but with mutual respect. We made fun of each other but rarely came to blows. DC and MD folks rolled together and we prided ourselves on being original. I need specific examples on DC copying NY because all we did was joan on them nikkas.

with all due respect when were you born?
and i did answer your question.
And I was not talking about now I'm speaking on the previous poster who talked about living in shadows (LA vs the Bay and DC vs NYC).
I'm pointing out the differences and similarities and where it came from historically.
Nowadays regional origins/rivalries are non-factors for rap music - which is why DMV n1ggas gotta let that sh1t goooooo.
There is still too much MoCo vs PG vs DC vs VA vs Bmore squabbling going on that dont even have real any street/money beefs tied to it- its just regional pride but gottam PRIDE before the Fall is what i'm saying.
DMV definitely has its own identity NOW however you can not tell me honestly you don't or didn't see the "MoCo vs PG vs DC vs VA vs Bmore" vibes growing up if you are really from the city regardless of when you were born.
That sh1t is still going on right now - like right now right now.
It ain't everybody but its enough people where it detrimental to the whole area getting it poppin.

 

[Taadow]

Spoiler: Too Long

Someone correct me if i'm wrong. But I was thinking about something for a while...


I notice that every city that gains musical corporate interest, has a signature vice or two that can be attributed/branded to that city.

In east coast cities it's (mainly) hustlin
In the West it's (mainly) gangbangin
In the South or Midwest it's (mainly) pimpin


I'm not saying these vices are specific to each region; every region got everything goin on there. But as far as mainstream branding goes.

Once a city has something on lock, then cacs swoop in and take a bunch of artists who made it out via that vice, and give them successful careers. Those successes serve as a beacon that attract would-be-regular nikkas to that vice/lifestyle, and rapping style. The artists who never were about that life are stuck making generic songs about "making it", and love songs. Their success tends to be limited.





as far as the question goes, I'm not sure what signature fukkery DC/ B'more bring to the table that would make cacs wanna start signing a buncha DC/B'more nikkas. You know how these folk are.

But DC got a wide variety, the oddisees, shy glizzy, fat trels, Wale's etc. B'More/MD got the mully mans, Phil Ade, etc.


I'm not sure if this post fits the question, but something told me to finally say this shyt in here

I was gonna say something similar to this.

B’More/DC (rap) didn’t have a sound that was truly theirs. IMO, they fumbled the ball.
Their time to pop was that window between ‘87-‘92 - they shoulda pushed that Go-Go/New Jack Swing chit.
At that time, they R&B was starting to do something (E.U., Basic Black, Family Stand, Force One Network, etc.), but they didn’t have nobody rapping then that was coming like that.

For reals, the most “DMV” rap song is “Time For Freakin’”.
If they woulda had more chits like that, and at the right time - things woulda been different.

 

[BruhManFromTheFifthFlo]

Focusing on acting and other such talents

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

...GoGo became the dominant music form and never looked back for one...DC area prides themselves on being unique and different from the rest, so that’s part of it..

hip hop was embraced though and brehs where always freestylin on the block and school hallways...but there was/is no real industry to build up a relevant independent scene to encourage talent to go all out and take rappin or producing(most important) seriously..can’t forget the crab in a barrel this area has been infamous for, nikkas feel there too good to support from the ground level....bytch ass radio stations didn’t help but at the end of the day everything starts from the ground level...

I’m sure this the same with Bmore for the most part...

Both have produced great R&B artist though

i wont even ask you how

 

[Sankofa Alwayz]

I was gonna say something similar to this.

B’More/DC (rap) didn’t have a sound that was truly theirs. IMO, they fumbled the ball.
Their time to pop was that window between ‘87-‘92 - they shoulda pushed that Go-Go/New Jack Swing chit.
At that time, they R&B was starting to do something (E.U., Basic Black, Family Stand, Force One Network, etc.), but they didn’t have nobody rapping then that was coming like that.

For reals, the most “DMV” rap song is “Time For Freakin’”.
If they woulda had more chits like that, and at the right time - things woulda been different.

That shyt is a true old school classic around here

 

[Taadow]

That shyt is a true old school classic around here

Bet.
That shoulda been the D.C. sound, imo.

Maybe it’s just because the DMV in general is just too diverse culturally to have one particular sound.

But when I think of DMV and rapping, my thoughts are:

“Time For Freakin’”
E.U. - “Da Butt”
Nonchalant - “5 O’Clock”
B. Rich - “Whoa Now”
the dudes who tried to sue Jay-Z for jackin’ “12 AM on the way to the cluuuuuuub...”
“Laurel had dem BOPPAS BOPPAS BOPPAS BOPPAS”

 

[Deoji]

Bet.
That shoulda been the D.C. sound, imo.

Maybe it’s just because the DMV in general is just too diverse culturally to have one particular sound.

But when I think of DMV and rapping, my thoughts are:

“Time For Freakin’”
E.U. - “Da Butt”
Nonchalant - “5 O’Clock”
B. Rich - “Whoa Now”
the dudes who tried to sue Jay-Z for jackin’ “12 AM on the way to the cluuuuuuub...”
“Laurel had dem BOPPAS BOPPAS BOPPAS BOPPAS”

the dudes are the go go band Rare Essence. Go go heavily influenced rap back in the day and no one talks about it. There was a go go sample or pattern a lot of rap classics. That was prolly the best opportunity for DC to get it's shine.

 

[blockburna420]

Wale
Fat Trel
Tabi Boney
non chalant

after Googling
YBN Cordae

 

[Rollie Forbes]

I remember bout 2002-3 a 16 year old phenom named Comp outta Baltimore was signed to Def Jam.

They sent out a whole project for promo.

During a conference call, I inquired about what they planned on doing with the guy, because he was out of Baltimore and dope.

They said nothing if he doesn't catch.

Comp was dope. Breh didn't blow up, but at least he was on a Ghostface album/video ("Run"), and made it into one of the Def Jam games.

 

[Rollie Forbes]

Who Young Leek be?

I see what you did there!

 

[Rollie Forbes]

We created go-go and that’s all that matters

Cacs are trying their hardest to kill it, though. It's so nice to hear bands at the protests & marches.

 

[Rollie Forbes]

Exactly, it’s a lot of factors involved so I forgot the radio. Only local shyt they ever played was Go Go. And like you said, to do any NYC type things was bama shyt. Its one thing to listen to it but a lot of nikkaz ain’t want to actually do it. That’s why rappers leave to ATL or LA or NYC and it leaves the area dry because nothing is being grown organically here like in ATL, Miami, Memphis, Chicago, Detroit, etc.

It’s funny tho you right. It’s a sharp contrast it’s either some backpack shyt or some trapped out gangsta shyt. Not too much inbetween, which is crazy considering all the conscious thugs in the area lol. I feel like it’s gon get better tho. I mean shyt, BMore and DC have definitely held the R&B game down.

Lack of radio support really hurt DMV rappers. We had DC Home Jams on WPGC, Steph Luva used to let people call & battle her when she was on WKYS in the 90's, local rappers got airplay sometimes on Flavor 1580, and in the early 2000's Flexx & Rayne hosted the Friday night battles on WPGC for local talent. Not too many rappers blew up nationally from those things, but they helped keep the DMV sound pure.
Now, most of the kids who try to rap from here sound like their from somewhere else.