Top Ten Greatest Cities All-Time in Hip-Hop?

[L.Kizzle]

I got the idea from one of the countless other Hip-Hop Threads on the first page.

I think #1, it's self explanatory. But even starting with #2, on down, it's debatable.

You got cities from Atlanta to Chicago to even places like Cleveland.
What's your top ten hip-hop cities?


1. New York (unless someone really wants to debate this spot?)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

[9erempiree]

Los Angeles and the Bay Area are #1 and #2 in my book. LA created a sound and that was during the G-funk era. Gangster rap is in a genre of its own. Bay Area produced a lot of famous guys too.

NYC gets credit for a lot of mainstream guys. NYC's hip hop all sound the same to me.

NYC will be known where hip hop originated but it is no longer the best with all the trash that is out.

InB4...but...but...DJ Premier, Rakim and KRS though.

[L.Kizzle]

Los Angeles and the Bay Area are #1 and #2 in my book. LA created a sound and that was during the G-funk era. Gangster rap is in a genre of its own. Bay Area produced a lot of famous guys too.

NYC gets credit for a lot of mainstream guys. NYC's hip hop all sound the same to me.

NYC will be known where hip hop originated but it is no longer the best with all the trash that is out.

InB4...but...but...DJ Premier, Rakim and KRS though.
I said All-Time, and Premier ain't from New York.

[9erempiree]

Got to got with LA still, entertainment capital of the world.

Just too many classics and the music I grew up listening is recognizable today and still gets played on radio.

Nothing from Illmatic is played and don't expect "The Bridge is Over" to be played as well.

[fsvr54]

NYC eclipses everything

1st tier
1. NYC
2. Bay Area
3. Houston
4. LA

2nd tier
5. Memphis
6/7. Atlanta/Detroit

3rd tier
8/9. Philadelphia/Chicago

Any other cities are secondary

Ohio, New Orleans and Seattle have decent scenes too

[L.Kizzle]

Got to got with LA still, entertainment capital of the world.

Just too many classics and the music I grew up listening is recognizable today and still gets played on radio.

Nothing from Illmatic is played and don't expect "The Bridge is Over" to be played as well.
While LA has the strongest case for that #2 spot, I can't see it being over New York. LA's times has been from what 88-96 and that's basically it. Other than Snoop's (and on a lower level, Ice Cube) consistency, you'll have a rapper pop up here or there like the Game for a while in the mid 2000s and Kendrick Lamar now.

I don't think that's a good enough case to dethrone New York.

[L.Kizzle]

NYC eclipses everything

1st tier
NYC
Bay Area
Houston
LA

2nd tier
Memphis
Atlanta

3rd tier
Philadelphia/Chicago

Any other cities are secondary

Ohio and Seattle have decent scenes too
New Orleans, Detroit and Miami.

[fsvr54]

New Orleans, Detroit and Miami.

Damn! How could I forget Detroit

Miami sucks for hip hop, I'm from Miami

[L.Kizzle]

Damn! How could I forget Detroit

Miami sucks for hip hop, I'm from Miami
Sucks, dam okay. You must have never been invited to a Luke show right, lol.

Though Trina's ass alone should get them an honorable mention.

[andremiller07]

Damn! How could I forget Detroit

Miami sucks for hip hop, I'm from Miami
Yeah Detroit has produced a large amount of super underrated talent, Chicago as well.

[ThePhantomCreep]

New York and LA are #1 and #2 all-time respectively, but that won't last if NYC keeps living off past glories. LA has made a solid comeback in recent years, and is arguably the best hip hop city currently.

[fsvr54]

Sucks, dam okay. You must have never been invited to a Luke show right, lol.

Though Trina's ass alone should get them an honorable mention.

Shame Miami is known for one shitty ass group, for an urban area with so many black people it should have a more decent hip hop history, but I've never seen legit mc's come from here, just gay ass commercial style shit.

[~primetime~]

I got

1. NYC
2. LA
3. Bay
4. Houston
5. ATL


After that it gets more difficult to rank, need to do some research

[hateraid]

Philly top 5 for diversity
Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff
Beanie
Cassidy
Black Thought/The Roots

[L.Kizzle]

Shame Miami is known for one shitty ass group, for an urban area with so many black people it should have a more decent hip hop history, but I've never seen legit mc's come from here, just gay ass commercial style shit.
Hey man, did you just call 2 Live Crew shitty? Them nighas changed the strip club and party game.

[fsvr54]

Hey man, did you just call 2 Live Crew shitty? Them nighas changed the strip club and party game.

I don't care about "the strip club and party game"

[L.Kizzle]

I don't care about "the strip club and party game"
Others love it!

JT Money!

[Bless Mathews]

Miami is underrated.

The "Miami bass" movement of mid 80's took breaks to a whole nother level.

Countless crews/djs made CLASSIC hip hop albums.

And dj craze, goat all time overall dj.

NYC

La.

Bay area

Chicago

Rest order interchangeable.

But Miami gotta be top 8 IMO

[BasedTom]

NYC eclipses everything

1st tier
1. NYC
2. Bay Area
3. Houston
4. LA

2nd tier
5. Memphis
6/7. Atlanta/Detroit

3rd tier
8/9. Philadelphia/Chicago

Any other cities are secondary

Ohio, New Orleans and Seattle have decent scenes too
Switch Houston and Memphis. bump up LA to #2.

[BasedTom]

also, Ohio is a state

[fsvr54]

also, Ohio is a state

I know, but I couldn't single out a city

[9erempiree]

Beanie
Cassidy


who?

[NBAplayoffs2001]

1. NYC for sure (I can list countless artists from the 1990s, legends of the hip hop creators in South Bronx, personally believing there were better artists when Notorious B.I.G. was still alive. He may have been the King of NY but there are about two other artists I liked a lot better at the time. 50 Cent also was HUGE during his peak of hip hop in NYC. 90s NYC hip hop is what I love and to me, will never be equalled). I agree we need more talent from NYC to emerge. Starting to get involved with the underground scene meaning I plan to attend events in the five boroughs. Ton of throwback 90s hip hop can be find in some gritty neighborhoods around the boroughs. If you from NYC, I heard the BoB lounge in Lower East Side is legit and blasts some throwbacks.

Philadelphia, not sure where to rank it but having lived there for 4 years. I found some sick artists. Cassidy, Black Thought. Jedi Mind Tricks is a sick hip hop group too :applause:. Also knew an up and coming MC from there.