CHICAGO - Home of Talent

    I have a theory that war and endangerment of a certain class of people will lead to the development of that group of people advance a little mentally all in a bid to survive The best inventions were made during the time of second world war. People had to create whatever they can, they had to advance mentally for their survival.
Since Music is the weapon of the future according to Fela, Chicago could be likened to Russia because of the cities mass production of music. Chicago aka Chiraq, Chi town, Chi City Home of the Pimps serves as an inbreed for new and fresh talent year in year out. Here's why

     In 2012, Chicago led the nation in homicides with 506 counts, including an astounding 152 murders taking place between the beginning of June and end of August. The unrest was indicative of something indefinable. However, out of that rubble came stark acts of creativity.

 History of Chicago Music

    The history of this people music shows that the city have been exposed to music like old rocks. Blues and as such have a strong history with that kind of music

According to wiki Chicago hippity hoppity artists have never coalesced around an easily defined style or sound (with the exception of the recent drill scene). Instead, Chicago hip hop artists took inspiration from a variety of regional influences - initially the East Coast, with its jazz and soul based sampling and "conscious" lyricism. At the same time, other Chicago artists embraced West Coast production, with its funky, synth-driven instrumentation. Eventually, artists like Twista, Do or Die, Crucial Conflict and Psychodrama put their own twist on West Coast instrumentation, adding double-time high hat patterns, and, in what would become Chicago's first, home-grown, and immediately recognizable "style", rapping in double or triple time over the funky, synth-driven beats.

Chicago hip hop's embrace of eclectic regional styles was also reflected in (and probably influenced by) the playlists of local hip hop radio stations, which gave West Coast, East Coast, and especially southern Hip Hop equal consideration.

Pionners of their hiphop - Chicago VS Everybody

    Between 1994 and 2003, the city’s Rap movement went into overdrive, highlighted by hit singles, albums, and music labels by artists and producers such as Da Brat, Crucial Conflict, Do or Die, the Molemen, and Typical Cats. All of this was anchored by the Chicago City Council

officially recognizing July as the month to appreciate Hip Hop.

Harmanis,Crucial Conflict, No ID Twista, R Kelly, Chief Keef , Lil’ Reese, Young Chop , and Fredo Santana are names that are mention worthy when it comes to Chicago hiphop. But you couldn't say much without mentioning names like Common, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco,

2004 and 2010 marked the beginning of the next generation of Chicago Rap. Completely dominated by the names Kanye West, Twista, and Common, 2004 and 2005 would provide the world with monstrous albums like

College Dropout, Late Registration , Adrenaline Rush 2007, and Be in the first two years. The landscape began transforming. Common brought his Native Tongues’ roots and poured it over intricately laid soul samples. Kanye made young men feel okay with expressing insecurities and emotions. Lupe Fiasco forced people to ask questions about almost everything, including the way they were perceived to the way they were affected by media.

Common has been an MC for 25 years and he is keeps waxing stronger with his preachy kind of rap he is currently holding an Oscar for glory with John Legend. 

Kanye West aka Yeezy, aka " Name one genius who isn't crazy " (punintended) being one of my top five shows that he is as intelligent as can be. Chicago's brightest, most flagrant, most Yeezus because he is so unique he can only be antomased by himself i.e. "Kanye is so Kanye". 

Lupe fiasco is one of the most intelligent rappers so much so that he has decided to annotate his own rap. Still mindblow from his Adoration of the Magi annotation 

"why your head up in the sky you just a baby"

Lupe Fiasco or Lupe senpai as I usually call him stands as a role model for nerds and geeks all around the world since he is interested in Street Fighter animes like ( naruto and Attack on titan) and he use them in his rap Listen to "Mural" for confirmation

All these genius from Chicago blazed the trail for the new guys to follow.

The New Guys

    There is a definite and palpable artistic renaissance happening in the Windy City and the Rap world specifically and music in general may want to pay attention to. This new guys are forming a Renaissance and exposing the world to the ups and down of being a Chicagoan through their music with a new wave of Hip Hop that have become the trend.

Chance the Rapper aka  Lil Chano from 79th, Kanye's Protege who recently won best MC of the year, have had a splendid year and is all thanks to his hardwork from his albums from Acid Rap to Coloring Book and rivals Anderson .Paak for most featured artist in 2016.

Donnie Trumpet aka Nico Segal who dump his name because of its resemblance to the obviously unsupported Trump personally I feel is misplaced priority. But none the less Talented instrumentalist also from Chi-Town his album with the Social Experiments titled Surf is one of Odd Verbs best albums He has also feautured in "$"by D.R.A.M on his Gadham album and "Breadcrumbs" by Jamila Woods

  Saba is another talented artist one of the princes in this KENDRACOLE world ironically his album ComfortZone brought me out of mine. As songs like TimeZone and Burnout ft Eryn Allen was put on replay. sometimes I usually confuse his voice with Chance's as he has been featured in his (Chance) Acid Rap and Coloring Book. In his Interview with the Chicago tribune he posits that

“I like to think of myself as somewhere in between "Conscious Rap and Drill Rap“ The only difference between me and most of the Drill rappers is perspective. They’ll talk about drug deals or something like that [in the first person]. My raps are a front porch kind of perspective.” 

we can only hope the rest of the country catches on and gives him the respect he deserves.

