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If you want to be a legendary hip-hop artist, it’s mandatory to have some references to Baltimore in your music.

That may not actually be true, but it does seem like most of the top rap artists have acknowledged Baltimore — in some way — in their music.

Why, you may ask? The Baltimore Banner was also curious, so we asked legendary Baltimore DJs Rico “Quicksilva” Silva and Shawn “Ceez” Caesar.

Maybe it’s because Baltimore’s reputation as a staple city in drug trafficking, and some of these artists may have done business here.

“Without incriminating anybody, they really were stopping by,” said Quicksilva, chuckling. “They had a job here, that’s the best way that I can put it.”

Quicksilva gave famous Jay Z lines as examples: “Expanded the operation out in Maryland, me and Emory Jones in the caravan,” from Jeezy’s “Seen It All” single. “Was herbing ’em in the home of the Terrapins” is from one of his own most popular tracks, “Izzo (H.O.V.A.).”

“That was real,” he said in reference to both of those lines by Jay Z. “But he wasn’t talking about basketball.”

Said Caesar: “We know why they mention us. We know what’s really happening, who has been in and out of the city and things like that so I’m just glad they’re telling the truth.”

But drug trafficking isn’t the only thing artists rhyme about when they mention Baltimore. Some have roots to the city, like DMX, and some may be familiar with the city because they live close by, like DMV rapper Wale. Others are fans of the Ravens football team, whose quarterback, Lamar Jackson is also very popular among artists in the hip hop genre.

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop, The Banner compiled a list of some of the most unique references to Baltimore in songs in the genre.

“I’ma go harder than Baltimore” - Jay Z on “Go Hard (Remix)” by DJ Khaled featuring T-Pain, Kanye West & Jay Z

The popular DJ Khaled “Go Hard” single spawned several remixes from artists like Twista and Juelz Santana, but none were more notable than the remix by Jay Z. His boastful verse from 2008 drops mentions of Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in “The Dark Knight” and fellow featured artist Kanye West. Still, no mention was more satisfying for Baltimoreans than hearing the acclaimed rapper mention their city. Natives of Baltimore have frequently been described as having no fear, which would cause people to say that the city “goes hard.” Jay Z, who had some connections to the city in his hustling days, acknowledged that and mentioned he’s going to go even harder.

“A Baltimore Love Thing” - 50 Cent

50 Cent, who will perform in Baltimore next month, cleverly titled one of his songs on his 2005 “The Massacre” album “A Baltimore Love Thing.” While the track may seem like an homage to love songs, he is actually rapping about heroin and its effects on its users. During the time of the song’s release, Baltimore was unfortunately considered the heroin capital of the United States. With the many depictions of the drug problem in the hit show “The Wire,” this song title was a timely reference.

“Let me holla at you, youngin’, Baltimore shit” - DMX on “Get at Me Dog” featuring Sheek Louch

Although DMX is from New York, he spent an extended period living here in Baltimore. He actually spent so much time here that during his appearance in the Ruff Ryders cypher at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2012, the network said the late legend was from Baltimore. “Get at Me Dog,” DMX’s major-label debut single, was an undeniable hit for the rap artist’s originality and unique voice, but was also memorable for a line in the third verse. “Let me holla at you, youngin’, Baltimore shit” is a tribute to the city’s dialect, which excited local listeners with the mainstream recognition.

“You would think we live in Baltimore, the way they ravin’ about the latest product” - Drake on “Middle of the Ocean”

Baltimore has been detected in Drake’s songs in several ways, including influences from Baltimore club music that can be heard on his “Honestly, Nevermind” album. Not to mention the rapper wearing a Lamar Jackson Ravens jersey in his “When to Say When & Chicago Freestyle” video and calling Jackson “my quarterback” while bringing him on stage at his D.C. tour stop. In his sharpest lyrical performance — “Middle of the Ocean”, on his collaboration album with 21 Savage, “Her Loss” — the Canadian artist spits a clever double entendre where he mentions Baltimore’s football team, the Ravens, while bragging that his recent music has been so great that listeners constantly give it rave reviews.

