by Manuel Garcia
“We might fight against each other, but I promise you this, we’ll burn this b*tch down, get us pissed”, stated by Tupac Shakur in his song: “To Live & Die In L.A.,” an authentic sentiment to west coast hip-hop. A genre with such a deep history and so much talent within it, it’s hard not to pay homage and respect to those who originated what it meant, all the way to the ones still holding it down. It’s hard to find the true “beginning” of the genre and culture but the ones who put it on the map are none other
than N.W.A, Compton’s Finest. With themes of harsh realities, racism, angst, and most importantly, authenticity, they were able to define the genre and pave a path for those who were to come. Sadly, they would later break apart on recurring themes seen throughout the genre, pride, being one of the many other reasons. Due to the break up we then saw the rise of Dr. Dre as a Producer and a rapper most notably helping out up and coming rappers, most notably being Snoop Dogg, eventually leading to a collaboration with Tupac Shakur. Tupac would then later on become a staple and the standard of what it means to be in the genre; with his raw and relatable lyrics, he struck an audience in not just the West Coast but across the nation.
than N.W.A, Compton’s Finest. With themes of harsh realities, racism, angst, and most importantly, authenticity, they were able to define the genre and pave a path for those who were to come. Sadly, they would later break apart on recurring themes seen throughout the genre, pride, being one of the many other reasons. Due to the break up we then saw the rise of Dr. Dre as a Producer and a rapper most notably helping out up and coming rappers, most notably being Snoop Dogg, eventually leading to a collaboration with Tupac Shakur. Tupac would then later on become a staple and the standard of what it means to be in the genre; with his raw and relatable lyrics, he struck an audience in not just the West Coast but across the nation.
The main difference between him and the others was that he had variety; while other rappers talked about spitting game and being involved in gangs, Tupac talked about racism, gang violence, incarceration, and sexism, all while being one of the “hardest” people in the scene. However, sadly, like many others on this journey, Tupac’s life was cut short due to violence in a shooting, leading to a halt in the dominance of the West Coast.
Due to this halt and mourning period for the West Coast, we would see rises in other sub-genres of hip hop and rap mainly rising out of the south with rappers, such as T.I. and Lil Wayne. However, in the late 2000s-2010s, the West Coast saw a resurgence with people like Nipsey Hussle, who would showcase his community, then with YG, Tyga, and DJ Mustard, bringing the “ratchet” sound.
However, soon enough, Odd Future, led by Tyler, the Creator; Frank Ocean; and Earl Sweatshirt would come out and become leaders for the youth, combining teen angst and West Coast pride. However as all this was happening, another legend was just beginning in Compton, Kendrick Lamar, as we began to see him flourish with his album, good kid, m.A.A.d city where he solidified his name in the culture and the genre.
Sadly, the West Coast would have another loss in the community with Nipsey Hustle, a staple in not just the genre but the culture and community. His death marked another halt for the West Coast’s rise to regain its spot. Despite this, the hunger of West Coast artists didn’t fade with Kendrick Lamar most recently popping out and showing the world what this genre and culture is about and restating it back to where it belongs, at the top. Nonetheless still showcasing and bringing up smaller artists, mixed with the diversity with artists from the west coast, we can now see the reason why the West Coast scene is one not to forget.
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