Noname, born Fatima Warner a prolific poet, One of the few non-Drill female emcees from Chicago, Noname turned heads with her verse on Chance’s “Lost,” off of Acid Rap. Like Chance, Saba, and Mick, NoName also of Chicago’s YCA weekly “WordPlay” open mic for artistic-minded youths. This makes sense, as her verses are normally blessed with a heavy mix of spoken word and singing. True to her name, NoName hasn’t put a lot of herself out in the public eye. Since her release of Telefone Noname actually needs Noname as her unique flows and sound makes her unmistakable in any track. Her consciousness is way off chart. As her verse VERY BLK by Jamila Woods centered on black brutality among other issues.

Omen aka TDK(Turn Down King) is another Chicagoan artist you should look out for. According to J Cole in his interview with Sway He called Omen a poet, that he is able to rap for long without using profanity or curse words. 

He is part of the Dreamville family with Bas, Ari, Lute and Cozz as he turned head with part on J Cole "Badness" song and the "Bitches" in the Revenge of the Dreamer album

Omen is one of the conscious rappers I have listened to as he talks about the Attention Problem our people suffer from in his song "Love Drug" and also about Fathehood in Father Figure to him I say A big Yo! Yo!

  Kweku Collins is a 19 years Old rapper from Evanston whose album just spurs you at first listen you start feeling the album right from the time you hear the " And we start with the piano" you would feel his flow and know he is some one that's gonna last in the game for a long time. Flexible and springy at the same time. His timing with songs is also impeccable 

   Kembe X born Dikembe Jibari is the latest signed from TDE whose aggression can be felt in his latest album Talk Back even from his album art as he depicts an animal like view of himself very artistic. I like his song "What U Say". Flowing with impeccable timing and cutting bars.

Joey Purp born Joey Davis member of the group Leather Corduroys with Kamu De Chukwu and founder of SaveMoney and another renaissance Chicagoan. According to Leather Corduroys “We always are headed towards change. We never know until we get there.” 

Joey Purp performance art album iiiDrops is short, cool and hip I like his song Girls ft Chance the Rapper and also an artist to look out for.

  BJ the Chicago Kid as the name implies he is a Chicago Kid, only one of the best hook singer in hiphop he has a very distinct and unique voice I find his voice catchy, only few artist like D'Angelo and Bilal have that gift. And He is fast becoming a sensation. His song "Church" in his album In My mind is in my favourite playlist and whose fault is that?.

   Vic Mensa, ROC Nation new signing and he is doing significantly well. With his new album There's Alot Going On tackled issues such as the Flint water crisis , the Shooting of Laquan McDonald , and self-inflicted wounds He is one of the Talent artist emphasised by his covering the XXL Magazine Cover, a Grammy nomination for co-writing Kanye's All day and Featured in Kanye's Wolves show how truly amazing this young man is. On April 2015, Roc Nation announced that Vic had signed to its label.  XXL called his breakthrough mixtape Innanetape , a "lyrical nourishment" and commenting on his ability to "bend words at will, cramming syllables into lines

   Mick Jenkins  is yet another graduate of the creative powerhouse that is the Young Chicago Authors (YCA) organization , a genuine “New School” linked to almost every up-and-coming Chi artist today. Aqua man as I usually call him because of his water themed rap styles as his two mixtapes and album are centered on Water which he feels is the Healing Component in his spreadlove campaign

According to Him "I feel like they’ve got a story to tell. They have a voice and that shit’s real. The other side of what is going on in Chicago is like renaissance right now. It just needs to be shown. It just needs to be exposed to the public" when asked about the Drill Rap movement

Other artist of note include:

Taylor Bennett, Brian Fresco, Sicko Mobb, Vic Spencer,  Jamila Woods, Mike Golden Jean Deaux ,Caleb James, Dally Auston, Defcee, God, Ibn Inglor, Jarred A.G., Logan, RondoNumberNine, SashaGoHard, Spenzo, Sulaiman, Tink, Towkio Shawn, Tree, ZMoney, theMind, Ravyn Lanae etc

All these young stars go to show that Chicago is indeed the home of talents. To make their renaissance symbolic they have a way of featuring in each other tracks.

More talents keep coming from Chicago and a lot of them not yet signed to record labels. Be on the lookout. Chicago is indeed A Home of Talent

Mused by Victor Samuel