 As we get ready to close out the year, century and millennium..The big question I'm asking everyone in this week's online poll is 'What Is The Best City For Hip Hop Music and Culture'? Despite the fact that Hip Hop has blown up all over the world, New York City according to my online pollers continues to be where the Hip Hop buck stops. The Big Apple thus far has a whopping 36% of the vote while the next closest cities are Los Angeles with 14% and The SF Bay Area with 11%. Thus far everyone else is below double digits. Am I to conclude this is an accurate assessment? I hear so many people from New York complain about the lack of opportunity for those outside the Def Jam/Bad Boy/Hot 97 machinery to really shine. Because things were so locked up I thought folks started looking to other spots. Over this past year I got a chance to travel all over the country and I gotta say Hip Hop is everywhere.. All sorts of cities and regions have scenes jumping off..Everywhere from Philly on down to San Diego you'll find some tight emcees, dope deejays and kids who have wholeheartedly embraced the culture. The only spot where I haven't really seen a big thriving scene that's comparable to the size of the city is Chicago. For a place so large one would think it would seriously be off the hook on the Hip Hop tip. This is not to say that there ain't no kids representing in Chi-Town.. I just thought the nation's third largest city would've been resonating on the Hip Hop map more. In other spots like San Jose for example, you have situations where the City itself will get behind Hip Hop events like they've done in the past with citywide B-Boy competitions and graf exhibits. Going back to this online poll, I often hear folks complaining about the 'Iced Out Jiggy attitude which has permeated so much of the Big Apple. Are people raising legit issues or just blowing steam cause their particular project ain't jumpin' off? I guess when ya think about it.. ya gotta bow down 'cause the Apple hasn't lost its luster. The question I'm asking everyone is 'Will New York always be the world's Hip Hop capital? Will it forever set the pace and standard for Hip Hop? Is it really still a situation of 'You haven't really made it until you blow up in New York?'.. I'd like to hear from you on this topic and share some of your thoughts in the next couple of FNV issues.. so please hit me back at mailto:kingdave@sirius.com Also if you would like to register your votes on my online poll.. Point your browsers to my website http://www.daveyd.com and cast your vote..I'm gonna keep the poll running for the next few days..
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