Things I see happening in the LA Rap scene

[R-Tistic]

Right now, most people who support the west coast are hoping that Game blows up. Although many people on the internet may hate on him, it seems like most people just want somebody from the west to blow up period. In L.A., there are a lot of people that are feelin him and hatin on him for various reasons. But even many people that hate on him still want him to blow up just so that other west coast artists will have a chance to blow up.

As far as the upcoming rappers in L.A., I am definitely seeing somethin happen right now that is interesting to me. We all know that in the 90s, LA rappers developed a signature style that was hot and easliy recognizable, but since the late 90s, only west coast rap fans have enjoyed to hear this style. Now even before Game, I saw a lot of young dudes in L.A. that were into rap durin 98-2001 when we weren't doin as much, and many of them began to like the east coast style of rap a lot more than their own. Because of this, a lot of unknown LA rappers that I know that are in their early 20s and younger seem to have a style that is heavily influenced by the east coast. Some of them try to emulate the NY accent, but some of them maintain the LA sound in their rap and flow but just use metaphors, punchlines, and multis that have never been seen as an LA signature even though many rappers such as Ras and Crooked use them.

Now if anybody wonders where I am goin with this, I'll say it here. If the west coast does come back, what do you think west coast rap is going to sound like in the second half of this decade? I have no problem with Game havin an east coast style, but I have a strong feeling that when he blows up, many up and coming rappers in LA and the west in general will say "damn...if I want to blow up, I have to sound like I am from NY" because that will seem to be the trend. I definitely don't want to see this happen. If I could program the future in any way, I would hope that Crooked I, Sly, Ras, Yukmouth, and some others were the blueprints to what the "typical" west coast rapper sounded like, because I don't want us to only be in the mainstream if we sound like we are from NY. I have already been hearin people from the south and east say things like "well the only new rappers you all have sound east coast (speakin of Guerilla Black) so y'all really aren't comin back" and even though I don't agree with this, I can see what they mean.

[CRAFTY]

I have no problem with Game havin an east coast style, but I have a strong feeling that when he blows up, many up and coming rappers in LA and the west in general will say "damn...if I want to blow up, I have to sound like I am from NY" because that will seem to be the trend..

You got a point there, and like you said, hopefully it won't happen, 'cause the West Coast sound is something we shouldn't throw away like that, just for the sake of commercial success.
But at the same time, I'm not sure if they'll change their West Coast style, 'cause if you think about it: all those Southern rappers didn't have to change their style to get noticed, so why would cats from Cali do that?

All I really want is: that people buy Game's album and start having interest in the lyrical content of his songs, so that they (hopefully) will start checking for other artists from the West Coast. The way I see it is, it's all up to Game right now...he's the one who's got "the key to the door". He's the only rapper from the West Coast who hasn't only a major distributor behind him, but also (and most importantly) Hip-Hop's most powerful label : Aftermath/G-Unit. That should the perfect combination to blow up.

Also, it's very positive to see The Game give props to other WestCoast rappers and throwing them on tracks on his mixtape (Crooked I, Techniec, Balance). It could've been the other way, you know?

[Shark]

all this drama to get some zoom zooms and wam wamz

I hope cats keep there westcoast style, westcoast shit sounds better than east n south put together. so west side 4 life. but everything revolves around money so i can expect west rappers trying to sound like east coast cats.

[R-Tistic]

But at the same time, I'm not sure if they'll change their West Coast style, 'cause if you think about it: all those Southern rappers didn't have to change their style to get noticed, so why would cats from Cali do that?

Well it's completely different with the west. Bein honest, why do you think Dre signed Game before any of the rappers that many people on here say are much better than him? Mainly because his style will appeal to everybody, because west coast style doesn't appeal as much anymore. Seein that Game does get noticed, west coast cats would definitely change their style to get noticed because they feel that haven't been noticed with their own style so maybe they will get noticed with a east coast style.

[CRAFTY]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It is a possibillity of course that they'll do that...but let's just hope they won't.

[Kill]

As you said this trend has already existed for a while. Dre being the most powerful producer has contributed alot to how the situation is, pushing 50 and lettin people like Hittman wait for ages till they got angry and left. Northern Cali (not counting Pac) never made it to mainstream success and the rest of the hiphop world started to ignore the typical LA style years ago. People who tried to make it sounding typically west coast during the last years, eg Roscoe, flopped. Now we got a pretty average rapper ridin with a powerful crew and sounding like he's from the east and this cat is about to blow up. All I've mentioned so far goes in the same direction: the west (unfortunately) is not likely to come back with an own style that is peculiar to its own artists like G-Funk was back in the days. If the west comes back then probably it will be the artists soundin like they're eastern who have a chance to make it in the "system" of the rap business.

