Hip hop heroes Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, Slick Rick, Black Moon, and The Diplomats are all coming back to their hometown of New York in a tribute to their classic, genre-shaping albums.
The music might be universal, but when it comes to hip hop, the roots are firmly embedded in the concrete streets of New York City. The style is said to have originated in the Bronx, New York during the 1970s. It has since spread from East Coast to West Coast to different continents. From Sept. 25-30, however, hip hop is coming home again in the form of Red Bull Music Academy World Tour 2011’s tribute, titled Five out of Five.
The event will revolve around five iconic albums of the genre that originated from five different boroughs of New York. During five days, the artists will share their thoughts in public talks. At night they will perform their famous albums in concert.
The albums have become classics for different reasons: excellent street narratives, great story-telling, or honest energy—they are all hailed as some of the best of the genre.
These five days should prove to be a real treat for anybody interested in hip hop, the music scene in New York, or just good music as a whole.
Information about venues and tickets can be found at http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/worldtour/newyork/
Five out of Five: Five iconic albums from five New York boroughs.
Mobb Deep
Queens
Even if the album name doesn’t sound familiar, classic track ‘Shook Ones II’ will. The street oriented lyrics and haunting instrumental earned the attention of hip hop heads back in ’95, and is still the most well-known song from the Queensbridge duo. But don’t overlook the rest of The Infamous—its dark themes and production is just as alluring.
Slick Rick
Bronx
The hip hop king of story-telling, Slick Rick was actually born in London. However, the rapper made the move from his native Britain to the Bronx as a child. And New York sure loves having Slick Rick here. You might recognize him by his signature eye-patch, and his album certainly stands out from the crowd as well. The Great Adventures of Slick Rick is a pretty unusual album, filled with humorous and detailed anecdotes.
Wu-Tang Clan
Staten Island
If you have heard about hip hop, you have heard about Wu-Tang Clan. One of hip hop’s most well-known groups ever, its debut album hit the East Coast like a bomb. Mixing the streets of Staten Island with ancient Asian wisdom and the raw production of group member RZA, the album quickly became iconic. Enter The Wu-Tang has supplied the genre with timeless East Coast gems like ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ and ‘Protect Ya Neck’, and is definitely one of the albums that every hip hop collection is in need of.
Black Moon
Brooklyn
Enta Da Stage was a different kind of street oriented rap. The lyrics could be just as rugged as any other New York album, with a healthy dose of Brooklyn, but the production makes all the difference. Jazzier melodies and groovier vibes break off the hard edges, making for a very interesting 1990s hip hop album. It also makes for an impressing debut from the now classic Brooklyn group.
The Diplomats
Manhattan
The newest album on the list, The Diplomats were still able to make a very popular album. Although some hip hop purists might cringe, Diplomatic Immunity made its mark in Harlem and beyond. Being able to steer people’s attention more to Harlem and making "Dipset" a well-known New York group, the album will now once again have the opportunity to represent its borough.