“Hit licks in Baltimore, gettin’ HipHop chicken like Kevin Liles” - Wale on “The God Smile”

DMV rapper Wale is known for his clever wordplay, but many of Wale’s Baltimore middle school, high school and college listeners were also fans of his acclaimed sneaker collection. The District of Columbia- born rapper has referenced Baltimore several times, but none may have been more dexterous than his mention on “The God Smile” from his 2015 album “The Album About Nothing.” HipHop Fish & Chicken is a popular chain restaurant in Baltimore and Kevin Liles, a legendary Baltimore-born music executive, has made “chicken” — slang for money — for quite a long time.

taji.burris@thebaltimorebanner.com

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey will undergo foot surgery, delivering a big hit to the thinnest position on the Baltimore Ravens.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said it has not been determined how long Humphrey will be sidelined. This has been a "lingering" injury for Humphrey.

"It's not going to be a long-term deal," Harbaugh said Wednesday.

Injuries have depleted the Ravens at cornerback. Rock Ya-Sin, Baltimore's other starting cornerback, has been sidelined since Aug. 3 with a knee injury that is not considered to be significant.

Other cornerbacks who have been sidelined all week are Jalyn Armour-Davis, Arthur Maulet and Damarion Williams, who is expected to be out until October after having surgery on his left ankle this week. The Ravens also lost Trayvon Mullen, a 2019 second-round pick by the Raiders, to a season-ending toe injury before camp began.

Baltimore's top cornerbacks on the field Wednesday were Brandon Stephens, who had been playing safety at the start of training camp, and Kevon Seymour, who is on his fourth team in his six-year career.

"There is plenty of short-term concern," Harbaugh said. "We got to look at that, and it starts with the guys you have. We have guys who are ready to play, and we'll see what they can do. And, of course, we're always looking for players, too."

Humphrey, 27, is one of the Ravens' best playmaking cornerbacks ever. A three-time Pro Bowl defender, he is one of three players in franchise history to record double-digit forced fumbles and interceptions in a career, along with Hall of Fame defenders Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

The Ravens open the season with likely matchups against rookie quarterbacks in two of the first three weeks when they face the Houston Texans (C.J. Stroud) in Week 1 and the Indianapolis Colts (Anthony Richardson) in Week 3.

"It definitely hurts the defense when a leader like Marlon is not out there with us," Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith said. "I know he'll get back as soon as he can, and we'll pick up the slack when he's not out there."

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a touchdown pass this season, there's a chance it will come on a route that he suggested.

One of the biggest changes in the Ravens' first season under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken is more freedom and input for Jackson. In addition to giving Jackson the leeway to audible, Baltimore is using plays that Jackson has sent to the coaching staff.

"I was just on social media, and I saw a couple of routes, and I sent it to [quarterbacks] Coach Tee [Martin] and he was like, 'I'm going to relay the message to Coach [Todd] Monken,'" Jackson said after Tuesday's joint practice with the Washington Commanders. "Coach Monken liked the play, so he put it in practice. We didn't show it today, but I feel like it will be good for us."

Ahead of this season, Jackson received a sizable new contract (five years, $260 million) and three new wide receivers (Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor). He has repeatedly expressed excitement about the potential of the passing game this year, even suggesting he could throw for 6,000 yards because of all the new weapons.

Now, teammates see Jackson putting his stamp on a revamped offense that is looking to bounce back from averaging 20.6 points per game, the Ravens' fewest since 2015.

"[Lamar Jackson]'s got a good eye," Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. "If anybody ever asks him, or you just pick his mind about plays and where he sees the game and that sort of thing ... And now that he's getting that input, it's been great. Yes, he sees the game really well."

Earlier this month, Monken said he's a firm believer that you need "to empower" your quarterback for him to play his best. He mentioned that Jackson has become even more diligent and wants to be "elite."

"He's a guy [who] thinks about football a lot -- it's on his mind -- and I think he always had his ideas," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday. "He had a couple good ones; I can tell you that."

BALTIMORE —

Hampdenfest will not happen this year. Organizers said their application was denied thanks to Artscape.

Organizers said Baltimore City asked them to change the date of the annual event because it was planned for the same weekend as Artscape. They chose to cancel.

The cancellation has left residents disappointed.

"All the vendors that they had, it just worked. A lot of vendors are going to lose money," festivalgoer Robin Adkins said.

