Eastcoast success has always worked by having a "lyrical playa" rapper at the center of things with more serious rappers around him. The lyrical Playa sets the high lyrical standard for everyone else to follow but he talked about stuff that would bring in the mainstream audience. By setting a high lyrical standard he got the rap audience focused on lyrics and that opened the door to deeper lyrical acts. First it was Kane and Rakim in the late 80's. Kane was the "lyrical playa" rapper he got everyone focused on his lyrical skill, but was doing it by talking about how straight he was, how much money he made, how many women he got, stuff the mainstream could eat up. Then their was Rakim who kicked it about pursuing the right path in life, "self knowledge" and all of that stuff. In the 90's the same was the case with Biggie and Nas. Biggie talked about dealing and women and Nas kicked knowledge.
The problem with alot of the Eastcoast now is that everyone is trying to be the next Nas, they think that is the key to bringing back the Eastcoast. it's funny because when Bigggie was alive, and afterward, everyone here was trying to be the next Biggie. Jay Z finally succeeded with it . Now in the post-Jay Z world everyone here is trying to be the next Nas. What the East Coast needs now is another lyrical Playa. Someone who is on point lyrically but who still has the Playa image. That is what gets people thinking about lyrical content and opens the door to the new "Nases". East Coast Hip Hop has never worked by the Conscious rapper being the center-stage act.
The problem with alot of the Eastcoast now is that everyone is trying to be the next Nas, they think that is the key to bringing back the Eastcoast. it's funny because when Bigggie was alive, and afterward, everyone here was trying to be the next Biggie. Jay Z finally succeeded with it . Now in the post-Jay Z world everyone here is trying to be the next Nas. What the East Coast needs now is another lyrical Playa. Someone who is on point lyrically but who still has the Playa image. That is what gets people thinking about lyrical content and opens the door to the new "Nases". East Coast Hip Hop has never worked by the Conscious rapper being the center-stage act.
Comment