Long (Stong) Island's Contribution To Rap

[Heist]

Props to Jagi for getting me inspired.

Most of Long Island's contributions peaked in the 90's before Rap exploded into the mainstream ... like everything else it moves in cycles. NYC had it's turn, then LI, then West Coast, Mid-West and it's the South's turn right now. (Southern Haters, relax - it's their time, nothing you can do).

Long Island I still believe has brought the most creativity to the scene for its time due to its influences and proximity to NYC, but since it wasn't fueled by battle rappers, they didn't need to carry the NYC torch and street rep which gave artists the freedom to experiment with different concepts and themes. I mean if you look at the acts below, EVERY SINGLE ONE is ORIGINAL. No one can say there's any biting whatsoever in their music, beat selection, or style.

With the exception of a few, you can't say that about today's artist.

First, sadly, this is the state of Long Island product today:

MIMs - Westbury
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/ANw7ZVrMHCE[/FLASH]

BUT HERE'S WHAT L.I. USED TO SOUND LIKE!

Public Enemy - Roosevelt
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/9uPlIaF65PM[/FLASH]

LL Cool J - Bayshore (although he always claims Queens)
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/Nj7LtsENXWg[/FLASH]

Erik B & Rakim - Wyndanch
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/MO2tCBteW7U[/FLASH]

EPMD - Brentwood / Central Islip
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/ZNrF4zKCZVI[/FLASH]

De La Soul - North Amityville / Copiague
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/KSdAWl9pCeg[/FLASH]

Leaders of the New School - Uniondale / Hempstead
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/EG4h1pGfHC8[/FLASH]

Biz Markie - Huntington
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/O4sl7ON3Y-U[/FLASH]

Mobb Deep - Hempstead (Half Credit for Prodigy)
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/-ndo37LMzmU[/FLASH]

Method Man - Hempstead (Half Credit since he was raised here & splitting households in Staten Island)
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/YKAG2Q7Bik4[/FLASH]


K-Solo - Central Islip
Sorry, I couldn't find "Spellbound" or "Letter Man"
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/J_Jxw4UeErA[/FLASH]

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE: At one time DMX(!) tried to steal K-Solo's style and flow and released his own version of "Spellbound" and tout himself as the real "Letterman." This is way before DMX was signed as an act to Def Jam. He still hadn't figured out "who" Dark Man was, so imagine when I heard "Get At Me Dog" 5 years later and DMX was this dark, pyscho cat all of a sudden
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/UMdlUwPRRco[/FLASH]

Keith Murray - Central Islip
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/oFIUWt4-w1A[/FLASH]

Craig Mack - Brentwood
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/9-MLp3l2fkA[/FLASH]

Black Rob - Brentwood
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/RK8kdIdAYHU[/FLASH]

Young Black Teenagers - Freeport / Westbury (Don't front like you didn't jump to this shit either ... it was part of the "White Boy Set" and played next to House of Pain and 3rd Base)
[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/_E5JNYoDT48[/FLASH]

J.V.C. Force - ? ( I think these dudes were from Nassau County)
Justified by Virtue of Creativity For Obvious Reasons Concerning Entertainment - Now that's completely emblematic of the 80's acronym names ... bruhs always trying to give their name some intellegent, but utter confucking what - wild ass meaning! What the fuck does that even mean?!

[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/uykzlvyb0P4[/FLASH]


...Strong Islanders, if I forgot anyone, please feel free to add on.

 

[hanginbals]

This a good drop. I'll even say classic. But I thought Leaders were from Amityville also. I may be wrong though.

 

[Heist]

This a good drop. I'll even say classic. But I thought Leaders were from Amityville also. I may be wrong though.

Milo in the Dance (Cut Monitor Milo) the DJ was, but who really remembers him?

Dinco-D, Charlie, and Busta were the standout members and they were all from Nassau

 

[buffdaddy]

mims is from washington heights

 

[Heist]

mims is from washington heights

MiMS formative and teenage years were spent in Westbury. He claims Washington Heights for marketing reasons - how many of today's rappers want to claim "Westbury"

Doesn't sound 'Urban' enough.

Remember, you've got to sell the story and the package and not just your music.

 

[OneB4Two_Not2B4One]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantronix
Mantronix mc, Crime master T form BK
but lived in the Dale(uniondale).

A+ maybe hes not fire, but he still did (does?)his thing.

L.I is an ill situation,lots of cats are from parents
that moved to L.I in the 60/70s from the city,so they
still got dat city vibe in them.

