3rd Bass - Brooklyn-Queens

What this video is

Released in 1990 as a single from 3rd Bass's debut album 'The Cactus Album' (Def Jam, November 1989), 'Brooklyn-Queens' is an explicit celebration of New York City borough identity at the height of the Golden Age. The track was produced by Prince Paul and Prime Minister Pete Nice and samples artists including The Emotions, Grandmaster Flash, and Orson Welles. 3rd Bass — comprising MC Serch (white), Pete Nice…

Why it matters

Represents a key artifact of borough-pride rap, a subgenre that locates identity in specific New York City geography. The video's raw, location-based production style and Prince Paul production pedigree connect it to the same Def Jam/Stetsasonic creative network that defined late-1980s East Coast…