3042740, Rolling Stone 100 best West Coast rap songs
Posted by c71, Fri May-05-23 05:59 PM
not so much G-Funk on here
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-west-coast-hip-hop-songs-1234712968/
The 100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time
From N.W.A to Tyler, the Creator, from mobb music to hyphy
BY ROLLING STONE
MAY 1, 2023
west coast rap
HIP-HOP WAS BORN in the Bronx in the summer of 1973. To celebrate the music’s 50th anniversary, “Rolling Stone” will be publishing a series of features, historical pieces, op-eds, and lists throughout this year.
Our story of West Coast hip-hop music begins in 1981. That’s when producer, songwriter, and industry veteran Duffy Hooks III formed Rappers Rapp Disco Co. in Los Angeles. The label’s first release was “The Gigolo Rapp,” a nine-minute party platter that featured Disco Daddy and Captain Rapp rocking over an interpolation of Rick James’ “Give It to Me.” That same year, Oakland entrepreneur and soul singer Mickey “Mo” Moore released “Super Rat,” by Motorcycle Mike and the Rat Trap Band on Hodisk Records. However, the tale could start much earlier. There’s plenty of evidence that rap developed long before the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” brought New York hip-hop to the world. “From the nasty tales of Stagolee to H. Rap Brown in the Sixties, most of rap is nothing more than straight-up Black bravado,” wrote Ice-T in his book The Ice Opinion. “Rapping is just something you pick up in the ghetto.”
In four-plus decades, the West Coast scene has blossomed with musical variety, not only in Los Angeles and the Bay Area but also Sacramento, Phoenix, Seattle, and other cities across the region. From the electro era to mobb music, turntablism, hyphy, and more, it has produced so many standout artists, micro-scenes, one-hit wonders, and multi-genre fusions that it proved impossible to fit them all into a single, 100-song list. We could dedicate half of the list to the N.W.A family tree alone, a lineage that stretches from the World Class Wreckin’ Cru to Kendrick Lamar. We could have stuffed it with 2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg hits. Instead, we chose to go broad, sticking to one main artist’s song apiece, with few exceptions. Even then, we struggled to include everyone who matters. Inevitably, some did not make the cut.
The list was compiled by our editors and a team of critics headed up by Bay Area writer and longtime RS contributor Mosi Reeves. After compiling the initial list, we thought it would be nice to get an insider’s opinion. Our expert eyeballer for the 100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs is Mike Cox of the L.A. production duo Mike & Keys. They have worked with many of the artists who appear here, including Dr. Dre, Nipsey Hustle, Dom Kennedy, Xzibit, and Saweetie. “West Coast hip-hop is the inspiration that me and my partner Keys used to make Nipsey’s album Victory Lap, because we were inspired by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, N.W.A,” says Mike. “We were inspired by them using funk samples with hip-hop drums.”
Mike says that when Nipsey Hussle began work on the Grammy-nominated Victory Lap, he connected with numerous OG producers, including the late Digital Underground figurehead Shock G, Dr. Dre, and DJ Quik as well as engineers who worked on those sessions. “It’s like going and sitting with your senseis that did it before you and getting the blessing. We did that with all the West Coast legends,” he says.
However, Mike wonders what West Coast hip-hop means now in the age of the internet. “The internet made it possible for anybody to put their music up and think they’re a professional,” he says. “It’s made music more of a gumbo effect.… When you have everything accessible to you, you’re kinda all over the place.” Yet that’s part of the history, too. 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. It’s made with the knowledge that the future may well uncover a different portrait.