 

[hanginbals]

Milo in the Dance (Cut Monitor Milo) the DJ was, but who really remembers him?

Dinco-D, Charlie, and Busta were the standout members and they were all from Nassau

Alight, I knew one of those cats were from there. When wee used to go to the ville in the early 90's they ays use to be on Jefferson ave. Either by the school or up by that store off by the highway!!

 

[Dirty Hubcaps]

let these dudes know heist


*rant* and y'all brooklyn & queens niccas need to stop acting brand new like both them boroughs arent on the island. all you outta state cats should pay these nyc dwellers no mind because LI is literally a couple of exits away and they front on us and we right here! you should see em when they come out to hecksher state park, talking about "yeah, son! brooklyn in the house!" #1 im from brooklyn so im not impressed with you #2 even if i was from bama i still wouldnt be impressed with you. dudes are funny, thinking that repping brooklyn or queens is a security blanket that'll make em immune from getting tested *end rant*


516 all day son

 

[hanginbals]

let these dudes know heist


*rant* and y'all brooklyn & queens niccas need to stop acting brand new like both them boroughs arent on the island. all you outta state cats should pay these nyc dwellers no mind because LI is literally a couple of exits away and they front on us and we right here! you should see em when they come out to hecksher state park, talking about "yeah, son! brooklyn in the house!" #1 im from brooklyn so im not impressed with you #2 even if i was from bama i still wouldnt be impressed with you. dudes are funny, thinking that repping brooklyn or queens is a security blanket that'll make em immune from getting tested *end rant*


516 all day son

Whats going down with this. We got fam on the Islands. We repped and they repped. Was never no beef in the hoods when we went. I feel your pain but those was those homegrown brooklyn cats! With there momas and shit. Where were from well go whereever and represent to the fullest. 718 and 516 was one in our books!

 

[Heist]

Alight, I knew one of those cats were from there. When wee used to go to the ville in the early 90's they ays use to be on Jefferson ave. Either by the school or up by that store off by the highway!!

I think it was Zieglers ... right next to Mr. James' barbershop. That was the hangout for sure.

 

[A to Dah K]

This a good drop. I'll even say classic. But I thought Leaders were from Amityville also. I may be wrong though.

no they from uniondale

and black rob is from harlem
and cool jay is from farmers in queens

and there is also a bayshore in queens not that shithole out there by brentwood

 

[Dirty Hubcaps]

Whats going down with this. We got fam on the Islands. We repped and they repped. Was never no beef in the hoods when we went. I feel your pain but those was those homegrown brooklyn cats! With there momas and shit. Where were from well go whereever and represent to the fullest. 718 and 516 was one in our books!

ehhhh, im probably overstating it. its no heated tension or nothing, but you know how brooklyn cats do. these negroes leave their cribs with the belief that they purchased the last gun in the world. dudes come over like their tap water has extra flouride in it or some shyt

 

[Heist]

let these dudes know heist


*rant* and y'all brooklyn & queens niccas need to stop acting brand new like both them boroughs arent on the island. all you outta state cats should pay these nyc dwellers no mind because LI is literally a couple of exits away and they front on us and we right here! you should see em when they come out to hecksher state park, talking about "yeah, son! brooklyn in the house!" #1 im from brooklyn so im not impressed with you #2 even if i was from bama i still wouldnt be impressed with you. dudes are funny, thinking that repping brooklyn or queens is a security blanket that'll make em immune from getting tested *end rant*


516 all day son

I split my time in Brooklyn and Long Island so I claim both.
Put it like this, I remember when Brooklyn only had 718 and LI only had 516.

The Brooklyn / Queens cats who come out to Long Island talking all that rah-rah shit and turn up their noses are usually the ones who rarely if ever leave their boroughs, and think it's the center of the universe.

I mean if they're out at Hecksher or Jones Beach, then they're there with their parents and in which case, it's really a bad look to act hard and buckwild when you're riding the backseat of the station wagon.

 

[hanginbals]

ehhhh, im probably overstating it. its no heated tension or nothing, but you know how brooklyn cats do. these negroes leave their cribs with the belief that they purchased the last gun in the world. dudes come over like their tap water has extra flouride in it or some shyt

Naw it aint notyension. I know how L.I .. Strong Island does. I practally stayed out there. We ran with those cats in Amityville and they was some grimey cats. We ran over to Wyandance to a house party and we had toconvert these mutha's. They thought WE were moist cause we came in with these dudes. But my man pig let them ninja's know QUICK who we were rollinwith and they eased up. They rep no doubt and thats love. thats how it SHOULD be. But these cats aint repping like we used to back in the days. We didn't bring heat in the cars to the Island. We aleady had it there. But Suffolk county is a bich and Nassau is a bigger bitch on her rag. And our tap water DOES have extra flouride in it.!!!!

