Philadelphia should decline the “Original Music City” title given by the dummies at City Hall

In a move that nobody outside of City Hall asked for, Philadelphia City Council just declared us “The Original Music City.” Council member Isaiah Thomas introduced the resolution, citing Philly’s deep music history and the long list of legends that called the city home.

Oof. I hate it already.

The Original Music City? That’s Isaiah Thomas came up with? I guess when you’re name is Isaiah Thomas and you’re like the fourth, if not worst, person named that, then you get a fourth-best type of name for everything else too?

The Original Music City – Fucking Christ, Man.

That’s also assuming that I don’t mind the name or the declaration made by City Hall in the first place but I do have a major problem with it. Don’t get me wrong, I know we have legendary music here in Philadelphia.

Take a look at this roster that was personally curated by me, a man with immense taste and culture for the fine arts.

Teddy Pendergrass, Boyz II Men, Armentani Bros, The Roots, Patti LaBelle, Hall & Oates, Will Smith, Kid Dynamite, Dr. Dog, Hop Along, War on Drugs, Diplo, Beanie Siegle, The Loved Ones, Paint It Black, Jedi Mind Tricks, Disco Biscuits, The Wonder Years, G Love & Special Sauce, Modern Baseball. 

That’s a solid variety of really great artists, right? On top of that, we have heavyweights like the Curtis Institute, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Academy of Music anchoring the city’s rich culture.

That’s all great stuff. No arguments there. You could even put Meek Mill on there at your own risk. I chose not to given the Diddy allegations. Can’t have Meek on there with his hard boiled egg-filled ass talking nonsense while we are acknowledging other artists who didn’t sign deals with the devil. That’s just my choice. Do as you will.

I do have to question why City Council is wasting time on even discussing this type of shit. Do these people realize that they are in a position of power? This isn’t an after school club where Council member Isaiah Thomas can just start making meaningless delcaration’s on how people should view the city of Philadelphia.

I think we should all respectfully decline the honors and give a big “fuck you” to City Hall for wasting everyone’s time with this shit.

Last time I checked, the city itself is a a crime-ridden nightmare and the streets are still littered with homeless and trash. Kensington is still a significant and forgotten problem in the city. Actually, if the council wants to discuss irrelevant shit like this they should have to do it on K&A. You want to talk about pointless shit, do it in the jungle and make it an open forum. That’s the city tax dollars truly at work.

I’m trying to keep this short and sweet. It’s clearly not working.

Back to my original point, you can’t just announce that you’re “The Original Music City” and expect the rest of the world to fall in line. It doesn’t work that way. Nashville didn’t give itself that title — the scene earned it. New Orleans didn’t invent its legacy overnight either. Greatness in music cities is built, not declared with a press release.

If that was the case, I would run and immediately censor all Philadelphia 76ers content, ads, and general dialogue surrounding the team.

On that note, I would be so bad at being a Council Member. I could be bought and sold a million times over – more than Meek Mill was passed around a Diddy Party. Okay that’s the last Meek Mill joke but come on, that was too good to pass up.

What makes Philly’s music scene so good is exactly what City Council is missing: it doesn’t need national validation. It’s gritty, it’s underground, it’s proud without screaming for attention.

That’s what makes the music — and the city — special. Trying to slap a self-proclaimed title on top of it cheapens the whole thing.

Gotta Say It: This feels like a participation trophy move.

It’s like if the Sixers, mid-collapse, handed themselves “Best Team Chemistry” banners to hang next to all those second-round exits. Philly’s music culture doesn’t need gimmicks. It doesn’t need validation from a City Council resolution. It just needs the work to keep speaking for itself — and it already does.

Also, who’s this for? No artist worth their salt is going to stay in the city because of a made-up slogan. You know what would actually help? More venues, more festivals, better support for the local scene. Go find a way to bring back a real festival to replace Made In America before handing out vanity titles no one asked for.

Made In America Note: Even Made In America has been a dud since The Front Bottoms (New Jersey) blessed the Skate Park Stage and Kanye West (Alien) was playing Blood On The Leaves over and over again!

At the end of the day, we know what Philly is. We don’t need to remind everyone — that’s what other cities do. Let the music talk. The minute you start giving yourself awards, you lose the chip on your shoulder, and that’s when it all goes south.

So, thanks for the effort, Councilman Thomas, but we’ll pass. Keep the resolution. Keep the “Original Music City” title. Find something else actually beneficial and meaningful to talk about. This shit is NOT it and the real ones already know what Philly music is about.

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