2011 West Coast Rap >

So about a week ago I was sitting back listening to Casey Veggies (please peep to the right of this story for the LD Jam of the week "Ridin Roun Town") and I was thinking to myself wow, the West is really killin it right now. We got Casey Veggies, Pac Div, Nipsey Hussle, Fashawn, Black Hippy, Dom Kennedy, the industry's wet dream Odd Future, and please don't forget the "Based God" Lil B (just to name a few). I remember a couple months ago me and my fellow hip hop enthusiast Harrington were having a convo about how the West was back, and that's when the movement was extremely premature (pause)

While listening to Casey in my apartment and cookin' at an abnormal pace, I thought about the convo I had with  my boy Harrington again. Was the West back, or is west coast rap better than it's ever been before? Contrary to popular belief it's the latter, and this is why.

 

In 1988, the hip-hop supergroup shown above NWA stormed onto the scene screamin "F*** the Police" and became one of the most feared and influential groups in hip-hop history. Their debut album "Straight Outta Compton" pushed the envelope, using some of the most profane and obscene language heard during that time period to articulate the story of the young black males struggle in the greater Los Angeles area.Ultimately Cube, Dre, Eazy E,MC Ren, and DJ Yella's aggressive vision was bucketed into an all new sub-genre of hip-hop music entitled "gangsta rap"

And the blueprint of West Coast rap music was created.

From that point forward any music that came out the west had a hint of "gangsta" in it. When Cube went solo "Death Certificate" still had the raw aggression he spit in his NWA days. Dre was still rappin about how "Bi**** aint S***", and even when Snoop mellowed the West's groove out on Doggystyle he still never hesitated to make it clear "He don't luh deeez hoezzzz".

And then, somewhere in between all the shoot-outs, drive-by's and mysoginistic tales, this guy arrived.

Never before had the west, or matter of fact any region of music seen a hybrid artist of Tupac's caliber. Tupac could tear at your heart strings and make you wanna party all in one track. He seamlessly weaved from "Dear Mama" to "I Get Around" all while sounding astoundingly authentic. The ladies loved him, the thugs rejoiced him, and even the biggest lyrical critic had to admit that some of his rhymes were downright poetic.

Tupac's soul embodies what West Coast rap is today. But outside of all this multi-dimensional talent living in one artist, it has spread throughout the coast from artist to artist.

Want to lay back, or ride out in your car to some chill tracks? Give Dom Kennedy or Casey Veggies a listen. Want to listen to some ignorant and hilarious tracks? Feel free to blast the Based God. Want some heartfelt gangsta tales? Bump that Nipsey Hussle. Want to rage against the machine and listen to some Slim Shadyish grotesque lyrics? Odd Future's your group.

23 years later we've even seen the second coming of N.W.A. Black Hippy embodies the rebellious spirit of N.W.A. Not so much from the "fight the power" perspective, but more so, what you should grow to expect from a rap group. Black Hippy tells a new tale. Four kids from Los Angeles, many who grew up surrounded by violence and crime, and how they rose above the nonsense opposed to partaking in it. It's a refreshing spin on rap music that for 20 odd years glorified mass murders and homicides. Ab-Soul is the hi-energy sometimes suicidal lyrical assassin, Schoolboy Q is the fun-loving pot smoking hot spitta, Jay Rock is the sole gang member of the group and embodies the vintage west coast sound, while Kendrick Lamar is the passionate leader telling a story the coast has never told before of a straight A student who rapped his way out the hood. (Peep their story below from MTV News "The New West")

MTV Shows

As corny as the metaphor is, the 2011 Westcoast embodies the Burger King sentiment "You can have it your way." Any type of music you're looking for, it lives on the left coast. Variety = Longevity, hence why whenever regions have been defined by a sub-genre of hip-hop (The South & Crunk, West Coast and Gangsta Rap, Miami and DJ Khaled anthems) the fun never lasts that long. The West has laid the foundation to continue to innovate and push the coasts musical landscape and sound for years to come, making this moment in music more exciting than ever. To put a twist on the Geto Boys song that we all know and love from the film "Office Space", the new West movement can be summed up with one quote "Damn It Feels Good You Don't Have to be a Gangsta."