 

[hanginbals]

I split my time in Brooklyn and Long Island so I claim both.
Put it like this, I remember when Brooklyn only had 718 and LI only had 516.

The Brooklyn / Queens cats who come out to Long Island talking all that rah-rah shit and turn up their noses are usually the ones who rarely if ever leave their boroughs, and think it's the center of the universe.

I mean if they're out at Hecksher or Jones Beach, then they're there with their parents and in which case, it's really a bad look to act hard and buckwild when you're riding the backseat of the station wagon.

No doubt! Thats how it was. Those ignorant non house broken ats roll out there on that K shit all day and end up loosing teeth. We drove out that bitch so we kept on the hush. We knew what we had and where we were at so we kept it simple. bag a few ishes and stomp there area at a later date. Thats what it was in those days.

 

[Heist]

no they from uniondale

and black rob is from harlem
and cool jay is from farmers in queens

and there is also a bayshore in queens not that shithole out there by brentwood

Dude, see you don't know ... a lot of Rappers claim areas for Marketing and Support reasons. They may have only lived there for a brief period but it's not where they got their swagger from.

Second, you should know me by now. I don't post a single iota on this website unless I know what I'm talking about.

Third, Black Rob is from BRENTWOOD - confirmed. I know it.

Fourth, LL Cool Jay is from BAYSHORE, LONG ISLAND.
LL claims Queens because he spent so much time with his Grandmother who lived there. And yes, anything North of Montauk Highway and South of the Southern State Parkway is definitely a shithole...but most black communites on Long Island were relatively speaking.

Fifth, there is NO Bayshore in Queens. There is a BAYSIDE in Queens, but this is an Italian/Ginny community.

 

[Diabolical]

Dude, see you don't know ... a lot of Rappers claim areas for Marketing and Support reasons. They may have only lived there for a brief period but it's not where they got their swagger from.

Second, you should know me by now. I don't post a single iota on this website unless I know what I'm talking about.

Third, Black Rob is from BRENTWOOD - confirmed. I know it.

Fourth, LL Cool Jay is from BAYSHORE, LONG ISLAND.
LL claims Queens because he spent so much time with his Grandmother who lived there. And yes, anything North of Montauk Highway and South of the Southern State Parkway is definitely a shithole...but most black communites on Long Island were relatively speaking.

Fifth, there is NO Bayshore in Queens. There is a BAYSIDE in Queens, but this is an Italian/Ginny community.

I don't agree with you fully. It's not where you're from it's where you're at.
Everyone knows LL was born and raised in LI he always admitted it.
He moved to Hollis and when he went up to Def Jam he was living in Hollis.
He reps Farmers Blvd. so hard bc that's where he's at.
You can't represengt somewhere where you spent your childhood. That's wack.

Prodigy's from Hempstead but he met Havoc at a school in NYC and Havoc's from Queensbridge so they went with Queensbridge. Last I heard they were living in Freeport though.

I was born in Laurelton, Queens and moved to Jersey when i was fourteen.
I still live in Jerz and stopped talking about Queens years ago.
I can't scream QU bc that would be faking it.

 

[Heist]

I don't agree with you fully. It's not where you're from it's where you're at.
Everyone knows LL was born and raised in LI he always admitted it.
He moved to Hollis and when he went up to Def Jam he was living in Hollis.
He reps Farmers Blvd. so hard bc that's where he's at.
You can't represengt somewhere where you spent your childhood. That's wack.

Prodigy's from Hempstead but he met Havoc at a school in NYC and Havoc's from Queensbridge so they went with Queensbridge. Last I heard they were living in Freeport though.

I was born in Laurelton, Queens and moved to Jersey when i was fourteen.
I still live in Jerz and stopped talking about Queens years ago.
I can't scream QU bc that would be faking it.

All noted, but my point is what do you think influenced their style - where they were born, grew up and were raised, developed their style, or where they happened to reside when they signed their record deal?

LL was 16 when he signed his contract. He'd only been permenantly "off" Long Island for a handful of years.

