Philadelphia is a city renowned for its African-American culture and musical heritage. From the jazz scene of the 1940s and 1950s to the soul music of the 1960s and 1970s, the City of Brotherly Love has been home to some of the most iconic musical acts in history. Names like Patti Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass and Hall & Oates have put Philadelphia on the map as one of the main musical destinations. The TV show “American Bandstand” even began in this city. In the late 1990s, Philadelphia was also home to a new wave of hip-hop artists.
One of them was Reef the Lost Cauze, an intelligent lyricist whose subjects often dealt with life on the street. He managed to capture the attention of major rap radio stations and became one of the best-known rappers from Philadelphia since The Fresh Prince. His Roc-A-Fella debut, The Truth, peaked at number 5 on the Billboard charts. The album also saw Just Blaze and Kanye West receive their first widespread exposure as producers. The Roots, another hip-hop group from Philadelphia, released two more albums in the 1990s which are often considered to be their best work.
Lyrically, Illadelph Halflife is perhaps The Roots' greatest effort, as both MCs show absolute prowess on the microphone from start to finish. The album includes special appearances by Raphael Saadiq, Common, Bahamadia and future member Dice Raw. The album showed a small deviation from the sound of live music that was so prominent on their first two albums, and had a distinctly more “behind the tables” sound. The production was handled by The Grand Negaz, Questlove and Kelo and, despite reducing the sound of live music, it was highly acclaimed. Kurupt is another legendary hip hop artist and rapper from Philadelphia who is known for his collaborations with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger and Nate Dogg. Fans can support their favorite artists in a unique way and gain a piece of music history, as well as collect and enjoy exclusive musical experiences. As a child, Kurupt met another of his father's brothers, MC Grandmaster Nell, who pioneered the Philadelphia hip-hop scene of the late 1980s and influenced rap artists Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Kurupt's album included tracks that had been recorded in the five years prior to its release, and featured fellow Philadelphia rapper King Syze in some of them. Meek Mill is another Philadelphia rapper turned businessman who is launching a new record label in a joint venture with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. He was influenced by independent hip-hop artists Chic Raw and Vodka whom he learned to emulate by watching their DVDs. In addition to hip-hop artists, Philadelphia has also been home to some iconic classical musicians. In the 1930s, the Philadelphia Orchestra partnered with RCA to develop a new method of recording orchestral music when they made most of the soundtrack for Disney's “Fantasia”.Beanie Sigel is another iconic rapper from Philadelphia who achieved popular success while remaining raw, lyrical and respected. His album included special appearances by Jay-Z and other Roc-A-Fella artists. Robert Rihmeek Williams (aka Meek Mill) was born on May 6th 1987 in South Philadelphia.
He has collaborated with Jay-Z and other Roc Nation artists. Pianity is a musical NFT marketplace that connects artists and their community in a new and innovative way. Philadelphia has been home to some of the most influential hip-hop artists in history. From Reef The Lost Cauze to The Roots to Kurupt to Meek Mill, these artists have made an indelible mark on hip-hop culture with their collaborations with record labels from Philadelphia. Fans can now support their favorite artists in a unique way by collecting exclusive musical experiences through Pianity's NFT marketplace.
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