Rap Regions
West Coast
Welcome ot the Westiiiiiide. The place where gangsta rap became more acceptable to the world. The west coast was on life support for many years with only Snoop Dogg makin hits. The death of the legendary 2pac was a big reason for this.
Major Cities of Influence: Los Angeles (Compton , etc) & California
Key rapping traits: Lyricism are important, but more emphasis on delivery. The lyrics are very aggressive, in fact more hardcore than most East Coast rap.
If it were a kid at high school: The upperclassman who’s a bully. He’s also fairly popular, but in more of an infamous way.
Major Rappers
2pac: A LOT can be said about Tupac Shakur. For starters he really changed the rap game. I suppose his impact on the game can only be compared to Michael Jordan in the NBA. After Pac, rap was elevated to a new level. Pac wasn’t the best at flowing nor did he have the most clever wordplay, but his STORYTELLING and VERSATILITY were almost unrivaled. He had his gangster songs like Hit Em Up, Hail Mary. He had really good party songs, like my personal favorite, California Love, Then he had tremendous socially conscious songs like Dear Mama, Brenda’s Got A Baby, and Keep Ya Head Up. Overall I feel like saying he wasn’t the greatest rapper of all time(G.O.A.T.) is silly. Pac was the most influential by far and he’ll never be matched.
A Notable Song: California
Ice Cube: I have to admit, before I heard Ice Cube in his prime and before I heard “Laugh Now Cry Later” and “Raw Footage”, I didn’t really look up to Cube’s rapping career. The best rapper from the N.W.A. has a strong voice and great delivery. He’s not as versatile as some rappers, but he wasn’t afraid to tackle some of the toughest issues a rapper can talk about. Overall Cube is one of the best to ever do it.
A Notable Song: It Takes A Nation
Snoop Dogg: Snoop isn’t the best rapper around, however his LONGEVITY in the rap game really stands out to me. Even before I was into rap, Snoop was doing his thing. His career started out with a classic, and since then its been up and down…literally. Anyways he isn’t really so much a west coast rapper anymore. He’s incorporated A LOT of sound from the East Coast(Neptunes ) and dirty south(Lil Jon), making him a very versatile rapper. Snoop also likes old funkadelic type music; so when he incorporates that into his sound the result is usually good.
ANS: Drop It Like Its Hot
Dr. Dre: Dre was a member of the NWA. He changed the rap game forever with his beats. He wasn’t the best rapper, but he made beats that were fresh for the west coast. He worked closely with Snoop Dogg, and signed Eminem, the greatest white rapper of all time. Dre also gave 50 Cent his monster hit In Da Club. Overall I’d have to say Dr. Dre makes the best beats out of anyone. His only competion would be Timbaland.
ANS: Still Dre
The Game: The Game is a truly underrated rapper. He is the only hope for the west coast. I am patiently waiting for his Red Album. He does a lot of name dropping, which annoys many other rappers, but I personally don’t care. I think the Game is the 3rd best rapper in the entire history of West Coast rap(Pac, then Ice Cube)
ANS: It’s Okay(One Blood)
Notable Producers(s)
(See Dr.
Key Albums by Other notable artitsts
Eazy-E: Eazy Duz It
E-40: My Ghetto Report Card
