The West Coast Hip Hop scene has showcased a great number of unities, the East Coast however, is truly lacking. A reality that many hip hop connoisseurs are not ready to admit.
Watching Kendrick Lamar’s run from Spring ’24 to the aftermath of Super Bowl LIX, has left me in wonderment. The fact that he was able to unite the entire West Coast was amazing. The Pop-Out showcased Kendrick’s openness to newer artists. Plus, the rumors that his associates, DJ Hed, are planning to extend their reach outside of the Golden State in places such as Arizona, Portland, Seattle and Nevada, is impeccable.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end, I noticed that the East Coast doesn’t really have a sense of unity. Rivalries between boroughs often take precedence over regional collaborations, which has stunted its growth of passing the torch to newer artists. The coast almost acts as if they’re the Beyonce of the region. It’s all “big me” energy; there’s no need to care for anyone else.
East Coast Hip Hop’s emphasis on lyrical competition played a huge role in their commercial descension. The desperation of trying to be “King Of NY” created coldness between rappers. Events such as 50 Cent’s bully tactics, State Property vs. D-Block, and The Murder Inc. Supergroup dissolution are among the moments that have shown how cutthroat the East Coast scene is.
The most recent example has been rapper Joey Bada$$’s recent tracks: “The Ruler’s Back,” Sorry Not Sorry,” and “Pardon Me.” These songs have been statements used to showcase that he’s the king of NY. However, in “The Ruler’s Back,” he reuses a Jay-Z line to criticize the rap game’s infatuation with the West Coast. Although his intentions were to spark friendly competition, West Coast rappers have challenged his rhetoric. Daylyt, TDE’s Ray Vaughn, and AZ Chike are notable artists who’ve called his statements reeking of strife and jealousy. Even some critics from his home state have deemed the tracks as oblivious as well due to his output not matching the title of a king.
This brings forth NY media’s idea of gatekeeping to a T. If East Coast-based media outlets are claiming you’re not worthy to claim the reins, then that says a lot about how deafening the region has become. There should be no reason that an artist of Joey’s caliber should be deemed insignificant. In the early 2010s, alongside ASAP Rocky, he was hailed as advancing the sound of NY for a new era. Unfortunately, that was glossed over due to him and his contemporaries going to the internet to gain support. This is due to NY’s media reluctance to adapt to the changing climate of the internet. By the time they caught up, the ones they backed were either exposed (Six9ine) or killed (Pop Smoke). Leaving a massive hole for the region to truly give their support to a burgeoning artist up until Ice Spice, which really isn’t saying a lot.
Honestly, The East should have been more open towards other parts of the Eastern region outside of the TriState area (Philly and NJ). There is a bunch of talent popping up across the coast such as in Boston, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware and New Hampshire.
For example, Van Buren Records is a collective hailing from Brockton, Massachusetts. They have been making rounds within the underground Hip Hop scene with co-signs from Top Dawg Entertainment, Danny Brown, and Buffalo’s very own, Griselda. One of their members, FEL!X, was featured on Brent Faiyaz’s viral song,” UPSET,” alongside Tommy Richman. Yet, NY media continues to ignore the collective, as if Van Buren doesn’t exist.
Overall, New York is the epicenter of the East Coast. There is no denying their significance, but even the other regional epicenters (ATL and California) have made efforts to collaborate with other parts of the region. So, why can’t New York dust itself off and use its platforms to put others from their region on? What’s stopping them from using the potential of their power? The truth: NY needs to look in the mirror because, right now, the future for East Coast unity is bleak. A reality check that is a tough pill for the East Coast old guard to swallow.
