NBA Free Agent Rumors: Ranking the Music in Each City After LeBron James

There are many factors weighing on LeBron James' mind when it comes to where he will sign and play for the next six seasons. The money is the same everywhere so throw that out. That leaves the extracurricular items for LeBron.

The money making ventures, the advertising, the merchandising, the guest spots and everything else he can think of. Well, with Jay-Z being involved in the ownership of the one of the teams pursuing LeBron, it goes us thinking about the best music scenes in the cities pursuing the biggest free agent in NBA history.

6. Miami

Miami brings up the rear but through no fault of its own. Miami is the home of Trick Daddy and Luther Campbell's 2 Live Crew. The Eagles recorded albums in Miami. Miami (and by extension South Florida) is the home of the "Miami bass" DJ sound as well as Southern Rap.

Jimmy Buffett's career took after moving to Key West.

Gloria Estefan built her career out of Miami and of course Will Smith made Miami and adopted home (whether that's a good thing is up to you to decide). The '70s disco craze provided KC and the Sunshine Band out of Miami.

Miami retains its position as the home of Latino music in the United States and South Beach is certainly a place where rap moguls go to kick back. But the city lacks as a thoroughfare for notable nationwide bands who usually opt to make their stops further north within in the state.

5. Cleveland

Perhaps the most memorable part of music regarding Cleveland was Michael McKean's foolish screaming of "Helloooo Cleeeeveland!!" in This Is Spinal Tap

Otherwise, Cleveland may be best remembered for giving us Bone Thugs 'N Harmony and an eclectic assortment of bands from numerous genres.

However, the city does have trump card. Cleveland is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If your city has a place where the best musicians on Earth gather for an annual meeting, it's got to have some chops.

4. Chicago

Chicago is an important linchpin in American music history as it was the home of the biggest jazz and blues scenes in the country once the genre left New Orleans.

Miles Davis, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Herbie Hancock all made their break out of Chicago. More modern artists who broke out of Chicago include Kanye West, the Smashing Pumpkins.

Chicago is of course still a major landmark spot for the industries biggest acts and is home to some of the country's most notable venues including the Riviera Theatre, the Aragon Ballroom and The Vic.

Chicago is also home to the Lollapalooza Festival, the country's biggest heavy metal, alternative rock festival.

3. New Jersey

Bruce Springsteen. Jon Bon Jovi. George Clinton. Frank Sinatra. The Fugees. That's just a few of the recording powerhouses that have spanned over five decades of New Jersey born music.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Giants Stadium became THE stadium stop for every major, nationwide touring act.

Even more specific, don't count out Newark which was a major jazz hub in the early 20th century and later produced Dizzy Gillespie.

New Jersey may lose much of its current musical flavor and scene to the Big Apple, but New Jersey's musical history is a serious heavyweight.

2. Los Angeles

How does one sum up the Los Angeles music scene? It has been the hub of music west of the Rockies since the 1950s, producing memorable acts across every genre. Los Angeles established its own punk scene in the 1970s, was the home of Frank Zappa, and later was the cradle of West Coast hip hop.

1. New York City

Was there any doubt as to what number one would be? New York City is the media epicenter of the world and has seen every major act come through town since the first days of American music.

Madison Square Garden is the biggest stage in the world for any act let alone the massive concerts held on the Great Lawn of Central Park and the countless clubs around Manhattan and the other boroughs. New York, New York indeed.