The Hudson Valley Hip-Hop Scene You Need to Know More About

We spoke with four local artists on the advantages and challenges of producing their music in the region.

"It’s like compost.” That’s how concert headliner and Newburgh resident Decora describes the Hudson Valley hip-hop scene. “It has this strange biodiversity.”

Residents of smaller cities and towns tend to consume hip-hop through mainstream media like television, radio, and social media, whereas New Yorkers have the option to absorb it experientially before moving upstate later in life. This, along with the amalgam of people from various racial, ethnic, and artistic backgrounds that populate the Hudson Valley, creates an eclectic musical topography in our region. “You have people who were born and raised with parents listening to rock and roll music mixed with people whose parents listened to Latin music,” says Decora.