S. Samuel
With A$AP Rocky crushing the sales chart with his recent debut album and French Montana murdering the airwaves with hit singles, SOHH reached out to Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar for his take on the fellow New York natives blowing up.
In Jamar’s perspective, their high-profile associations with established stars like Drake and Rick Ross helped them get more shine than other local acts.
“There’s a combination of things that go into it,” Jamar told SOHH when asked for his take on artists like A$AP Rocky and French Montana receiving more shine than local rappers like Fred the Godson. “It’s their sound combined with who they’re rubbing elbows with. Yeah. I think it’s those two main factors right there. French Montana rocks with Puffy and A$AP Rocky was cool with Drake and all this other type of stuff. I don’t know. You know what I mean? They get on records with those kinds of dudes. French Montana was with Rick Ross all the time so they’re rubbing elbows with those right people.” (SOHH)
Fellow New York rap veteran AZ recently talked to SOHH and applauded French and A$AP for representing the Empire State.
“The game’s constantly changing,” AZ told SOHH. “It started in the East Coast and then it grew, which is good. Hip-hop is just a culture of communication and it’s the culture that we live in. I’m glad it grew and for it to just come back on this end [in New York], it needs to come back on this end, actually, just because we all have things to say. Big ups to all the French’s and A$AP’s because they’re doing what they do and they’re doing it well. They’re bringing the attention to the table which has allowed everybody to do their thing.” (SOHH)
Montana recently crowned himself one of the hottest hip-hop artists in the rap game.
“I don’t understand what people want me to say. I know my work,” he said confidently. “I know that I’m the hottest in the game with no album out. Let’s get that clear.” In terms of album’s content, French explained that he was making exactly what the kids want to hear. “I make ignorant music,” he declared. “I grew up in an ignorant generation, so that’s what they wanna hear now, the ‘Ocho Cincos’ — they know everything word by word.” (MTV)
Last month, Rocky’s Long.Live.A$AP debut dominated its competition atop the music sales chart.
New York rap newcomer A$AP Rocky’s Long.Live.A$AP crushed its competition at No. 1 this week. According to Nielsen Soundscan, his long-awaited debut has shelled out 139,000 albums after seven days in stores. (SOHH Sales Wrap)
