Boston hip-hop has come a long, long way since I showed up here to cover the scene 10 years ago. In that time, countless artists have seen international acclaim, and banked a good buck on tours from here to places like Japan and Germany. Cats like Slaine, Reks, and Termanology are renowned as some of the genre's premier lyricists – on either side of commercial divide – and top producers like Pete Rock and Premier regularly collaborate with artists from New England.