Southerners Favorite New York Rappers: Cam'Ron, Juelz, and Fabolous.
Jay-Z's rank in the South may always be up for debate, but these three New York rappers will forever be in good standing.
Year after year, Jay-Z’s name gets dragged back into the mainstream conversation of relevance. When Future’s verse on Real Boston Richey’s Bullseye 2 dropped, social media immediately began touting the power of Future and his street appeal, arguing that Future Hendrix was indeed more popular than Jay-Z. Just this past month, Boosie’s comments on Jay-Z on Vlad TV popped up again, bringing the debate back to the forefront.
Music is subjective and no matter how decorated, accomplished, and skilled Jay is, there will still be those who don’t see him as more important than the rappers they admire. Andre 3000’s iconic declaration, “The South Got Something to Say,” said the quiet part out loud, and for that, he’ll always have a place in our hearts. For us in the South, our extreme love for all things Southern and skepticism of all things from New York mostly is a result of the East Coast bias against us “bamas”.
That bias made minimized the influence and skill of West Coast artists like Too Short and E-40, both of whom were beloved in the South. That bias prevented Atlanta radio stations from playing homegrown music prior to Hitman Sammy Sam and Big Oomp Records. That same bias prevented OutKast from initially receiving a five-mic rating in the Source for their debut album. Through it all, though, there are a few rappers from New York whose face card never declines. Cam’Ron, Juelz, and Fabolous are the three names any millennial hold fond in their rap memories.
Killa Cam
I was one of those fans two years ago who wholeheartedly thought that Cam’Ron and the Diplomats would beat the L.O.X. during their Verzuz (Foolish I know). But that speaks to how much of a cultural staple the group was especially in the mid-2000s when I was a high schooler. Cam’Ron’s ascent to greatness during the Come Home With Me and Purple Haze era set music on fire as kids from around the country including the South clung to his unique sense of style, lingo, and word play.
Never forget that Killa in his heyday was among the slew of rappers to collaborate on songs with rappers like Lil Flip and T.I. when rap legends like Nas were subliminally blaming the South for the demise of hip hop. For that, Cam will always be respected in the South and revered.
Juelz Santanna
I’d be remiss if I did not mention Juelz Santana whose highly anticipated album I Can’t Feel My Face, created the same fervor as J. Cole and Kendrick when they hinted at a collaborative album. Propelled to the top by Cam, Juelz’s distinctive style (His bandanna defied gravity much in the way T.I.’s fitted cap did) and flow made him a favorite as well. I know I wasn’t the only one running home to see the Santana’s Town video on Rap City or gasping at his punchlines when he freestyled on the Basement. In addition to his memorable songs with Lil Wayne including “Black Republican”, Juelz was someone young girls and women loved. Unproblematic, talented, and ferocious on the mic, Juelz’s status is still intact.
Fabolous
Fabolous’s alliance with BMF and Jeezy is a small part of his connection with the South. From the inception of his career, Fab’s collaborated with some of the region’s biggest talents including Lil Wayne. Jeezy, Jagged Edge, and 2 Chainz.
During the 2003-2007 era, the battle rap, punch line-driven style of artists like Fabolous, Cassidy, and Lloyd Banks definitely influenced Lil Wayne whose instant improvement following the release of the Carter captivated us rap fans. Whoever Wayne admired we admired, and Wayne in a lot of instances served as the Trojan horse for rap fans who grew up prioritizing melody over lyrics until they met him. Look no further than Exhibit A, aka 6 Minutes by Cassidy featuring Lil Wayne and Fabolous.
More than a lyricist though, Fabolous’ dress game has always served as the highlight of his appeal for us. Whether it was the Mitchell and Ness throwbacks, the super rare Nikes he had on, or ostentatious jewelry, his style reminded us of the flair that artists like Gucci Mane and Boosie became famous for in their primes.
Honorable Mentions
Memphis Bleek
Fat Joe
Jadakiss
Benny the Butcher
“Music is subjective and no matter how decorated, accomplished, and skilled Jay is, there will still be those who don’t see him as more important than the rappers they admire. Andre 3000’s iconic declaration, “The South Got Something to Say,” said the quiet part out loud, and for that, he’ll always have a place in our hearts.” 💪🏻 Nice read!
🎯🎯🎯🎯