Welcome to the Hood: The Importance of Location, Culture, and Totems
There is perhaps no other aspect of a rapper's persona that is more important than how they identify with their locale. Where somebody comes from often determines the specific sub-genre of hip hop that they work in. For example, in contemporary hip-hop, the South is known for Trap Rap (Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, Waka Flocka Flame), the San Francisco Bay Area has hip-hop based around Hyphy Music (E-40, Mac Dre), and New York is often associated with mafioso rap (Jay-Z, the Dipset collective). Furthermore, hip-hop's regional subgenres can be broken down to hyper-specific genres such as New Orleans's bounce music and Houston's chopped and screwed scene.
Within these regional subgenres lies distinct cultures that help define that specific subgenre and its respective region. These cultures are built up around and defined by totems. Houston has the recreational drug "lean" or "sizzurp" (Promethazine-Codeine cough syrup mixed with some sort of soda, often Sprite, hence the term "dirty sprite"); lean also gives birth to another totem, the double cup (two styrofoam cups stacked and filled with lean, they use two so as to keep the lean cold and ice frozen). New Orleans's bounce music is responsible for twerking, which has recently become an icon beyond the world of bounce music with the assistance of Diplo's Express Yourself EP. The South's trap music culture can be defined by the totems of "birds" (kilos of cocaine) and "trap houses" (houses used exclusively for the production/sale of drugs, most often crack).
Location is represented by culture, which is defined by the regionally specific totems that are important to that locale's sense of identity. Location can make or break an artist and will often determine the sound of an artist; if there is a rapper from Milwaukee trying to make bounce music, people are going to question their authenticity. And everyone knows how the question of authenticity affects a hip-hop artists reception. That said, often times the totems of one region's culture can be identified with in another region and translated into a new form of music (the influence of Houston's chopped and screwed culture has had a humungous impact on A$AP Rocky's craft).
In conclusion, location is one of the most exciting aspects of hip-hop and perhaps what has sustained its popularity throughout several decades. People can represent their home by supporting their regional artists while also identifying with the cultures and respective totems of other regions' subgenres. I cannot think of another contemporary music genre that speaks so explicitly to notions of origin, local culture, and regional sound as does hip-hop. Without the presence of a sense of location and regional identity, hip-hop would not represent such a diverse culture as it presently does. From its conception, hip-hop has been about who you are based on where you're from. Your location and the culture surrounding your city's hip-hop scene define you as a hip-hop artist wether you like it or not. If you're from the South, people within hip-hop culture will make assumptions about you and your music based on the city you're from. For example, if you're from Atlanta, people want to know if you're Zone 6, Zone 5, etc. (police zoning districts for different neighborhoods; from this information, people can infer if you're from the "hood" or an upperclass neighborhood and interpret your music differently based on that information). The importance of location in hip-hop is that of identity and interpretation; it defines you as an artist and helps listeners interpret your music.
I leave you with several regional hip-hop anthems celebrating location, culture, and their specific totems:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/DbKP9tch5uQ
^ keep an eye out for the double cup, a totem that began in Houston and made its way throughout the south and is now a staple of national hip-hop culture. Also, there's a clip with a double cup in it that has "Free Boosie" written on it, referring to the imprisoned Baton Rouge artist Lil Boosie.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/biLxvTMtcz0
^ this is a regional anthem from my home town. You could be at a prep school party and put this on and everybody will know every word. You could also be in the roughest neighborhood and get a dirty look, then throw this on and have that same person willing to give you dap.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dq_SLI3FjNc
^ UGK ft. Mike Jones, this track is very Houston. If you like A$AP Rocky, his sound would be missing a crucial ingredient if it weren't for these three emcees. "smokin' out, pourin' up, keepin' lean up in my cup" - very Houstin.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/AoWnt6NIeaM
^ iconic Bay Area track. Mac Dre goes in. "RIP Mac Dre, I'mma do it for the Bay" - Drake
http://www.youtube.com/embed/AOBL9cj-G74
^ this shows an interesting direction that Atlanta trap music is going in. Future is talking about very ATL trap music content, but the beat isn't the standard Lex Luger or Mike Will trap beat. Also, one of the greatest opening two lines of hip-hop music ever, ending with "...and I did what I did".
