The early 2000s in a lot of ways was the golden era of hip-hop. Especially pertaining to New York City as the region set the groundwork for the next generations of artists. Here are four New York City rappers who defined the sound of the early 2000s.
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50 Cent
Nowadays, 50 Cent is known as the mastermind behind several hit television shows, including Power, Raising Kanan, and BMF. But he first burst onto the scene as one of the most influential rappers of the 2000s. 50 Cent defined an era with hits such as In The Club, and Disco Inferno which became national anthems in clubs across the country. But 50 also gained a reputation as an antagonist in the music industry. That became apparent in his song “Piggy Bank” on his critically acclaimed “The Massacre” album. In the song, he aims at several of the top artists in the music industry such as Nas, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss. He also notoriously feuded with Ja Rule and Murder Inc. in the early 2000s. A feud that is presently ongoing.
Cam’ron
You can’t talk about early 2000s Hip Hop without mentioning Cameron Giles. The founder of the iconic Diplomats (or Dipset) rap group essentially defined hip-hop in the early 2000s. Works of music such as “Get Em Girls” “Ambitionz as a Kila” and “I Really Mean It” developed into anthems that became synonymous with New York City. In addition, Cam’ron and Dipset also became fashion icons. They were among the first rappers to make wearing big diamond chains and Cam’ron alone made it cool for men to wear pink. He would often drive his pink Range Rover truck around Harlem. And who could forget the iconic picture of him wearing a pink fur coat with a matching hat?
Ja Rule
People tend to have a revisionist history when it comes to Ja Rule’s impact on the music industry. Despite not currently being a relevant artist, at his peak, Ja Rule was one of the biggest artists of his time. Ja may not have had a long run on top. But several of his songs such as “Down A** B***h” “Living It Up” and “Down 4 U” have withstood the test of time. In addition, the argument can be made that the Queens product inspired the generation to follow. At one point, Ja was clowned for singing on his hooks despite being a rapper. However, that same sound has made artists such as Tory Lanez, Trey Songz, and Drake wildly successful today.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z is often praised for his longevity. He has a bevy of classic albums which has allowed him to stay on top of the rap game for more than two decades. However, his peak was in the early 2000s, when he started Roc-A-Fella Records. Under the Roc-A-Fella label, Jay would drop several timeless classics along with top music executive Dame Dash. Songs such as “Big Pimpin” “Girls, Girls Girls” and “Heart of The City became soundtracks that inspired the next generation. So much so that he was able to employ the next generation of artists. Roc-a-Fella Records broke out some of the biggest artists in the mid to late 2000s including the Diplomats, Beanie Sigel, and Teairra Mari.
