New York, NY

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This station is meant to showcase the rugged sounds of NYC, the birth place of hip-hop. The New York sound really came into it's own in the late 80's and early 90's, the so-called "Golden Age" of rap. This station focuses more on the NYC sound of this era, when digital sampling was widespread enough to move into a production style of jazz and funk loops, and when the rap style had evolved from simple battles rhymes into intricate word play and deep lyrical themes.

Part of the NYC sound is exemplified by Producers like DJ Premier, better known as the producer of the seminal group Gang Starr. Premier honed his skills on early digital samplers like the SP1200 and the MPC60. These samplers had little more than 10 seconds of total sampling time, so producers were forced to "chop" the samples and use samples in rhythmic patterns.

Another groundbreaking producer is Pete Rock, of Pete Rock and CL Smooth fame. The two had many classics, though they are best known for their tribute to a lost friend, T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You). This track is remembered equally for it's classic Tom Scott sample and smooth beat, and for the deep, heartfelt lyrics, as opposed to the typical braggadocios style of rhyming.

Other classic NYC rappers like Notorious BIG exemplify the style of over-the-top boasting and intricate wordplay that NYC created. KRS-One is a hip-hop pioneer as well, focusing on "dropping knowledge" and stressing education's importance. The underground crew DITC is also represented here, with artists like Diamond D and Big L.