The latest issue of New York magazine is its 4th annual “Yesteryear Issue” dedicated to a century of Pop music in New York City. Of course, you can’t mention NYC music without Hip-Hop and the mag’s has a number of cover variants including vintage photos of Jay Z & the Notorious B.I.G.
The issues features a nice photo spread of “26 Musicians Who Shaped New York City.” Hip-Hop was healthily represented with the likes of Nas, DMC of Run-DMC, Afrika Bambaataa, 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige. However, despite being on the cover Jay Z isn’t one of those rap acts. But even more surprisingly, Azealia Banks, who has yet to release her proper album and recently said she is leaking her oft-delayed project on April 15, did make the cut.
Too much Hova for the rap quota?
He does get his propers in the Jody Rosen penned cover story, though.
And of course there’s Jay Z, whose great theme remains his own stratospheric rise from street-corner dope peddler to “a business, man.” These biographies put a musical spin on New York’s rags-to-riches mythology: In this town, a song about the gutter can put you in a penthouse.
Check out the cover that features what looks like a teenaged Jay Z (it says it’s circa ’97) rocking a black leather jacket and a Cincinnati Reds baseball cap, courtesy of photographed by Edwin “Phade” Sacasa, below. Peep the Notorious B.I.G.’s cover (dated 1995) on the flip.
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Photo: New York Magazine
