When people think of West Coast rap, their minds immediately go towards the stars of the ’90s. After New York laid the pathway as the mecca of hip-hop, rappers out of California bridged their distinctive culture into the mix. Raiders hats, jheri curls, Dickies, and Chuck Taylor Converses, acts like N.W.A. and Too $hort pioneered what rap in Los Angeles and the Bay Area could sound like.
Eventually, parts of LA dipped into weirder, colorful territory, while a lot of the street rappers expanded upon the styles and production that got them there. From YG to Kendrick Lamar to Tyler, the Creator, the West Coast still holds a strong foothold in hip-hop culture. However, the imagination always goes back to the heralded ‘golden age’ of hip-hop when West Coast rap comes to mind.
Consequently, Noisey has selected four of the greatest songs to come out of California during the ’90s. With such a limited amount of spaces, some brutal cuts had to be made. For starters, Tupac doesn’t have an entry, despite twisting his fingers to represent the West. Due to him technically not being born and bred in LA, he missed the cut to prop up other timeless records. Moreover, Dr. Dre’s solo work doesn’t make it only to prop up what might be his most underrated hit.
Here are some other honorable mentions: “Captain Save a H*e” by E-40, “The Ghetto” by Too $hort, “Xxplosive” by Dr. Dre, “Regulate” by Warren G, “Hood Took Me Under” by Compton’s Most Wanted, “We Can Freak It” by Kurupt, “On My Way” by Suga Free, and “Ain’t No Fun” by Snoop Dogg.
Four of The Greatest ’90s West Coast Rap Songs of all Time
“Summer Breeze” by DJ Quik
There are distinct sights, smells and sounds that come with West Coast hip-hop. Records like “Summer Breeze” picture swaying palm trees and gated doors, the innocence that comes with youth and how the tragedies of life can cause us to overlook the beauty around us. Each verse dictates a different portion of life, where kids had water balloon fights and teens embrace their peach fuzz when they court women at the local barbecue.
By the 3rd verse, however, DJ Quik is 23 and has already seen some of those same friends he used to hang out with go to prison or die. Still, he tries to maintain a positive attitude amidst the grief. “So I’m lifting my homie’s spirits as tall as the trees. And I can even hear him calling me, in the summer breeze,” Quik raps.
“It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube
One of the greatest pieces of writing in hip-hop history. Ice Cube relishes in the details of his perfect day: momma cooks him breakfast “with no hog,” cruising in his lowrider, getting ready to play basketball. Then, he’ll go over to his friend’s house to watch Yo! MTV Raps and roll dice, all while never getting bothered by police or rivals on the streets. By the end of the day, he’s hooking up with his ol’ lady after the Lakers beat the Supersonics. But the end of the record sees Cube scrub all the fantasizing. “Ayy, wait, wait a minute, Pooh, stop this s**t.
What the f**k am I thinkin’ about?” he snarls.
“Streiht Up Menace” by MC Eiht
Few records quite capture the devastating environment of the South Central streets quite like MC Eiht’s “Streiht Up Menace”. Over bone-chilling piano chords, he relents how he’ll be just “another victim of the ghetto.” He feels like growing up in that environment doomed him before he could ever truly start. With no role models and people putting liquor in his baby bottle, he grew up grappling with murder and vengeance. The last verse deals with the paranoia and PTSD that comes with living in the streets. By the end of it all, he tragically dies, another statistic in a place where no one thinks twice about.
“100 Miles And Runnin’” by N.W.A.
When people think of N.W.A., they almost immediately mention “Straight Outta Compton”, “F**k The Police”, or “Express Yourself”. However, their brief expansion into the ’90s without Ice Cube holds some of Dr. Dre’s most exciting production. Take the fiery “100 Miles And Runnin’”, operating at the breakneck speed of a police chase, frantic and paranoid that the police will stop them. Still, Ren remains strong and unflappable, grunting “even if the FBI wants me to shut up, but I’ve got 10,000 n***as strong. And got everybody singing my “F**k Tha Police” song.”
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