A big part of the reason New York can’t compete like it used to is that the infighting here has gotten way out of hand. 50 Cent has running issues with nearly everyone else in the city, and Cam’ron from Dipset has recently begun putting out tracks dissing Jay Z. While beef can be an effective publicity ploy, this much beef ultimately does the region a fair amount of harm. One major advantage the South has over Gotham is the fact that southern rappers generally seem to get along, and they clump together impressively to help each other out. An incomplete list of MCs who helped nudge Bun B’s album Trill up the charts includes Ludacris, Scarface, Young Jeezy, T.I., Ying Yang Twins and Mike Jones. When New York tussled with Death Row in the 90s, the city was similarly united. Biggie helped feed dozens of rappers and earned plenty while he was at it. 50 Cent doesn’t get along with anyone outside of G-Unit, so when he does well New York isn’t any better off for it. Jay Z’s recent “I Declare War” concert, where Hova publicly made peace with longtime rival Nas and put just about every New York rapper on stage to perform, was read as an attempt to unite the city, but his increasingly ugly spat with Dipset is beginning to make the effort look pointless.

Another factor in this city’s fall out of style may be straight tedium. MCs around here have been selling the same “I sold crack” story for more than ten years now. It actually makes Crime Mob’s ‘Knuck If You Buck’ gibberish sound refreshing. Gangster street-cred’s getting tougher to come by these days, too. In a city thoroughly pimpled with Starbucks, crack dealers aren’t “rebels of the street corner” anymore, they’re chumps about to get gentrified out to Jersey.

b' date='Apr 20 2006, 9:29 PM' post='2005079']
T.I is hella fine. Sweet Lord Jesus blessed him with beauty.

Ain't it the truth, though? I'm in love with his lips