The only possibility I see for the west to blow up otherwise is by developping a new style and making it a trend in the whole rap world (kinda similar to southern crunk), which is very unlikely as long as there 1. is no unity and people are concerned with dissin each other over whatever and 2. powerful people like Dre prefer pushing east coast artists or west coast artists that sound like them. There would have to be a new musical "movement" so to speak and i don't see that coming at the moment. just my thoughts on it

[R-Tistic]

The only possibility I see for the west to blow up otherwise is by developping a new style and making it a trend in the whole rap world (kinda similar to southern crunk), which is very unlikely as long as there 1. is no unity and people are concerned with dissin each other over whatever and 2. powerful people like Dre prefer pushing east coast artists or west coast artists that sound like them. There would have to be a new musical "movement" so to speak and i don't see that coming at the moment. just my thoughts on it

Damn, I have thought about the same exact thing before too. I was thinkin about it before because the the west blew up, we didn't do it from rappin like the east, but by bringin somethin completely different to the rap game in many different ways. The south is big right now because even though you may say crunk music and all that sucks, it is completely different and somethin that you definitely identify with bein the south.

If the west did come with a new musical "movement" I don't think it will be somethin pertainin to gangsta rap. I don't know what it would consist of lyrically, but musically, I think that it may be somewhat of a continuation of G-Funk or maybe even a continuation of Dre's style right now. People down south got tired of strait laid back music and wanted somethin to jump around and push to, and in the next few years, people are gonna get tired of jumpin around and are gonna want somethin more relaxed.

[CRAFTY]

If the west did come with a new musical "movement" I don't think it will be somethin pertainin to gangsta rap. I don't know what it would consist of lyrically, but musically, I think that it may be somewhat of a continuation of G-Funk or maybe even a continuation of Dre's style right now. People down south got tired of strait laid back music and wanted somethin to jump around and push to, and in the next few years, people are gonna get tired of jumpin around and are gonna want somethin more relaxed.

True...but I wonder how (if they're gonna do it) they're gonna make that sort of continuation of G-Funk. I mean...if you got laid back music (like you said, in the South), you just make the opposite: bouncy club joints.
But on the West Coast, we already got both genres: the laidback songs with the typical smooth synthesizer sound & the harder songs with a hard bass line and drums.

I can't really imagine another type of song

[i love men who take pictures with their booty's out]

shit all the west needs to do...

is combine, west,east,south,and midwest styles together... kuz all the new east coast shit is...now ..basically west/east/south(cuz they startin to use the southern producers now)


i disagree with people in the south got tired of the laid back music... why do u think..every album released comes slowed and chopped?  1nce niggas start drinkin that shit...and smokin...they gone be to fatigued to be gettin crunk...so they mellow themselves out..

... that crunk shit..aint for everybody..jus dumb ass niggas

[R-Tistic]

If the west did come with a new musical "movement" I don't think it will be somethin pertainin to gangsta rap. I don't know what it would consist of lyrically, but musically, I think that it may be somewhat of a continuation of G-Funk or maybe even a continuation of Dre's style right now. People down south got tired of strait laid back music and wanted somethin to jump around and push to, and in the next few years, people are gonna get tired of jumpin around and are gonna want somethin more relaxed.

True...but I wonder how (if they're gonna do it) they're gonna make that sort of continuation of G-Funk. I mean...if you got laid back music (like you said, in the South), you just make the opposite: bouncy club joints.
But on the West Coast, we already got both genres: the laidback songs with the typical smooth synthesizer sound & the harder songs with a hard bass line and drums.

