Author/s: Matt Diehl

The East Coast, West Coast, and Deep South have all had their hip-hop heydays. Now the middle of the country is shaping up to be rap's next big stomping ground for talent scouts

"Midwest rap is blowin' up right now," exclaims Eminem. Slim Shady should know, as he was the spark to light the fuse: The Detroit native's debut album has gone beyond double platinum. Before him, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony became the area's superstars under the patronage of L.A.'s Eazy-E, but few Midwestern rap artists had taken off nationally. Da Brat - one of the first female rappers to sell platinum - had to move from Chicago to Atlanta to find fame.

Now, Eminem's success is shining light on the Midwest's upcoming talents, who feel the region has lagged behind the popularity of East and West Coast hip-hop and Southern bass-driven bounce. "Down South now, there's major deals and major money," says Common, the well-respected, Chicago-based underground rapper, "but there's been a lack of access to labels here." The Midwest also lacks an identifiable sound, which allows for greater variety and freedom since artists don't have to conform to a single aesthetic. "The East Coast is mainly known for lyrics and style, while the West Coast is more known for beats and gangsta rap," Eminem says. "I take a piece from everywhere. I blend it. To me, that's what it should sound like - you're in the middle, so you're getting shit from both angles." There's the speed rapping of Chicago's Twista and Crucial Conflict, the positive, organic vibes of Common and Detroit's Slum Village, and the East Coast-influenced, thuggish battle rhymes of Eminem and his Motor City neighbor Royce the 5[feet]9[inches].

A number of Midwest hip-hop artists are getting ready for a dip in the mainstream - starting in Indiana. The Indianapolis duo DJ Strictnine and Paranorm have put out a single on the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal imprint, and hardcore rapper Mag has worked his machine-gun funk with top producers like Naughty By Nature's Kay Gee. Up north in Flint, Michigan, homegrown groups like the Dayton Family sell in the hundreds of thousands. A few hours east, Detroit has produced Kid Rock's rap-rock explosion, Slum Village's Jay Dee, Eminem's supergroup, the Dirty Dozen, and Royce the 5[feet]9[inches], who made a $950,000 deal with Tommy Boy and should release an album in the coming year. Chicago is home to hardcore beat junkies Rubberoom, the jazzily innovative J. Davis Trio, boombastic studio wizard No ID, and fierce female rhymer Miss Syndicate.

Common is the region's standout talent. His last album, One Day It'll All Make Sense, featured cameos from Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, and his next, Like Water For Chocolate, due out in February, is one of rap's most anticipated. His collaborators include the Roots, D'Angelo, Badu, Goodie Mob, and Gangstarr's DJ Premier. "The diversity is the advantage, because then you don't wear it out," Common says. "If your region only brings out one style of music, once America gets over it, it's played out and out of style."

COPYRIGHT 1999 Brant Publications, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group