B-Sides West Coast Gangsta Rap
Three Tracks From The Home Of Gangsta Rap
NYC may be the birthplace of hip-hop, but in 1988, N.W.A. built the foundation for a west coast empire, hot on the heels of musical change (pop/funk sounds paving the way for new hip hop) and political strife (police brutality and tensions culminating in the 1992 LA riots).
And while we could spill endless pages on what N.W.A. meant in a cultural and musical context, the well-reviewed Straight Outta Compton (named after the group’s debut album) is out in theaters now.
While you're buying your tickets, you can check out these three tracks from the west coast hip hop scene.
The Grand Finale
The D.O.C. might be described as the man behind the N.W.A. scene, having co-written and/or produced numerous songs for its group members.
Prior to the 1989 release of his solo album “No One Can Do It Better” on which this track appeared, The D.O.C. contributed lyrics and vocals to N.W.A.’s debut album, Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E’s debut, “Eazy-Duz-It” and he co-wrote “Keep Watchin’” from Michel’le’s self-titled debut album (all three produced by N.W.A’s Dr. Dre).
The D.O.C’s solo album sold well, having reached number-one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks. But, his profile and record sales might have been raised most not by the 1989 album release, but by his reference by Dr. Dre in Dre’s popular single “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” off of his “The Chronic”.
Like my (homeboy) D.O.C., no one can do it better…
In fact, mere months after the 1993 release of “The Chronic”, “No One Can Do It Better”, now 4 years old, finally went platinum.
The track featured here, “Grand Finale”, is a “posse cut” of the finest variety. N.W.A’s DJ Yella lays down a classic funk riff over which all of Ice Cube, MC Ren, Dr. Dre and Eazy E “go off” before The D.O.C. finishes the jam in a crescendo.
California Love
2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman
I remember hearing the “bomb beat from Dre” blasting from unapologetically rolled-down windows, Roger Troutman’s expert talkbox crooning still being recognizable in the noisy halls, and 2Pac’s energetic delivery and precise cadence being imitated to the sound of desk-beats in biology class. “California Love” was as pervasive as the air that it rampaged.
Out on bail, fresh out of jail, California dreamin’
Soon as I step on the scene, I'm hearin’ hoochies screamin’
Legend has it, when 2Pac was made bail for $1.4 million (courtesy of his new label-runner), the first thing he did was head to the studio to record “All Eyez on Me.” Miraculously, the album was finished in just two weeks. And though capitalizing on press might have been a motivating factor to drop so quickly, there’s no denying that the double album was huge success. “All Eyes” also yielded the label’s defining song.
Death Row Records was headed by the most feared man in the industry, Suge Knight. The dangerous, yet wiley exec knew exactly how to benefit from the feud between the west and east and took a by-any-means-necessary approach to realize those benefits.
The “Mad Max” motif in “California’s” music video, paralleled Knight’s combative tendencies with militaristic underpinnings, but Pac and Dre were able to resist antagonizing the “other” coast for the most part, concentrating on just glorifying the Golden State.
Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild West
A state that’s untouchable like Elliot Ness
The track hits your eardrum like a slug to your chest
Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex
It seems though, the hit single was obligated to also glorify the gangsta, staying true to its subgenre.
If “Hit ‘Em Up” launched the most controversial war in hip-hop history, “California Love” built the platform of insurmountable success from where the artillery was launched. This was not just the defining moment for Death Row — this was the defining moment for 2Pac, the G-funk era, and West Coast Rap.
Drop It Like It’s Hot
Snoop Dogg featuring Pharell
Anyone who says you have to soften your image to get a #1 hit is dead wrong. “R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece” truly marked the second coming of Snoop. After the acrimonious split from Death Row Records, the Dr. Dre protégé had been relegated to the veritable hellhole that was Master P’s No Limit Records, where he was pumping out far too many albums far too quickly. Just look at this album art:
Frankly, the Dogg was busy pursuing other ventures like directing pornographic films, and it wasn’t until he hooked up with The Neptunes that he got his gangsta mojo back. “Drop it Like It’s Hot” was a new look at gangsta rap: same hard lyrics, new futuristic sound.
“Beautiful”, his previous collaboration with Pharell, had put Snoop back on the map as a hit-maker, but “R&G” re-established his gangsta cred. Consider the following lyrics:
If you play me close, you’re on a red beam
Oh you got a gun so you wanna pop back?
AK-47 now nigga, stop that!
Cement shoes, now I’m on the move
You’re family’s crying, now you on the news
They can’t find you, and now they miss you
Must I remind you I’m only here to twist you
Pistol whip you, dip you then flip you
Snoop had been in the game for 12 years when this single dropped, finally landing him a#1 hit. A far cry from doing guest verses for Katy Perry, to say the least.
