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May 1, 2023 · As the region evolves and acclimates to changing tastes in the music industry, our 100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs stands as a snapshot of the scene’s important landmarks.
- 4 min
- Rolling Stone
- Dr Dre - The Chronic (1992) The Chronic is one of the most influential Hip Hop albums of all-time. A 1990’s masterpiece that is about the production first and the lyrical content second.
- Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle (1993) In the pre-internet and Social Media days, when music promotion was a whole different ballgame, there have been few albums that were as hyped and anticipated as Snoop Doggy Dogg‘s solo debut.
- Ice T - Original Gangster (1991) Ice-T’s masterpiece. Original Gangster is a long album, but it is put together PERFECTLY. It feels and flows JUST RIGHT.
- Ice Cube - Death Certificate (1991) Still angry, still hungry. Ice Cube picks up where he left things with his classic debut AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and even takes things a bit further.
- Dr. Dre - 'Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang' You already knew what No.1 was going to be. And how could it not? “Nuthin But a ‘G’ Thang” was the starting point for most of the other songs on this list, as it raised the bar for hip-hop music in general.
- Ice Cube - 'It Was a Good Day' Ice Cube’s 1993 single has become such a hip-hop landmark fans have spent countless hours trying to figure out the specific day at the center of “It Was a Good Day.”
- Snoop Dogg - 'Gin and Juice' As far as timeless hip-hop songs and phrases go, it’s hard to beat “Gin and Juice,” a song that has hit pop-culture heights with generations that no longer actually sip on gin and juice.
- 2pac - 'California Love" “California Love” is Death Row Records at its peak, with its best emcee and lead producer firing on all cylinders. Dre’s piano-driven bass-heavy beat sets the stage for not only his best verse, but arguably 2pac’s most thrilling performance on one of the biggest hip-hop singles ever released.
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- The Pharcyde - "Runnin'" (from Labcabincalifornia, 1995) Let’s start with a bridge — one between the insurgent wave of early ’90s West Coast indie and all the potential dynamism, insight, and creativity that underground hip-hop would cultivate by the decade’s end.
- J-Live - "Braggin' Writes" (12", 1995) One of the other calling cards, it should be noted, is rapping about rapping — the recentering and arms-race showoff of skills.
- Dr. Octagon - "Blue Flowers" (from Dr. Octagonecologyst, 1996) Kool Keith’s always been a crazy bastard, if by “crazy” you mean “can sound fly even rapping complete nonsense” and “bastard” you mean “stylistically fathered by immaculate conception.”
- The East Flatbush Project - "Tried By 12" (12", 1996) When street rap mourns, it’s the strongest case there is for hip-hop not as the detractors’ “inspiration for violence,” but as something inspired by violence — of something that has to be paid attention to, made sense of, after-the-fact justified, but not so much celebrated as chronicled in ways that at least try to find the resilience of artistic expression in the midst of a grim scenario.
- Tupac Shakur. 13,845 votes. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the late Tupac Shakur had an unparalleled impact on hip hop and the music industry as a whole. From the raw emotion in his voice to the powerful messages in tracks like "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "Keep Ya Head Up," Shakur created a movement that transcended generations.
- N.W.A. 7,786 votes. When discussing groundbreaking hip hop groups, it's impossible not to mention N.W.A. Composed of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, the group's unapologetic and socially aware lyrics illustrated the harsh reality of life on the streets of Compton, California.
- Eazy-E. 5,768 votes. As one of the founding members of N.W.A, Eazy-E played a monumental role in the development of West Coast rap. His distinctive high-pitched, raspy voice and gritty storytelling made him stand out from the pack.
- Snoop Dogg. 10,124 votes. With his laid-back demeanor and smooth flow, Snoop Dogg has solidified his status as a West Coast rap legend. Bursting onto the scene with his debut album Doggystyle, Snoop quickly became a household name due in part to his affiliation with Dr. Dre and his unique style.
100 Greatest West Coast Songs of All Time · Playlist · 97 songs · 84 likes.
Jul 18, 2019 · The sophomore album from the amazing West Coast group features one of my favorite 90’s Hip Hop songs. When the Jay Dee produced “Runnin” hits, you get lost in a trance.
