By: Alfonso Abreu
The days of New York City (NYC) being the same musical juggernaut it once was in the 90s and 2000s are far gone.
Starting in the 2010s, the scene became fragmented as it was no longer united by one titular sound, going through one defining era to another. With a wide range of stars crossing the lines between regional and mainstream success, A$AP Rocky, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Pop Smoke, to name a few, they maintained the city’s musical relevance during a time when NYC was an afterthought compared to Atlanta and the rest of the South.
Nowadays, the city is more regional than ever, with very few stars able to reach mainstream status, and it’s honestly for the better. It’s the purpose of this column, Fonso’s Interlude, to keep you informed on all things music and guide you to the hotpot of sounds, courtesy of NYC.
Across the five boroughs, vast amounts of sounds are emerging so fast that it’s hard to keep up. That’s the sheer beauty of the city that is truly unique to New York, each of these sounds exists in its own bubble known to those in the area or have the MTA system memorized to a tee, yet can be heard blasting out of the windows of a speeding 2009 Nissan Altima.
The NYC drill scene has experienced various stages of evolution, currently creeping back to its origins. Since the death of Pop Smoke and the shameless “Notti Boppin”, the standard violent-specific sound of drill has been tossed to the wayside (outside of a few hits), for a newfound focus to soundtrack parties rather than real-life crimes.
Nowadays, new-age drill rappers are venturing back into eerie territories, coating their songs with a haunting atmosphere. The more notable rapper is Queens native Mari B, who transforms his barbaric stories into what can essentially be the opening scene of an 80s slasher flick. Take “ABTM,” which samples the local hit “All About the Money.” The song transforms the dusty piano keys into a ghostly melody, as Mari B raps about stalking his opps with the same vigor as Michael Myers.
On a more positive note, the subgenre turned to #hadtobethere moment; sexy drill has experienced its own evolution.
The lustful genre has always dabbled with R&B, although only through samples. It was a sound that instantly connected with the city, which at the time yearned for brighter days, especially when it faced nothing but darkness. The front runners of the sound, Bronx rapper Cash Cobain and Long Island-born Chow Lee, have since moved on from it and are taking it to greater heights. Last fall, Chow Lee recruited Queens singer 2300 for their collaborative tape “CL23”, giving his stories of debauchery an intimate and softer sound.
In “baddie savy,” the two take turns crooning flirtatiously to their lovers over a stripped-down take of The-Dream era of R&B. The raunchiness is still prevalent throughout, yet there’s a sweet gentleness behind it that gives you the impression that the two are looking for more than a one-nighter with their partners.
In a similar melodic fashion, the 2300’s tape “Bully” harkens back to the DJ-hosted mixtape days with bootleg beats and DJ appearances galore. The tape depicts 2300 as a lovestruck player searching for the one in the club. The club setting feels larger due to constant appearances from Bandsome Will, who does his best DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Clue impression throughout, serving as 2300’s hype man.
Other melodic rappers lurking in the city are the emerging rapper R2R Moe, whose melodies teeter the line between robotic and soulful. Similar to 2300 and Chow Lee, his music focuses on love while navigating the rough streets of Harlem. Not leaning into the world of being a ladies’ man like Cash Cobain, R2R Moe treads the line of being overtly melodramatic while planting a firm stance in reality. “Hawk Em” pulls from classic drill production, trading the bone-crawling atmosphere in favor of a chilly, summer night. It’s your typical “rags to riches” pain music, but what sets this song apart is how dramatic yet deadpan Moe is.
A line like “I never been locked up, why the f**k would I cuff you/Humbly still being humble?” is delivered with a hint of dreariness paired with subtle “oh-oh okays” in the background. You’ll laugh at how Moe probably howled these same lines to the moon while going on a walk in St. Nicholas Park before relishing in the sheer reliability of it, down to the exact emotion.
Venturing into the SoundCloud landscape of the city, there’s an interaction with broader sounds while keeping the NYC flavor in the music. Notable examples will be 1c affiliates Ksuuvi and Backend, who both take their blown-out sounds and infuse them with a post-COVID NYC experience. In the midst of fantastical lyrical content, their lyrics are grounded with emotional imagery, which gives a wider glimpse of kids finding themselves in the big city due to negligence.
The music video to the airy “step outside” features Ksuuvi walking all around NYC, featuring somber lines like “I wish I could tell you what goes on insidе my brain // Yeah, it be f**kin weeks wherе I be goin’ insane”. Backend’s music may not include such emotional vulnerability, as he will rather focus on dealing and scheming. These tales are mere fantasy, like on the hypnotic “34babyyyy” where he asserts himself as the boss of New York City (“welcome to New York brother, this is how we do this sh##”), yet you can’t help but buy into this persona due to his cutthroat and mischievous attitude selling it. His music evokes a latchkey kid experience unique to NYC due to accessible public transportation. It’s best to picture Backend and the rest of the 1c collective as the high schoolers who storm the trains, relishing in their freedom and making the most of it.
It’s the firsthand experience of living in New York City that shapes the sounds found throughout its 5 boroughs. There isn’t any care from New Yorkers about whether the city’s music can cross into global markets as long as the music continues to be made by us and for us.