Saturday, February 21, 2015

Top Rappers From New York

By Olivia Cross


Anyone who is familiar with hip hop music will know about the divide between the East Coast and the West Coast rappers. Many rappers from New York are some of the world's most famous artistes to date, living or dead. Furthermore, as the history of hip hop dictates, most of them came from a life of hard knocks and struggles in order to make it in the music industry.

Shawn Carter, known to the world as Jay Z, is one of, if not the most successful rap icon today. At forty five years old, Jay Z is still creating music that tops charts around the world, often collaborating with his wife Beyonce, a music industry icon in her own right. Jay Z hails from Brooklyn and paid tribute to his home state in a single entitled 'Empire State Of Mind', in which he collaborated with R&B singer Alicia Keys.

Jay Z has nineteen Grammy awards to his name. He also has the privilege of three albums featured on Rolling Stone's greatest albums of all time list. As well as his music career, Jay Z runs Rocawear clothing line, and is the business mogul for Roc-A-Fella Records and Roc Nation.

A real legend in hip hop, Tupac Shakur's name is well known. One of the key players in the East coast/West coast hip hop rivalry, Tupac is listed as one of the world's greatest artists ever. On record sales alone, he holds a place as an all-time bestseller in the music industry.

Considered to be the most influential rapper to date by some, Tupac Shakur was born in Manhattan, in East Harlem, New York, NY in the early seventies. In 1996, the rapper's life ended in a drive by shooting, where he was shot a number of times. Circumstances surrounding his death are still a mystery to this day.

Notorious B. I. G. Is another huge name in the industry and closely linked to Tupac Shakur as well. Other names that Christopher Wallace went by include Biggie and Biggie Smalls. Hailing from Brooklyn, Biggie was a student at the same high that Jay Z attended, and also rapper Busta Rhymes. Christopher Wallace, like Tupac Shakur, was killed in a drive by shooting in March of 1997.

Closely linked to Biggie Smalls is female rapper Li'l Kim, also from Brooklyn. She is the only female rapper alongside Missy Elliott with three platinum albums. She spent most of her life on the streets and got her start thanks to Notorious B. I. G. After impressing him with a freestyle.

Sean Combs, who is known by a number of other stage names, is, like Jay Z, a hip hop mogul. He was born in Harlem and spent his childhood in Mount Vernon in New York, NY. Best friends with Biggie, his tribute song to the rapper after his death featuring Biggie's wife Faith Evans landed the top spot on the billboard charts. In 2013, Sean 'Puffy' Combs placed first as hip hop's richest man in Forbes magazine.




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