In the song's lyrics, he mentions several other California musicians who influenced him; Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Ice-T, Too Short and DJ Quik.

At the end of "Westside", TQ dedicates the song to the deceased Eazy-E and Tupac Shakur.

Released late in 1998, "Westside" became a breakthrough hit for TQ, reaching No.

In the US, "Westside" was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies on October 22, 1998.

The song also took the final spot on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1998.