There is actually a very discernable Chicago sound as a subset of the more general Midwest sound. You just have to listen to local groups.
Kanye's sound is basically a mish mash of influences from A Tribe Called Quest, Rza (who really perfected the sped-up chipmunk method and the cinematic production) to Dr. Dre. But one of his strong influences is No ID, who produced much of Common's early work including "Resurrection", the definitive Common album. No ID's prodcution has a combination of jazzy strings and horns combined with a boom-bap. Kanye basically takes the Chicago sound and adds a few more layers (think Rza/Dre) of strings, pianos and Motown. That's really besides the point I guess - when you really only have two producers and a rapper, you're not a big Hip Hop city. Oakland, or the entire Bay Area so you can include all the Filipino turntablists and E-40 from Vallejo. And yes, I'd include MC Hammer - laugh all you want but he was part of a larger movement.
Gotta say the Bay Area, just for the underground scene that has been born out of it (turntablists, especially - Invisibl Skratch Piklz (QBert, Mix Master Mike), DJ Shadow, Blackalicious) although it seems that LA and the Bay Area are tied together pretty closely when it comes to hip-hop just outside of the commerical main stream. I don't know if you can say all of California is the 2nd city of hip-hop, so I'd give it to the Bay Area if I had to pick.
It was? I could have sworn that it was just Americanized dancehall; you know, considering that DJ Kool Herc et al. were mostly of West Indian descent...
Well, the Jamaicans brought the sound system parties to the US, sure. But deejaying, i.e. finding and looping breaks, scratching and mixing, as opposed to just playing records, came about in the Bronx, and then came the Emcees.
Yes, as minorthreat and skip say the "technique" of rapping or toasting over or in between cuts was first practiced by Jamaican DJs. But I think it's more than safe to say the musical genre and culture of hip hop--which is what this thread is about--was born in the five boroughs.
From oakland to sac-town the bay area and back down Cali is with it put the mack down, gimme love! For any kid growing up in California during the 90s (such as myself), this song is in your blood
I just started listening to some of this stuff. I downloaded the Yellowman song, "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" (you better believe that was a cut-and-paste), which is prominently featured in Black Star's fantastic "Definition" as well as BDPs "P is Free" Just some really cool, unique stuff. Can't listen to it too much at a time, but it's always good to learn the foundation of hip hop.
They definitely give off the impression that they're from LA (just look at the album cover to Power in Numbers).
They're "from" LA. I've believe I've heard Charli2na say he's from Jersey in a song. They all live in LA though.