West Coast Artists vs. West Coast "sound"

[R-Tistic]

I've done similar threads to this, but I want to see how people feel right now...

What is more important to you...the fact that a rapper is from the West, or the West Coast sound?

We all know that there is a great divide between the fans of West Coast rap...some of us like West Coast rap because of what we got into it for...the smooth beats, nice flows, and the attitude behind it, and these tend to be the people who hate when new West Coast rappers use a sound that is more common to other regions. The other side of fans tend to support artists because they are from the West, and they don't care if their rap style or production style sounds East Coast, Down South, or stereotypical "West Coast."

When I first heard Game in 2003, I remember posting something here like "he's cool, but he sounds like every other East Coast rapper...and if I want to hear an East Coast rapper, I'll listen to one." After hearing more from him, I realized that he could spit on East, West, and South beats, and that he kept West Coast content, so I thought it was cool then.

At this point, it sounds like a lot of L.A. rappers are adapting to the styles of other coasts, whether it's from their flow, style, or their production. The Bay rappers still have their same style of rapping, but a lot of the hyphy music did sound like the upbeat Down South music, and a lot of it does sound like it came from the south, just with a different twist.

With that...do you think we should support an artist just because they are from the West Coast, or because they have the West Coast sound that we like?

[Johnny B]

the smooth beats, nice flows, and the attitude behind it is the only reason why I love west coast rap.

ppl like music for different reasons. from my perspective, I'm a laid back dude and west coast rap fits me perfectly. whether I'm in the mood for laid back music, hardcore rap, g shit, etc., the west coast got it.

as for flows, it all depends on the rapper. I like hearing rappers' energy and emotion their music.

[Fresco]

For me the most important is the West Coast sound, but nobody does it better than West Coast rapper!

[M Dogg™]

I think we forget how diverse the Westcoast sound has always been, especially in the peak in the early 90's. Pre-Chronic, the Westcoast was pure gangsta rap, Ice T, Ice Cube, NWA, just hard, raw beats with heavily violent content. Then came that G-Funk, and along with that came some westcoast rappers that came pure Hip-Hop. Game to me fits that gangsta rap tradition, as he reminds me of an old Rodney O, but more lyrical. Game can rip that G-Funk beat, but is more in his element with something raw, hard and gangsta. Someone like G.Malone seems to be doing a more commercial sound, almost southern in what he does, but his mixtapes show a very heavy Death Row influence, and I think his main style fits not in G-Funk, but in that Murder Was the Case, Afro Puffs, Natural Born Killaz tradition. A hard sound that may not be raw, but can show off a very hard flow. If Bishop was in the westcoast goldyn age, he would be a classic G-Funk rapper... lol. Good thing his on Aftermath, 'cause that's as good as it gets for his style.

[D-Stress]

the smooth beats, nice flows, and the attitude behind it is the only reason why I love west coast rap.

[CRAFTY]

It's difficult to say what "we" - as a group - should support. I can only speak for myself:

I've always been an avid G-Funk sound fan, so if a New West producer anno 2008 drops G-Funkish beats and they're dope, I'll support him. At the same time, I've got lots of respect for producers who come up with new styles. Dae One and Dem Jointz are perfect examples for this. Both of them have a clear West Coast vibe in their beats, but yet it's far from classic 90's G-Funk. I'd say it's G-Funk influenced, but they clearly found their own sound.

THAT'S what I love to support: innovative West Coast producers/artists. I'm not just buy anybody's album simply because of the fact they're from California. I need to LIKE the music (lyrics, flow, style, beats) in order to buy the album.

[Jungleboy]

The Westcoast got his own style. The problem is that rappers want to earn money so they give a fuck about the west

In the 90s Westcoast music change the mainstream but today Westcoast Rappers are to affraid to represent the westcoast because of the commercial success of Down South and east. Now thats fucked up!

