Written by Donte
Today, Hip Hop is a genre that is ever evolving. It’s not only changing with the times but shaping them as well. However, throughout this transformation, a few things remain. New York will forever be the Mecca of Hip Hop, Los Angeles will be remembered for introducing the world to gangster rap, and Virginia will always be the underdog, who undoubtedly gave birth to some of Hip Hop’s greatest minds. Virginia first made a name for itself in the early 90’s when Teddy Riley hit the scene with Wreckx-N-Effect. Who can forget their hit single “Rump shaker” and the scantily clad sax player on the beach? Since then, we have seen countless acts rise out of V.A. with aspirations of making it big. Some did and some didn’t. For the ones who did, they managed to keep the torch burning for the entire state. Now when we speak of Virginia in terms of Hip Hop, the usual may come to mind: The Neptunes, Timbaland, Clipse, Missy Elliott, Nottz Raw, Skillz, and many others. That is fine though because they were the artists who became the masters of their crafts. They each created a sound that was genuine to V.A., which included a melting pot of sounds that ranged from the ethereal realms of space to the hard pounding of the streets. They pushed the envelope of rap music by stepping outside of their boundaries in order to leave marks in other genres as well. Now mind you, these trailblazers all got their start in the mid to late 90’s. Now it’s 2012 and they’re well established in the rap world, and also venturing out into new endeavors; but they left legacies that created a lane for newer V.A. acts to come along and do their thing.
As I said before, the suspects are the usual but the contributions, influence and impact that these artists made are undeniable. I don’t have to make a claim for each of their contributions because all you have to do is turn on your radio, TV, or internet, and you’re bound to come across their names in one way or another. Within their names, we have accomplishments ranging from Grammy nominations to international fashion houses. Again, they created the lane for guys like Lex Luger [mega Hip-Hop producer] to have the opportunity to make beats for artists such as Jay-Z and Kanye West. Yes, Virginia has made its way into the upper echelons of our culture and it is a beautiful thing I must say. I would like to see the influence of my state transcend in the years to come. But that depends on the new breed of artists in the area who wish to share the stage with the ones that have come before them. Unification is the key. There was a time when I was bitter at the ones who had blossomed and blew up, yet didn’t give back to V.A., until I realized that they gave us the blueprint. It’s the new artists’ job to unify, work hard, and follow through. That is the key to success. But the key to transcending time and staying relevant lies in touching the minds and souls of the people, which is something that these musical gurus from V.A. managed to achieve. Don’t front, you know we got you open.
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