Can Pittsburgh carve its own hip-hop identity?

Though countless hip-hop artists today get involved in countless types of business – shoes,… Though countless hip-hop artists today get involved in countless types of business – shoes, cologne, movies, adult diapers – what most rappers do best is rap. They write the rhymes and create the rhythms that get us dancing, bobbing our heads, shouting expletives or whatever else it is that hip-hop makes you do.

But there is a whole other side to hip-hop that is entirely less visible to the MTV-watching public. While the artist stands at one end in the spotlight, there are dozens, even hundreds of others who make sure that the razzle-dazzle of the music business operates as it should – making money, making names and most importantly, making music.

Luckily for us, the knowledge-hungry music fans at Pitt, some of these behind-the-scenes folks are right here in Pittsburgh, working to carve out an identity for the city, one hot beat at a time.

Ken “Noetik” Jones has been involved in the Pittsburgh hip-hop scene for almost two decades. His crew, Steel Town Sounds, is a collective of local DJs, MCs and producers, all working together to put Pittsburgh on the map. He is also involved in NUC Promotions, which stands for Never Under Competition, a company that works freelance with local artists to “push them to the next level.” Noetik will soon release City of Champions: The Remix LP, an album of remixes from some of Pittsburgh’s current and past hip-hop artists.

Alas, there is nary a soul out there who knows more about Pittsburgh hip-hop than our man Noetik. So, from a non-artist standpoint, where does Pittsburgh stand?

“Fitting in [the hip-hop scene] is the problem we have at hand because everyone wants to be involved in the glamour and glitz of it all and become what they see in the music videos,” Noetik said.

“Artists are not working on becoming more creative with their musical talent by thinking outside of the box and defining a true Pittsburgh sound so that we could stand out from the rest instead of conforming to what is on fire right now,” Noetik said.

Strong words from a Pittsburgh veteran, but think about it: Cities all across the nation have created distinct identities in the hip-hop world. Atlanta has the rumbling beats and the ‘dirty south’ niche. Philadelphia has capitalized on the socially conscious rap of acts like The Roots. New York comes at listeners with the gritty rhymes of the street. So, will Pittsburgh ever develop its own unique hip-hop sound?

Acccording to Julian Warshaw, a Pitt senior and founder of Original Anthem music management, the city is still finding its ground.

“I don’t know if the city of Pittsburgh truly fits into the hip-hop music industry,” Warshaw said. “Yet, as far as Pittsburgh hip-hop goes, the market here is so small that it gets overlooked by almost everyone in the industry. There has to be a ground-breaking act that really puts Pittsburgh on the map.”

Though a relative newcomer to the hip-hop game compared to Noetik, Warshaw has certainly been making a name for himself around town. Almost a year and half ago, the New York native started Original Anthem, a management company representing rappers, producers and songwriters. His operation soon grew – he now works with artists like Cam’Ron and local producer Nesia Beatz.

“There are so many projects on the table right now,” Warshaw said. “Things are incredibly hectic.”

With Steel Town Sounds and Original Anthem, there’s surely a whole crew of people working to push hip-hop to the forefront of the city. But is the artistic talent there? Who will be our breakthrough artist?

The leading pick right now would be Wiz Khalifa, the Pittsburgh native who, before he was even old enough to drink, has landed a record deal with Warner Brothers. His first album, Show and Prove, released last year on Rostrum Records, earned him a write-up in Rolling Stone Magazine and appearances all over the country, including the opening spot at Pitt’s own Nas show last year.

So will Wiz be the one to finally put Pittsburgh on the map? Who knows, really? If nothing else, the city has a strong behind-the-scenes section to push anyone to stardom.