I really like your post and learned some new things from it. I know a little bit more about the sub genres within hip hop and the correct terms for the different styles of those genres. You are right, when you say that location matters. Where an artist comes from has a big influence on their music.The examples you used were really good. Nice post !
ReplyDeleteThis post was really fun to read. I knew almost nothing about sub genres and their locations. I think the most interesting part was the totems, they make things more fun. Like little clues or secrets or something within music videos (kinda like finding a hidden mickey at disney world haha)
ReplyDeleteYou know what they say in real estate; its all about location location location!! I didn't know how many genres within the genre of hip-hop as a whole there were, and this was a very good explanation of how one's origin affects their musical stylings.
ReplyDeleteI liked this post a lot. I especially liked how you talked about totems because I had heard of these but I did not know their origination or how they were linked to certain areas. I'm definitely going to be on the look out for these items and other items in my future music listening.
ReplyDeletevery well written. i learned alot
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post. I learned a lot about different sub genres that i had never really heard much about before and the different totems in the different cities. I completely agree with you that location is a big part of an Hip Hop artist because even the artist themselves are always repping what city they are from ( like in your examples).
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how much someone's hometown can influence every aspect of their music making. You hit on this subject very well and gave clear, relatable examples for us to understand.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with all the points you made, location is a huge part of hip hop. Everybody knows about east coast - west coast so it's cool you brought the south into this. Great blog, and I liked that palm beach song.
ReplyDeleteI find songs that talk about a rapper's home town or a place that has influenced him to be among my favorite. It gives the artist an opportunity to give their audience a glimpse into their life and their youth. "In the A' is a very good song by Big Boi that is a great example of a rapper telling you were and how he grew up in Atlanta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlKx7PG6sY
ReplyDeleteBefore reading your post I had no idea about the different sub genres and the importance of where the artist was from. I didn't know the difference in regions or anything like that. So I learned a lot from this post and I really liked the bit about the totems. Knowing about the importance of where an artist is from really makes some songs make more sense.
ReplyDeleteDope post, I really like how you broke everything down and explained it. It's funny because I knew what these terms meant beforehand and use them randomly, my friends love to make fun of me for it. I mainly do it for comical purposes anyway so it's cool. And I think everyone can agree, that it's exciting to hear your state or city mentioned in a song. Long love the south!
ReplyDeletei think that location matters because it all has to do with how they grew up and what they experienced and went through that helped shape their lives. just like Wiz Khalifa who always talks about Pittsburgh and how they didn't have an easy upbringing. yet it gave him something to rap about and it taught him how to rap. Most rappers that are successful now a days always like to talk about where they grew up and how it shaped them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Fallon. Location definitely matters because it makes the artist relatable to other kids in that area and based on the cities reputation, location can help explain how an artist grew up without fully explaining it in a song. Also, its really cool to hear your home town in a song. Every time Eminem mentions Detroit, my friend from Michigan goes wild. Sometimes the shout out to a hometown doesn't necessarily explain the artist's struggles, but simply shows the artist's roots. An example would be Drake, growing up in Toronto. There aren't a lot of hip-hop artists from Canada, so to his Canadian fans, hes glorified as making it in a field that few natives haven't been before. He never really criticizes where he's from but he always makes sure to refer back to Toronto. A good example is the music video for "Started At The Bottom"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA
great post!
Location has such a strong impact on the artist's flow, choice of instrumental and lyrical content. Artists however are not caged in and limited by their respective region. For example, as you mentioned A$AP Rocky, he is a Harlem located rapper but if you only listened to his music it would be hard it identify what particular region he was from. His styles and influence range so vastly that one song it could sound like a Houston "Chopped & Screwed" song and the next like a local New York rapper.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post. I never realized how complex hip-hop was and how many genres it consisted of based on the location. Great post!
ReplyDelete