Hip-hop decentralised from New York across US regions in the 1990s

Evidence

Hip-hop’s roots in the South Bronx long gave New York rappers a sense of cultural ownership, but their dominance faced a major challenge from a host of regional styles in the 1990s. The rise of West Coast gangsta rap, led by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, legitimized other cities, including Atlanta (OutKast), Detroit (Eminem), and Philadelphia (the Roots). Virginia Beach later joined this list thanks to Missy Elliott and her producer Timbaland, who was so close to Pharrell that he considered him a “cousin.” Across the street from Pharrell’s high school stood the studio of legendary producer Teddy Riley. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 85