2. New York

Local legends: Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, Nicki Minaj, The Diplomats, 50 Cent, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Black Star, Company Flow, Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, The LOX, DMX, etc.
Hot right now: A$AP Rocky, French Montana
Up-and-coming talent: Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Flatbush Zombies, A$AP Ferg, Angel Haze, Azealia Banks
Check out live shows at: Santos Party House, Brooklyn Bowl, S.O.B.'s, Webster Hall, Bowery Ballroom, Irving Plaza
Best rap parties/festivals: Hot 97 Summer Jam, Rock the Bells NY, Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, Downtown Sound, CMJ
Tune into: Hot 97; Power 105.1; inflexwetrust.com; missinfo.tv; nahright.com

Simply put, hip-hop wouldn't exist without New York. From the early days of Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash throwing parties and mixing records in the Bronx in the '70s to the pop domination of Bad Boy and Roc-A-Fella in the late '90s and early '00s, from the cultural presence of crews like Wu-Tang Clan and The Diplomats to the influence of underground acts like Black Star and Company Flow, the narrative of hip-hop has always been closely linked to, if not synonymous with, New York. The city remains the genre's business and media hub, the place where regional up-and-comers go to make their debut on a national stage and impress the genre's gatekeepers at labels, magazines, and radio stations. New York artists like Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Nicki Minaj are some of the genre's most important public faces today. Despite its long history and ongoing significance, though, New York has lost its place as the genre's artistic center. The city's lyrics-driven, boom-bap style hasn't been commercially relevant in nearly a decade, and its biggest current standard-bearers, A$AP Rocky and French Montana, are best known for their appropriation of other regional traits. New Yorkers have been some of the most vocal critics of the hip-hop the rest of the country wants to hear—like Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane and Future—helping to undermine the city's authority. There's hardly a street or neighborhood in New York that can't claim some lyrical reference or connection to hip-hop history, but some of those trophies are getting a little dusty. Still, the car speakers, bodega soundtracks, and radio playlists echoing through the city's five boroughs continue to be a critical barometer of who's hot and who's not, while New York's vibrant live scene makes it possible to see a notable rapper practically every night of the week.