West Coast hip-hop
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, political and social justice movements put in place a potential blueprint of what local artists could rap about, and showcased how the counter-hegemonic culture of hip-hop was already embedded into the roots of the Bay Area.
[3] Coming out of the Bay was a unique style of break dancing that was exhibited at local shows, and a representation of graffiti sprayed along city streets and buildings, similar to what was expressed in The Bronx on subway cars and abandoned structures.
From the inspiration of funk music, to the political and social movements that were energized by the Black Panther Party, Hip-Hop in the Bay was a newfound outlet, and proved to be ingrained in the region's identity.
Founded in Oakland in 1966, the Black Panthers surge for change and alterations of the systemic racism entangled in society resonated with the residents of the blue collar city.
[4] Laid out in the 1960s and 70s through activism and the hybridity of funk music, the Bay Area was able to gain serious traction from the 1980s to mid 90s, which saw local artists popularize Pimp rap.
Artists across the region began harnessing the sound of the Bay and slowly saw their rhythmic funky beats slowed down and reused in later hits that would intersect genres.
[9] The two eventually went their separate ways: Williams started a group called the World Class Wreckin' Cru and became the house DJs at a local nightclub called Eve's After Dark while Clayton launched what would perhaps be the foremost successful mobile DJ crew in the region by the name of Uncle Jamm's Army that would host parties by top DJs for thousands of people at large venues.
[8] Captain Rapp created the classic West Coast song released in 1983 called, "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which is a politically conscious response to Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" arranged by the legendary production duo of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Rich Cason.
Members of Uncle Jamm's Army and the World Class Wreckin' Cru, including Dr. Dre, The Unknown DJ, Egyptian Lover, Ice-T and Kid Frost would later go on to help define the early West Coast hip-hop sound throughout the 1980s.
As well as establishing a basis for the popularity of gangsta rap, the album drew much attention to West Coast hip-hop, especially the Los Angeles scene.
Ice Cube released some of the West Coast's most critically acclaimed albums, such as 1990's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and 1991's Death Certificate, as well as making film and television appearances such as in John Singleton's Boyz n the Hood in 1991.
[23] Bay area rapper Too Short, already well known for his collaborations with artists such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G, found a new lease on life with the hyphy scene, his 16th studio album Blow the Whistle in 2006 debuting at number 14 on the Billboard 200.
Throughout the 2000s, a number of peripheral West Coast hip-hop artists such as Ya Boy, Glasses Malone, Juice, SKG (Suge Knight Girl) Helecia Choyce, Crooked I, 40 Glocc, Slim the Mobster, Bishop Lamont and Mistah F.A.B.
[29][30] Other more peripheral acts that achieved moderate, cult following success in the mainstream include Lil B, who built a strong fan base via social media outlets such as Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace, and has recorded both solo and with The Pack.
[31] That same year, Black Hippy's own Kendrick Lamar 2012 release, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, was met with rave reviews and was featured on many critics' end-of-year lists.
On June 19, 2024, Juneteenth, Kendrick Lamar hosted the The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert following his highly publicized feud with Drake, noted as a celebration of the West Coast.