People like the new west movement are out for about five years. they haven't got any commercial success. Look at bishop. everybody from the west knows him but in new york or in atlanta? The problem is that the westcoast haven't got any big record label like death row to promote artists. Koch or Aftermath arent as infamous as Death Row was.

To be real. The West should stop to imitate the south or east. they should find their way back to the roots! You cannot find a musicial break in the east like in the west since 99.

[Mackin]

It's difficult to say what "we" - as a group - should support. I can only speak for myself:

I've always been an avid G-Funk sound fan, so if a New West producer anno 2008 drops G-Funkish beats and they're dope, I'll support him. At the same time, I've got lots of respect for producers who come up with new styles. Dae One and Dem Jointz are perfect examples for this. Both of them have a clear West Coast vibe in their beats, but yet it's far from classic 90's G-Funk. I'd say it's G-Funk influenced, but they clearly found their own sound.

THAT'S what I love to support: innovative West Coast producers/artists. I'm not just buy anybody's album simply because of the fact they're from California. I need to LIKE the music (lyrics, flow, style, beats) in order to buy the album.

[Ese Torsido]

It's actually a little of both. West coast artist are about the presense, the lyrical strenght, the attitude, the rebel without a cause kind of fella. You see that in golden age gangsta rap music. That hasn't changed one bit. The sound, the instrumental landscape which sets their listeners in a particular section of the psyche is the real denominator in music.

Here's what I mean:
- "Nuthin' But A G Thang" - old school R&B laced with a few drops of hydraulic fluid for your lowrider. Speakers at full bass attack mode so that when you put the volume up at its max, you can actually hear the thumping of the beat. Melody is raw in terms of the age of the sample being used, but not rugged, so Dre and Snoop had to keep the lyrics suave and laid back like a tamed white pony ("If you wanna ride..."). This is G-funk at its finest (Sorry Warren G, but Dre is king).

- "Passin' Me By" - an irony of west coast G funk that proves an instrumental can be utilized in many ways. A first listen to this song could imply a sense of danger or caution in a nearby alley or neighborhood. Percussion steps in, making the composition feel a bit loud. Now your parents want you to turn down that gangsta music. Out of the blue, a rap artist describes his school days as a youth who had a little trouble in letting the apple of his eye pass him by, for it would lead him straight to the devil's pot if he started growing jealous. Yes sir, Slim Kid Tre, Booty Brown, Inari and Fatlip really took us for a loop - a Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde.

These songs are just examples of how sound can become a pendulim and hypnotize the listener without even looking. The ear is the most attentive part of the entire human body because it can convey safety and concealment with hard, skin-thrusting percussion or convince that danger exists in even the softest of melodies. Hell, Rome knew all about this as he was experimenting with Spanish oldies in his music. The lyrics can be of any topic or just brainless battle banter; the listener only needs to know how the lyrics are being brought.

[lost_assassin]

w.c. has its own style n sound... but the thing is as soon as u put w.c. artist on that ''box'' they start recyclin songs n beats n shit be soundin the same...just to make it able for the west fans...i think as long as they rep where they comin from its fine... but let artist be artists come up with new shit keep soundin fresh . i mean as much as i hate seduction by snoop its somethin new for him so props for that. but u cant give him much either cuz t pain started that bullshin sound..he just copyin somethin thats hot ..

[BOX5 the best poster on this site yell]

but what about the 80's west coast rap? cats leave that out,we was on our party shit as well,equals can't just leave that story out,that miami bass shit really came from here, brother marquis from 2 live crew was from out here as well as mr mixx (i think), hell we always was hella diverse with the music,it's just people flocc to the shit that actually "broke through" and think that's just it, i don't ride with that bullshit, i support that g shit when it's good as well as that hip hop shit when it bangs,we need a combo of it all.  and alot of artist who are comming up in music now is hearing mainly south music so thats they thang,it's like me saying what about the 80's shit,alot of folks on here is saying what about the g-funk 90's? i say give it to us all. I'm surprised nobody has made an album dedicated to all the sounds of cali on one album,i think it could be an ill concept yell