Vado and A$AP Rocky: Putting New York Back On The Map?

It has long been lamented that New York has fallen from the position of dominance that it once held over the rap industry. Gone are the days where the city spawned multi-platinum singles and albums by the bucketload as other regions have begun to assert their dominance. If we look at some of the top selling rappers in the game (excluding Jay Z), there is a distinct lack of New York artistry:

Eminem - Detroit

Lil Wayne - New Orleans

Drake - Toronto 

Rick Ross - Miami
Kanye West - Chicago

Similarly, New York is conspicuously absent in the birthplaces of new artists breaking through:

Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller - Pittsburgh

Wale - Washington

J Cole - North Carolina

Yelawolf - Alabama

Though it is an obvious cause for celebration that hip hop now has a range of diverse talent, it is an alarming state of affairs that the self proclaimed birthplace of rap has no obvious standard bearers to carry forward the new generation. 

In 2009 Harlem rapper Vado released his debut mixtape Boss Of All Bosses alongside mentor Cam'ron. Slime Flu followed as his first release as a solo artist, the project being well received in rap circles. Closely associated with the Dipset movement, Vado is similar in style to group leader Cam'ron. Though not quite blessed with the same charisma on the mic, the rapper is more lyrical than the majority of his Dipset brethren, comparisons can be made with New York stalwart Fabolous. Retail album Gunz n' Butta was released in April 2011, again with Cam'ron. The project was both a commercial and critical failure, attracting very little attention in terms of acclaim or sales. Perhaps with this is mind, Vado brought out sequel mixtape Slime Flu 2 without a single verse from his frequent collaborator. As he explained in an interview with HipHopDX: “Shout out to Cam but a lot of people always say ‘Yo, all your songs is with Cam. You do everything with Cam.’ So I’m branching off doing my thing. So he letting me fly. It was something we both said ‘Yo, it’s time to do.’ Once I got signed it was time to start showing I’m my own man.”

The new mixtape has received a largely positive response, the rapper branching out into non-Dipset features with Fabolous on 'Ok Y'all' and Raekwon on 'Bed Piss'. The journey to success is by no means over for the Harlem born MC, but his progress is being watched closely in New York rap circles.

Hailing from the same area of New York, overnight success A$AP Rocky was recently the subject of a rumoured $3 million deal with Sony/RCA. As he explained to Billboard Magazine: "I don't have a $3 million dollar balance in my account but the record deal was $3 million though. I got a deal with RCA/Polo Grounds for A$AP Worldwide and I got a deal with them for my solo project, my solo deal; if you combine both deals it amounts to a three million dollar deal." The A$AP Worldwide group referred to concerns the ASAP (Always Strive And Prosper) crew the rapper is currently a member of. Comprising of rappers, producers and designers such as ASAP Dee Ferg, ASAP Ty, ASAP Nast, and ASAP Twelvyy. The movement is similar to Odd Future in that the charismatic front man opens doors for the rest of the team. 

Youtube hits 'Peso' and 'Purple Swag' showcase why the rapper has garnered so much attention for his mixtape Live.Love.ASAP. Contrary to the traditional New York hip hop, the collection of tracks is much more Southern oriented in terms of sound. The beats are dripping, promethazine laced and bass heavy while the lyrics use simple, spaced out rhyme schemes much closer to the Dirty South template. In addition to success with his new label, the rapper has been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll, demonstrating how he is also receiving attention from across the pond.

It remains to be seen if Vado and A$AP have the staying power to become fixtures in the legendary New York rap lexicon. 2012 is a huge year for both.

Vado - Slime Flu 2

A$AP Rocky - Live.Love.A$AP

Busta Rhymes: Comeback King?

Browsing Hip Hop DX today, I came across the first bit of news that has interested me in a while. Busta Rhymes has signed to Cash Money Records, joining Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj on what is currently the hottest label in the rap industry. This has capped off a fantastic year for an MC whose career seemed to be nosediving after 2009's terrible Back On My B.S. This was the result of a poor 7 year run that started with 2002's It Aint Safe No More, picking up slightly with The Big Bang, but an acrimonious departure from Aftermath Records seemed to be the beginning of the end for the Brooklyn native. Back on my B.S flopped both with critics and fans, poor sales reflecting the lukewarm reception for the project. In response, Busta promised a new album, Chemo, suggesting that hip hop needed saving. The more unkind among us may suggest that hip hop needed saving from faded stars devoid of enthusiasm and happy to pick up a cheque without a shred of artistic endeavour, but Busta had other ideas.
After the project was pushed back and eventually faded as a concept, the rapper proposed a new album: Extinction Level Event 2. This is intended as a sequel to the 1998 album of the same name, but as yet has no firm release date. Instead, Busta has had an incredibly productive year in terms of guest appearances. Earlier in 2011, the rapper caught the ear with a charismatic verse on 'Crane Style' from Raekwon's Shaolin vs Wu-Tang. Wu Tang brethren Ghostface Killah also recruited the fellow New Yorker for his Apollo Kids.
Busta seemed to be reveling in his freedom after leaving a major label, dropping well received collaborations with LL Cool J on 'Killin Em', Tech N9ne on 'Worldwide Choppers' and Styles P on 'Harsh'. The standout appearance, however, was when the MC secured a verse on the Chris Brown mega-hit 'Look At Me Now', alongside Lil Wayne. Busta steals the show with his improved quickfire delivery, spitting rhymes at a breathtaking speed on the catchy track. The video has accrued 130 million hits and counting on youtube, and eventually secured the rapper a spot closing the Lil Wayne behemoth Tha Carter IV.
The increased exposure resulted in a BET cypher appearance, the veteran delivering playful battle rhymes in a memorable verse, fully cementing his position back in the rap lexicon.
Taking all this into account, it was still a surprise when Busta announced on his twitter feed that he had signed to Cash Money records. It is as yet unclear which branch of the label he will yet appear, Cash Money or subsidiary group YMCMB. Either way, the news is welcome for those of us who were saddened to see a talented MC lose his touch. A new single 'Why Stop Now' has been leaked onto youtube, again collaborating with Chris Brown. If I'm honest, it's unlikely to set the radio alight, but it is another step in the right direction for an MC about to take back his rightful hold on the rap game. WOOHAAA!!!!