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It Ain’t Where Ya From
Loading ...The death of hip-hop regionalism means everyone dominates.
Since hip-hop emerged in the slums of the South Bronx in the 1970s, geography has often defined rap artists. It has informed their slang and explained their sound. It has been a source of pride and a source of authenticity. So it was telling several weeks ago that the second single released from Jay-Z’s upcoming album has the geographically ambiguous title, “We Run This Town.”
Its sound—a melancholy arrangement of piano keys, electric guitar licks and heavy snares—is indistinct. And Jay-Z, aka Shawn Carter, a New York-native, collaborated on the song with Rihanna, an R&B singer from Barbados, as well as Kanye West, a rapper from Chicago. So which town are they running anyway? Is it New York? Chicago? Do they think Barbados is a town?
Jay-Z is approaching 40 and has never been shy about his Brooklyn roots, and the ambiguity of the the town referred to in his song is perhaps a product of universal marketing. Yet it speaks to something larger that’s taken place in hip-hop: Where you’re from just isn’t that important anymore. Indeed, once dominated by cities and regions where idiosyncrasies reigned, the epicenter of hip-hop has shifted to the Internet over the past five years. That, in turn, has changed the economics of the industry and altered the sound of the music.
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