They're aware....it just doesn't matter. What does being from "the north" even mean? There's too many different identities rolling around. Why would a nikka from NY look to Philly or Boston cats as "brothers" when he can look to brothers in his own home who actually share his cultural identity - including music, food, dances, taste in women, etc -?
There are people in the south who can trace their roots back 200+ years in the region. How many people from New York can say the same? I mean sure a few can, but way less due to northern migration and decades of European immigration. Repping an entire region is a lot easier when your family's basically lived in the same small areas for generations. Dad's from Huntsville, Mom's side's from Memphis, etc.
And then you have the fact that "the north" is way more populated than a lot of southern states who not only have fewer people, but smaller major cities. The east coast has several major population centers. More people = larger cities = more diversity and cultural identities. The south - up till relatively recently - was pretty....homogeneous. So of course folks from southern states are going to ride the coattails of the entire region rather than trying to rep individual cities.
On the other hand, I've never really heard a breh ride for "the south" as a whole. That's mainly a cac thing IME. nikkas will tell you they're from Tuscaloosa straight up, none of that southern pride bullshyt. And so it goes.
