Non-East Coast heads, how did you go about discovering East Coast Rap?

[the elastic]

I know they are the foundation of the genre, but depending on when and where you were born, you may not have been raised listening to or known of acts like KRS-One, Jeru Tha Damaja and Big L. I'm moreso speaking of the more niche East Coast rap, not the Jay Zs and Biggies. But if it applies, let it fly.

For me, I discovered it thru mostly video games. Especially NBA Street Vol 2. Then later on I got into Griselda and Sean Price cause of the algorithm/internet. Funny enough, I enjoyed Sean Price on GTA3 before I really knew who he was. Same for MF Doom on the Gorillaz album.

 

[Brandwin]

Born and raised in Texas. Was in CD Warehouse in 98 (I was 17) and was tired of the same ol same ol. I listened to some east coast, like the classics, Nas, DMX etc. but there was the guy who always reminded me of bro man from Martin who worked there. He was part of a rap group in Waco TX called Third Eye Militia; which included Strange Fruit Project (shout out to S1) and a group Verbal Seed (Afronauts still one of my favorite albums RIP OneSelf) Mony Mone and a few others )

Asked him for something different. He told me to check out Blackstar, led me down to more stuff from Rawkus etc and just kind of opened my eyes to more than just West Coast and down south music. Never looked back.

 

[King Sun]

I was born in 85 before region bias and i got it from my older sister. She had follow the leader on tape and strickly business. Also when i was aware of rap at 3 most of the mainstream channels played mostly east coast music until 93

 

[RaspberryFitted]

Def Jam FFNY/NBA Street Vol. 2

 

[hitmonlee]

the internet

 

[Solomon Lurke]

I was a Rap City/Yo MTV Raps/Juke Box kid with a lot of time home alone. Initially was introduced to West Coast Hip Hop through my older cousin but once I started spending all my time watching music videos I started getting more in tune to East Coast music.

 

[letti cook]

my older cousin gave me Jayz, The Blueprint and that same week I randomly found Fabolous, Ghetto Fabolous cd in my driveway

those cds made me more receptive to that sound and I started buying east coast shyt when I would go on my record store runs. Prior to that, I knew whatever I saw on rap city or heard on the radio, but I was strictly south when it came to albums.

Swisha House and DSR mixtapes put me on to alot of shyt too because the beats they used to rap on made me look for the og songs

 

[Dizzle]

Born and raised on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. This music should have never made its way to me. The internet really opened the floodgates. From buying mixtapes at the local fairs, to dubbing tapes off the radio, burning cds from my friends and downloading off kazaaa, I was barely being fed looking back at it. Life finds a way though.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

I’m sure I had heard of it beforehand, but my dad used to play the hell out of Juicy and Big Poppa

 

[gurf]

Rap City, Yo MTV Raps

 

[JUSTIN HERBERT]

Mane kinda off topic but there was a time I thought east coast rap was dead and then roc Marciano dropped marcberg in 2010 and they pulled me back all the way. It’s been on since . Checking for every roc , ka, alchemist related shyt.

 

[Ashtrey]

BET Rap City
Yo MTV Raps
Much Music Rap City

 

[KFBF]

Sohh and friends older bro

 

[the elastic]

I was a Rap City/Yo MTV Raps/Juke Box kid with a lot of time home alone. Initially was introduced to West Coast Hip Hop through my older cousin but once I started spending all my time watching music videos I started getting more in tune to East Coast music.

Rap City, Yo MTV Raps

BET Rap City
Yo MTV Raps
Much Music Rap City

Yo MTV Raps used to play deep cuts?

 

[Justin Nitsuj]

Biggie was actually the first East Coast rapper that I've listened to as a child back in 1994.