In 2008, the San-Francisco–born rapper Roach Gigz visited New York City. He went out to Southside Jamaica, Queens, the area 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew mythologized in rhyme. He visited Harlem, where he bought two small pet turtles for $10. And he fueled his trip by wolfing down $1 slices of pizza. For Gigz, the voyage was a chance to play the rap tourist. But on his next visit to the networking center of the hip-hop world in 2011, his schedule is all business. Touching down in N.Y.C. after the Presidents' Day weekend, the 22-year-old is seeking face-to-face connections with industry folk. It's a fist-bumping approach he hopes will convert the hype he has cultivated online into a shot at real-life stardom as he gears up to drop... More >>>