"This is an amazing neighborhood. They shouldn't cancel this because of Artscape," restaurant owner Assad Akbari said.

Organizers said they could not find a viable second date available for this year. They said the city told them they did not have enough resources to pull off Artscape and events like Hampdenfest. The event is sponsored by the Hampden Village Merchant's Association and the Hampden Community Council.

Artscape's 2023 return has already stirred controversy, as it takes place the same weekend as a Baltimore Ravens home game, a Jonas Brothers concert at CFG Bank Arena, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's annual gala and more.

Despite that, Mayor Brandon Scott expressed his confidence in the event while announcing this year's music headliners.

Local business owners said the event is very important to them.

"It is so tragic that they picked the same weekend that Hampdenfest was planning to do their festival, and we're a small neighborhood community. It really focuses on local businesses," store owner Kristin Wiebe said.

| RELATED: Baltimore City Council holds hearing on Artscape logistics

"As a new business owner, I am very upset about it. They should not cancel. It's good for this neighborhood, the people love it," Akbari said.

Many businesses said Hampdenfest is a big money-maker for them. The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, which organizes Artscape, issued a statement, saying, "We're reaching out to the organizers of Hampdenfest and understand their reasons for delaying this year's event due to Artscape, and the several other events that will coincide with that weekend. We off our full support to the organizers."

The Mayor's Office released a statement saying, "We were disappointed to hear the news of Hampdenfest's decision. As was relayed to them through the permitting office at the time, we remain eager to work with the organizers to see if there is a viable path forward."

'Baltimore is back': BOPA pushes back on concerns over Artscape

Forget about the salt-box cornhole games. No chicken wing-eating contest, either. And sorry, you won’t hear all the indie bands.

The annual offbeat Hampdenfest street festival, scheduled for next month, has been canceled. Organizers broke the news online Tuesday, saying city officials denied their event permit.

Organizer Benn Ray blamed the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts for the mess in planning a return of Artscape and leaving smaller festivals, such as Hampdenfest, in the lurch.

“Unfortunately, Baltimore City said they don’t have the resources to pull off Artscape and other events like ours,” organizers wrote online.

Baltimore’s Artscape, billed as the the largest free outdoor arts festival in the country, hasn’t happened since 2019. It’s usually in July, but BOPA moved the start of the arts festival to Sept. 13. Then the office pushed Artscape back to Sept. 22-24, the same weekend as Hampdenfest.

“We figured, if Artscape did happen, maybe we could still pull off a smaller, more stripped down version of Hampdenfest,” organizers wrote online.

Instead, their permit application was denied, the organizers wrote. Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Ray had sharp words for BOPA.

“Their mess has created this problem for us,” he said. “The fact that they didn’t bother to communicate or consult with any other neighborhood festivals speaks to the hubris of that organization.”

Todd Yuhanick, Interim CEO of BOPA, responded through a spokesperson.

“We offer our full support to the organizers and stand ready to assist in any and every way when HampdenFest is eventually rescheduled. In the meantime, we invite all from this vibrant and iconic neighborhood to join us at Artscape,” Yuhanick said.

Hampdenfest draws between 15,000 and 20,000 people a year for the local bands, neighborhood vendors and crowd favorites like the chicken wing and pie-eating contests, said Ray, the co-owner of Atomic Books. The popular toilet bowl races were retired to the dismay of longtime attendees.

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“We were disappointed to hear the news of Hampdenfest’s decision,” wrote Bryan Doherty, the mayor’s spokesman, in an email. “As was relayed to them through the permitting office at the time, we remain eager to work with the organizers to see if there is a viable path forward.”

Ray said they tried to find another weekend for Hampdenfest, but the calendar was booked with holidays and other city events.

“There are problems on every weekend,” he said. “We’ve gone through every different variation.”

Still, Ray was hopeful Hampdenfest will return next year.

“It largely depends if Artscape is going to be in September,” he said. “That poses an existential threat for the festival.”

A previous version of this story misstated a reason the toilet bowl races were retired. Also, BOPA asked that a quote provided by a spokeswoman Tuesday afternoon be attributed to interim CEO Todd Yuhanick. This story has been updated.