Your example is flawed in its logic. That like saying a snowboarder from Colorado who moves to NY when he's 14 and signs an endorsement deal after learning to ski and snowboard in CO, has to represent NYC. Does that make sense?

And what's so wack about representing where you spent your childhood and formative years? How is that "fakin it" - explain that one.

I split my time in Brooklyn and Long Island so I rep both when I'm out.

 

[heiesuke]

Yeah I'm from Westbury and loving it. To me it's funny cuz when some "out of towner" asks me where I'm from cuz they hear the accent and I say "Long Island right next to Queens, over here by Roosevelt Field Mall" cuz no one screams L.I./Westbury in their rhymes or songs so no one knows it cept fellow NYers. But what's funny is that lots of entertainers make L.I. their home so they can have an easy commute back to the city. I've met and seen all kinds of cats like I met LL. @ the Roosevelt Field Mall Lowes theater several years back, dude sat next to me with his wifey and was crackin jokes the whole movie. I saw Nas up @ the mall too [I used to work security there back in the day LOL]. Out in Huntington station Mary J. used to be a regular along with her sister [again working security same company as Rsvt Fld Mall]. When I was a young youngin, Herbie Lovebug bought a house out here in Westbury and Salt n Peppa and Kid n Play shot a video there. I dunno where my rant is going but I was proud when Public Enemy repped it hard or should I say Chuck D.


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[Diabolical]

All noted, but my point is what do you think influenced their style - where they were born, grew up and were raised, developed their style, or where they happened to reside when they signed their record deal?

LL was 16 when he signed his contract. He'd only been permenantly "off" Long Island for a handful of years.

Your example is flawed in its logic. That like saying a snowboarder from Colorado who moves to NY when he's 14 and signs an endorsement deal after learning to ski and snowboard in CO, has to represent NYC. Does that make sense?

And what's so wack about representing where you spent your childhood and formative years? How is that "fakin it" - explain that one.

I split my time in Brooklyn and Long Island so I rep both when I'm out.

I definitely think where they moved influenced there style more in LL's case especially. He was a 12 or 13 I'm guessing and 3 yrs in Hollis can effect you a lot it's a lot different than where he was born no diss.

Of course a snowborder would say he's from Colorado bc that's where he would pick up snowboarding. You would think they'd say he resides in NY though.
That's also a different scenario then you brought up tho.

That's just my personal opinion like I was born in NY but I can't represent it bc I've been living in Jersey all these years.
To me it just seems like living in the past.

 

[Juggaknox]

yooooo time for a shameless plug for Long Island Rappers!!!!!!

My boy Ant Ski and Red Tearz is fire holla at them for real though

have i ever lead you wrong?!?!


http://www.myspace.com/bxboss
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and Red Tearz

http://www.myspace.com/redtearz

both from Freeport ( Port Knoxxx), Long Island

 

[Heist]

yooooo time for a shameless plug for Long Island Rappers!!!!!!

My boy Ant Ski and Red Tearz is fire holla at them for real though

have i ever lead you wrong?!?!

</a>

and Red Tearz

http://www.myspace.com/redtearz

both from Freeport ( Port Knoxxx), Long Island

Ant Ski uses WAY too many of Jay-Z's ad-libs and catch phrases.
Red Tearz sounds and rhymes just like Lloyd Banks.


I understand their influences, but they need to develop their own style.
Anyone can carry 16 bars in today's game.
You need a unique style and a solid hook if you want to get noticed.

 

[lurker with info]

mims is from washington heights

i use to do some stuff for him back in 02 and he been in Li since then. So i kno for sure he lives out there, but he might not be from out there.

 

[heiesuke]

mims is from washington heights

Mims is definitely from here [Westbury, Long Island].

 

[Heist]

Mims is definitely from here [Westbury, Long Island].

Let's see if he can follow up "This Is Why I'm Hot" though ...
I mean the whole song was a hook...

 

[NYs Bad Guy]

yeah i keep tryna tell heads. no, LI's probably not the most gangster place in New York, but you can't deny our contribution to Hip-Hop. would there be a Nas if it wasn't for Rakim and Chuck D? L CROOKED I!!!!

 

[BRUHA]

mims is from washington heights

I went to high school with that cat in Westbury...but he transferred to the high school when he was in 9th grade...probably from Washington Heights, not sure.

