Syracuse

These days you can’t turn over a log without hearing about the ever escalating rapping feud between Northeast scene and the further north, East-Northeast crews. As if the bad blood weren’t bad enough, the central figures of each territory actually share blood. Yes MCs Green Mountain and Lake Effect are brothers.

With an ever-growing wedge polarizing the two camps and fan friction adding fuel to the fire, it is no surprise that threats have been heard leaking from the contesting crews. “I might not drive him to Mom’s birthday party”, MC Green Mountain has said allegedly.

Within weeks of Green Mountain dropping his new signature anthem, Night Pants, Lake Effect released No Pants. Can the back-to-back timing of these two songs be coincidence, or is it a call to war? Night Pants is an unmistakeable ode to comfort and relaxation, while No Pants appears to be a mantra for the self-employed who work at home and have business priorities that come before dressing.

Controversy like this is nothing new to this divided dynasty of hip hop. But if you think the lines are clear and you’re drawing up allegiance to one camp over the other, we have a shocking twist that may shake your world: The downstate DJ, A-Train, who has performed on, inspired and guided hit after hit for both of these factions, is none other than the third brother. Blood, after all, is thicker than bad-blood.