100. Black Eyed Peas - joints and jams
99. Oaktown's 3-5-7 - yeah, yeah, yeah
98. Dom Kennedy - when I come around
97. Open Mike Eagle - qualifiers
96. Captain Rapp - Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)
95. Brotha Lynch Hung - rest in piss
94. The Alkaholiks - make room
93. Dilated Peoples - work the angles
92. Kamaiyah - how does it feel?
91. Zion-I - inner light
90. Blu and Exile - So(Ul) Amazin’ (Steel Blazin’)
89. Saafir - light sleeper
88. L.A. Dream Team - The Dream Team Is In The House!
87. King Tee - At Your Own Risk (Buddha Mix)
86. Lyrics Born - Callin' Out
85. Jurassic 5 - Concrete Schoolyard
84. Saweetie - ICY GRL
83. P-Lo - Put Me On Somethin'
82. Skee-Lo - I Wish
81. World Class Wreckin’ Cru - Turn Off The Lights
80. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Same Love
79. Medusa/S.I.N. - Power Of The P
78. 03 Greedo - Never Bend
77. Deltron 3030 - 3030
76. Earl Sweatshirt - Chum
75. Toddy Tee - Batteram
74. Xzbit - Get Your Walk On
73. Problem feat. Bad Luc - Like Whaaat
72. Mack 10 & Tha Dogg Pound - Nothin' But The Cavi Hit
71. Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci
70. Young MC - Bust A Move
69. Doja Cat - Rules
68. Mozzy - Bladadah
67. SOB x RBE - Anti
66. The Coup - Fat Cats, Bigga Fish
65. People Under the Stairs - Acid Raindrops
64. Westside Connection - Bow Down
63. DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect World
62. Kendrick Lamar - DNA
61. JT the Bigga Figga - Game Recognize Game
60. Spice 1 - Trigga's Got No Heart
59. San Quinn & Andre Nickatina - Ayo
58. Tyga - Rack City
57. MC Hammer - Let's Get It Started
56. Kid Frost - La Raza
55. The Conscious Daughters - Somethin' To Ride To (Fonky Expedition)
54. Schoolboy Q - Man Of The Year
53. Roddy Ricch - The Box
52. Quasimoto - Microphone Mathematics
51. 2Pac feat. Digital Underground - I Get Around
50. The Pharcyde - Passin' Me By
49. Snoop Dogg feat. Kurupt, Nate Dogg & Warren G - Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)
48. Drakeo the Ruler - Flu Flamming
47. RBL Posse - Don't Give Me No Bammer
46. Sir Mix-a-Lot - Posse On Broadway
45. Too $hort - Freaky Tales
44. Freestyle Fellowship - 7th Seal
43. The D.O.C. - It's Funky Enough
42. MC Eiht - Streiht Up Menace
41. The Jacka feat. Andre Nickatina - Glamorous Lifestyle
40. Vince Staples - Norf Norf
39. Eazy-E - Boyz-N-The Hood
38. J.J. Fad - Supersonic
37. Lil B - I'm god
36. The Game feat. 50 Cent - Hate It Or Love It
35. Coolio - Fantastic Voyage
34. Yo-Yo feat. Ice Cube - You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo
33. Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E.
32. Above the Law - Call It What U Want
31. Egyptian Lover - Egypt, Egypt
30. Ice-T - Colors
29. Blackalicious - Alphabet Aerobics (The Cut Chemist 2 ½ Minute Workout)
28. Keak Da Sneak - Super Hyphy
27. Luniz - I Got 5 On It
26. The Lady of Rage - Afro Puffs
25. Ice Cube - Dead Homiez
24. Warren G feat. Nate Dogg - Regulate
23. YG feat. Nispey Hussle - FDT
22. Digital Underground - Doowutchyalike
21. Suga Free - Why U Bullshittin'
20. The Pharcyde - Runnin'
19. Tyler, the Creator - Yonkers
18. E-40 feat. the Click - Captain Save A Hoe
17. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man
16. DJ Quik - Tonite
15. Rodney-O and DJ Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass
14. N.W.A - Fuck Tha Police
13. 2Pac - California Love
12. Eazy-E - Real Muthaphuckkin G's
11. Nipsey Hussle feat. YG - Last Time That I Checc'd
10. Ice-T - 6 In The Mornin'
9. Mac Dre - Feelin' Myself
8. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Gin And Juice
7. Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
6. Too $hort - Blow The Whistle
5. Souls of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity
4. Makaveli feat. Outlawz - Hail Mary
3. Kendrick Lamar feat. Mc Eiht - M.A.A.D City
2. N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
1. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Nuthin' But A "G" Thang
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