I can't really imagine another type of song

LOL. What I mean is, every culture seems to have trends and all that go back and forth. In the 80s, people wore tight clothes but they began to wear clothes bigger and bigger, mainly from what the rappers did. They got to a peak to where they were wearin outrageously large clothes, but since Kanye, Pharell, and Jay-z plus others, the style is startin to change and people are wearin clothes that fit smaller. In rap, it seems like the preferred styles of music change...one minute people like positive songs or even politically aware songs, then it goes to straight gangsta murder drug dealin rap, then to love rap, then to just dance rap, to pussy rap, etc etc. etc. What I mean with the west is that people are eventually going to get tired of bouncin around, and they will want somethin more laid back or even just hard like the west coast has. But I don't see the music comin back and soundin just like it did in the 90s...what I could see happen is that a "continuation" of g-funk could come about...meaning that the music itself will have a laid back vibe to it, even if it is hard in a way that "Whats my name" and "Gin and juice" were, but still much more laid back than Lil Jon crunk music...but at the same time, the music itself will sound fresh and will not sound as it did in  the 90s. I think 213 has some songs that could be an example of this.."Run up on us" "Groupie Love G-Funk remix" and "Appreciation" are straight G-Funk beats with that same 90s vibe, but the music sounds a lot more modern than the music in the 90s sounded. I can see this style of music comin back, even because songs like "Selfish" from Slum Village has a real laid back vibe but people are feelin it.

Damn I didn't realie I had typed as much, but this is just an idea of what I could see come back.

[R-Tistic]

i disagree with people in the south got tired of the laid back music... why do u think..every album released comes slowed and chopped?  1nce niggas start drinkin that shit...and smokin...they gone be to fatigued to be gettin crunk...so they mellow themselves out..

... that crunk shit..aint for everybody..jus dumb ass niggas

Well I didn't realize that this is definitely true until I got to Florida for college. The chopped and screwed shit is completely different from west coast laid back vibe. Believe that the average person down south doesn't enjoy the laid back west coast music like we do. Not only are they not exposed to it, but when they do hear it, it just doesn't hit them the same way that crunk shit does. In a club, they will play a grip of jumpy ass bouncy songs and they jump around pushin and all else, and they can't do that from laid back west coast beats. They get fatigued from gettin crunk as you say, but they don't say "alright I've had enough Lil Jon, play some DJ Quik" that's just not how it goes.

But right now, crunk music is not just big down south, but around the country. Even at LA clubs you will see people do a real laid back mellow version of jumpin around like Lil Jon and all, and when they play Lil Jon songs like "Get Low" and "freak a leek" everybody is on it hard. So when the entire nation grows tired of this whole vibe of music, which may or may not happen soon, they will be lookin for somethin different.

I do agree that right now all other coasts do have west coast influence...a lot of Lil Jon beats sound EXACTLY like bay area music. You can't tell me "play no games" didn't have a bay area vibe to it.

[CRAFTY]

R-Tistic: Oh I see...yeah, you're right about those 213 songs. They are similar to the G-Funk from the 90's but they got a new sound to it at the same time.
So if that's what you meant was...yeah, I'd like to see that happen too.

[SGV]

I'll just say this. L.A. is the hardest scene to blow up in. Everyone here claims to be West Coast fans, but when a new artist comes along, they almost HAVE to be affilated with someone big. Snoop, Dre, Deathrow, Wake Up Show. G.Black got lucky, but the rest didn't. So many cats aren't affiliated with the people are named, so they get slept on. How do I know? I've made countless threads here and other places about new artists, only to see the thread get 1 or 2 replies from typical people. We need to be fans and not groupies.

[R-Tistic]

I'll just say this. L.A. is the hardest scene to blow up in. Everyone here claims to be West Coast fans, but when a new artist comes along, they almost HAVE to be affilated with someone big. Snoop, Dre, Deathrow, Wake Up Show. G.Black got lucky, but the rest didn't. So many cats aren't affiliated with the people are named, so they get slept on. How do I know? I've made countless threads here and other places about new artists, only to see the thread get 1 or 2 replies from typical people. We need to be fans and not groupies.

Well I see what you are sayin, but it also seems like you speak more of the mainstream. On this board and most other west coast boards, people will always check for new talent, regardless of who they affiliate with, but if it's not tite then it's just not tite. I always peep unknown and new artists, and most of them just don't do anything for me, not because of who they run with, but just the music itself is lackin. But the people who aren't west coast fans definitely seem to only like rappers affiliated with the bigger rappers. And also, there are SO MANY new artists that people may give em one listen and if they aren't feelin em they won't drop a reply or anything else.

[SGV]

Oh no. This site is very hard to get opinions on new cats that ain't affiliated. I've actually had a few artists tell me that. And see, most artists just want an opinion, good or bad. You can't even get a bad opinion here on a new artist. Like Game. Even though he was doing shit with JT, Noble and others, you'd only see a few threads about him every now and then. But, today? You'll see a thread "Game Wote LOL On His Forum!" and a whole thread is dedicated to Game's LOLing. <----Exageration, but you get the picture.