 

[BRUHA]

Yeah I'm from Westbury and loving it. To me it's funny cuz when some "out of towner" asks me where I'm from cuz they hear the accent and I say "Long Island right next to Queens, over here by Roosevelt Field Mall" cuz no one screams L.I./Westbury in their rhymes or songs so no one knows it cept fellow NYers. But what's funny is that lots of entertainers make L.I. their home so they can have an easy commute back to the city. I've met and seen all kinds of cats like I met LL. @ the Roosevelt Field Mall Lowes theater several years back, dude sat next to me with his wifey and was crackin jokes the whole movie. I saw Nas up @ the mall too [I used to work security there back in the day LOL]. Out in Huntington station Mary J. used to be a regular along with her sister [again working security same company as Rsvt Fld Mall]. When I was a young youngin, Herbie Lovebug bought a house out here in Westbury and Salt n Peppa and Kid n Play shot a video there. I dunno where my rant is going but I was proud when Public Enemy repped it hard or should I say Chuck D.


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Damn...it's a small world...what part of Westbury are you from? I grew up in New Cassel.

 

[GT2BK007]

Classic Post and good followup

 

[hanginbals]

I think it was Zieglers ... right next to Mr. James' barbershop. That was the hangout for sure.

Thats exactally where its at!

 

[OneB4Two_Not2B4One]

Damn...it's a small world...what part of Westbury are you from? I grew up in New Cassel.

I went to Westbury jr High school back in the dayz,
Itz funny because you have nice areas all around
Westbury, like the hills around Jericho area ,Near
the Jr high school was a nice area (back then)ect..
and then "BLAMM" NewCassell Drugs,Poor people
and Murder.
Went to my aunts house and seen they built houses
all down prospect.i was telling my fam its looks like IDAHO now.

 

[BRUHA]

I went to Westbury jr High school back in the dayz,
Itz funny because you have nice areas all around
Westbury, like the hills around Jericho area ,Near
the Jr high school was a nice area (back then)ect..
and then "BLAMM" NewCassell Drugs,Poor people
and Murder.
Went to my aunts house and seen they built houses
all down prospect.i was telling my fam its looks like IDAHO now.

Yeah...New Cassel is the asshole of Westbury, but its getting a face lift...slowly but surely it will catch up to the rest of Westbury...my peoples actually just moved to Sherwood Gardens about 3 years ago. The funny thing about New Cassel was that depending on which block you were on, it either looked like a decent suburban neighborhood, or it looked like the straight hood. Either way...that was my home for 22 years. It was funny how people reacted to you when you told them that you were from Westbury...they would say "that's a nice area"...but when you mentioned New Cassel, they had a funny look on their face. You would get comments like..."you don't look like you're from New Cassel"...whatever the fuck that meant.

 

[OneB4Two_Not2B4One]

It was funny how people reacted to you when you told them that you were from Westbury...they would say "that's a nice area"...but when you mentioned New Cassel, they had a funny look on their face. You would get comments like..."you don't look like you're from New Cassel"...whatever the fuck that meant.

[Sarcasm] Yeah New Cassel going to be looking
like OldWestbury in a few(you know whats up with that area).
I think people still not sure how black people got to New Cassell lol
i bet some free slaves started the town or something. lol

 

[BRUHA]

[Sarcasm] Yeah New Cassel going to be looking
like OldWestbury in a few(you know whats up with that area).
I think people still not sure how black people got to New Cassell lol
i bet some free slaves started the town or something. lol

Believe me...I know better than anyone that New Cassel is the very worst part of Westbury...but what I was trying to say is that I think New Cassel will slowly but surely become less Black and Hispanic due to businesses and higer income residents pushing them out. New Caseel is prime real estate in Westbury...it's an area that's less flood prone because it's actual higher than surrounding areas. Plus Prospect Avenue is a heavily traveled road, even by people that don't live in New Cassel. That makes it prime real estate for businesses that depend on heavy traffic.

BTW...Blacks in New Cassel are a relatively new thing. Back in the 50's and early 60's, New Cassel was actually mostly White (Italian for the most part). We started moving in...and they started moving out. The classic story of White filght.

 

[DaleMabry]

yeah i keep tryna tell heads. no, LI's probably not the most gangster place in New York, but you can't deny our contribution to Hip-Hop. would there be a Nas if it wasn't for Rakim and Chuck D? L CROOKED I!!!!

Deny it? Shit man, LI might have the crown for the biggest contribution to hip-hop--it's really between LI and QU, and ends up being a matter of personal taste based on your standard: commercial success or critical acclaim?

I'm a critical acclaim kind of guy so I vote LI.