While New York City stands as the undeniable birthplace of hip hop, boasting a rich legacy that birthed many of the genre's major players, a notable shift is occurring beyond the city limits.
Across various upstate cities, a burgeoning hip-hop scene is taking root, introducing a wave of fresh talent and diverse voices that challenge the traditional narrative centered around the city that never sleeps. As the landscape of hip-hop expands, these upstate artists are carving their own paths, contributing to the evolution of a genre deeply rooted in the Empire State.
While New York City finds itself immersed in the intense narratives of the drill scene, upstate rappers are steering the ship in a different direction, infusing their craft with an intriguing and often experimental edge. Remarkably, this trend persists even in the face of higher rates of violence per capita in many upstate cities.
Buffalo, New York, home to Griselda Records, has become a focal point for this movement. Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine have spearheaded a gritty, unapologetic sound that echoes the city's resilience. Griselda, named after Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, was initially started as a clothing brand and transformed into a record label and crew mainly centered on the trio, who also happen to be related.
After a stint in federal prison due to a weapons charge, Westside Gunn, who had been focusing on managing his brother's career, released his project "Hitler Wears Hermes" after Conway had been shot in 2012. The project, the title of which showcases a combination of Westside's fashion obsession and dark imagery, would end up changing the trajectory of the now iconic group. Shawn Setaro of Complex writes: "Westside's high-pitched rapping voice and distinctive ad-libs are in service of his artistic vision to melt high and low, runway and street, the art gallery and the spray-painted wall outside."
Unbeknownst to Conway, the shooting would be a major catalyst for his signature sound. Interviewed for Bandcamp, the upstate artist recalls the challenge the incident presented, permanently altering the technical aspect of his rapping: "I had to find a way to say [rhymes] where it can still sound smooth and ill but there's not too much energy trying to move my s**t too much...I had to slow it down and get dirty beats, get it spooky to go with how my voice sounds-it just made a marriage."
The youngest of the group, Benny (short for "Best Ever N New York") is known for his compelling storytelling and punchlines, as Setaro writes "When you add all that to the patented Griselda dark beats, you have an unstoppable combination."
Not only has Griselda captured the attention of rap legends like Jay-Z and Eminem, they have also played a pivotal role in fostering the untapped talent of West New York, signing Buffalo natives Elcamino and Armani Caesar.
Meanwhile, Rochester boasts emerging talents like RXK Nephew and Rx Papi, with the former heralded as America's weirdest rapper. Neph is most notable for his bizarre, yet hilarious train of thought, tackling any number of outlandish, unrelated topics in rapid succession. Dylan Green writes: "His surreal and unhinged songs have pondered whether dinosaurs discovered electricity before Benjamin Franklin, insisted that Chicago rap star 'Lil Durk's locs are fake and made seemingly unfounded allegations that several high-profile celebrities smoke crack." Neph has described Rochester as "dark, gloomy, muddy", full of "all types of weird s**t" and "...straight poverty; there's no opportunity and it ain't nothing but crabs in the bucket," It seems as though this combination was the perfect environment to rear the eccentric rapper. In addition to his out-of-pocket lyrics, he is also known for his electronica-inspired sound, the rapper stated: "Electronic music is what I used to listen to in jail...I fell asleep with house music playing. Hip hop carries a similar energy." Likewise, Rochester's Rx Papi is described as "...an internet folk hero [with] tragicomic lyrics, madcap taunts, and surreal right-brain thinking..."
Syracuse's burgeoning scene showcases artists like Scorey and Stove God Cooks, who contribute to upstate New York's eclectic musical landscape. Scorey, who has collaborated with rap giants like Polo G, who he is signed to, has "over 60 million combined Spotify streams to his name." Stove God Cooks, whose boom-bap sounds infuse elements of '90's style hip-hop with gospel and soul, was called "...one of the most distinctive and exciting artists to emerge from the Northeast hip-hop underground in decades." Honorable mentions for Post Malone and Toosii, who were born and spent their early years in Syracuse before relocating at the ages of 10 and 13, respectively.
Newburgh, often cited as one of the most dangerous cities in the country can claim Pardison Fontaine as one of its own. Pardi is most known for his professional collaborations with Cardi B and his relationship with Megan Thee Stallion. Newburgh also had a role in shaping Cardi's career "Pardi would bring Cardi to Newburgh, sometimes booking her to perform for special occasions. And when Cardi had a notion that she wanted to get serious about music, she turned to Pardi." Pardi has also co-written some of Cardi's biggest hits, like "Bodak Yellow" and "WAP", in addition to co-writing for Kanye West on tracks like "Yikes", "Ghost Town", and "All Mine."
Other upstate cities, like Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Binghamton face similar problems of violence, poverty, and drug use;. However, these upstate cities have not yet witnessed the mainstream breakthrough of one of their native artists, they continue to build up their own local scenes.
As violence persists in these upstate communities, their respective hip-hop scenes offer an alternative narrative, using music as a powerful outlet for expression and change-the days of ignoring upstate New York seem to be coming to an end.
