New York bore hip hop. That’s no new news, but the Big Apple’s been dealing with empty nest syndrome for most of the aughts. Hip hop bounced. He (Common used to love H.E.R.? Honey still loves H.I.M.) drank and smoke straight outta Compton, threw down his index and middle as an ATLien, and blew through Chi-town something crazy. The prodigal son, perhaps, but the jury’s still out on if he’ll return home. Enter Esso. Last year saw the 26-year-old rapper in XXL and on the MTV indie circuit thanks to the work he put in for his Michael Jackson-inspired mixtape. And this year The Anti-Socialite attempts to see if hip hop will come back, or if it ever belonged to the Empire State in the first place. We’re no aficionados, but we sparked up a few cigars and chatted between puffs about Esso’s and New York’s place in the rap game.