West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => West Coast Classics => Topic started by: R-Tistic on September 16, 2006, 03:11:10 AM
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As of now....most of us will agree that the G-Funk sound of the 90's is outdated, although we still associate the west coast sound with having elements that were major parts of G-Funk...mainly the basslines, high strings and synths, claps instead of snares, and 95-100 BPM tempo.
However, many of us would agree that for the west coast to come back and really be "back" on the scene, we will have to have a sound that may or may not remind everyone of our old style, but just something that will set us apart. Personally, I'd think this time may be 3-5 years away, because a sound usually takes a while to catch on and to evolve into something that everyone in a region catches on to, unless something just comes out that is hella different but still hot.
So which of the following do you feel will represent the next "Signature sound" of the west coast, meaning L.A., Bay, and everything else? For it to be signature, it will have to have a sound that people will say "damn....that's a west coast beat" as soon as it comes on, just as we know a Lil Jon beat is Down South, and as a Premier beat is East coast.
1. "Something that sounds very resmniscent to the 90's G-Funk, but just a grown up version. It will be just as laid back."
-I'd say this would best describe the songs that have the typical west coast vibe, but didn't have all of the elements of the 90's G Funk.
Examples: 213 - "Run up on us", Daz's "DPG for life", DJ Quik "Black Mercedes", Ice Cube "Smoke some weed"
2. "Something that will grow from hyphy, and have more of a dance feeling to it, and may be more bare sounding than musical"
-Before people start.....I'll say that the hyphy songs I talk about are NOT the ones that sound like Lil Jon rip offs...but the ones produced by Rick Rock, Trackademicks, Traxamillion, Droop-E, E-A-Ski (aside from Hell Yeah), and a few others. These songs have their own identity in my eyes, and they don't sound anything like the old west, the modern south, east, or midwest. However...it would take a few years for the entire region to identify with this sound, and it would have to get a lot more radio rotation for people to identify this sound as being "west coast". Some of these songs do have elements of the older west, and some do have southern influence...but it's strong enough to gain it's own identity.
Examples: E-40 "Tell me when to go" "Muscle cars" "Yay area", Keak da Sneak "Super hyphy" "White T-Shirt, blue jeans, nikes", The Team "Bottles up" "Hot in here" "Hyphy juice", Too Short "Blow the whistle", Federation "Hoes in here" "Hyphy" "Go dumb" "Only wear my white tee once", Snoop "Candy"
3. "Something that will be sample based that may evolve from what the midwest and east are doing right now...but will have something distinct about it"
-I don't really have a way to describe it, mainly because it's more of an idea or prediction than something that's been done. But basically....just any sort of sound that will be sample based, but just flipped or used in a way that separates it from the east and midwest. For example...the same way that Shareefa ft. Ludacris song is sampled, but has a down south vibe....something could be sampled, and it would either carry a west coast vibe or sound like something different that other west coast producers just follow.
Examples: Closest one I can think of now is Ice Cube "Growin up" because of how the bassline goes with the sample. Also Warren G "Get you down"
4. "Something that will sound completely unique as the Neptunes and Timbaland did when they came out"
-I have heard a few beats that were by west coast producers, mainly L.A. ones, that just had a completely different sound that may have had a few elements from here and there, but still had their own identity. For L.A. producers, these songs would be as many of the hyphy tracks are in the Bay, that are hot but don't sound much like anyhing else out. This sound would come from producers who would go outside the box, and then have others "bite their style" or follow their lead.
Examples: NV - Fuck that (Prod. by Golden Eye), Too Short "Keep bouncin"
5. "Something that won't really sound G-Funk, but will have strong west coast related elements mixed with elements of other coasts"
-I'd say that the main producers who've done this in the last few years would be Scott Storch and Lil Jon, who obviously aren't west coast producers, but have made beats that have catered to the west while keeping elements of the south and east. Many of these songs are dope as hell because of this, and it would make west coast songs adaptable to any region. These songs tend to have basslines mixed with heavy kicks, and many of them keep the high pitched synths and strings...but they sound different from what I put for #1 because they usually don't have as laid back of a vibe, and they sound more club or street sounding than some G-Funk.
Examples: Eastwood and E-40 "Bay To L.A.", Daz "Git drunk", Sly Boogy "That's my name", Snoop and Ice Cube "You gotta a lotta that", Ice Cube "Why we thugs" and "Child support", Crooked I "Boom Boom Clap", Too Short "Sophistocated",
6. "Whatever Dre does on Detox!"
-Simply as it says.....to some people, Dre's current sound does represent a "west coast beat", but many people feel that these beats are more east coast just because of the darker elements...but regardless, the fact that his current sound is current, it probably won't have a chance to be seen as the next strong sound for the west coast. But from hearing beats such as "Don't get carried away", I'd assume that the Detox sound will still have that darkness to it with the hard strings and pianos, along with sharp snares or hard "In da club" claps versus the old school claps.
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Personally....it's hard for me to decide which one of these sounds has the best chance of being the "next" signature sound of the west. It would be an obvious choice to go with #6, but I think the west needs to stop waiting and depending on what Dre does in order to progress. Certain producers and songs from the hyphy movement definitely have the strength to carry the west coast and evolve into whatever it wants to...but the Bay and it's artist are being dicked out of the chance to have an impact in the mainstream right now, even after "Tell me when to go" broke through. #1 makes a lot of sense, but it would have a harder chance of breaking through if it doesn't get pushed hard by mainstream, because they sound "too west coast" for some people outside of the region to get into, unlike many songs in #5 that immediately appeal to anyone because of how the elements can hit different audiences.
And just to add..........many people feel the west coast sound doesn't need to change...but the fact remains that for most people outside the west, and even for many on the west, the label of a "west coast beat" almost implies that a beat sounds outdated or has a throwback feel, and many of us will agree that the west does need to come with a newer sound because the other regions have changed their sound various times in the last 10-12 years, with many different styles still having a regional label to them.
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That's really a hard choice here, but I gotta say that the you've displayed the most reasonable (and probably only) paths that will be taken, production wise, in the future.I agree that the west needs to stop depending on Dre, but if Detox does come out, I'm almost certain that it will have some impact on the West Coast sound.What I WANT is the west to have a totally new sound, something unheard, doesn't matter if it relies on samples or creativity.I really can't judge hyphy, cause I haven't been paying much attention to it, but the most reasonable thing to say is that the new west sound will evolve from Hyphy or it will be like #5 (which I'm voting for)
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I went with number 5: "not G-Funk, but a strong West Coast sound combined with elements from other coasts". Bishop Lamont's "Up & Down"-beat is a nice example of what I mean: it has a clear West Coast vibe but it's far from G-Funk. Storch can come up with some really nice beats if he wants to.
On the other hand, I like what New West producers like Dem Jointz or Dae One are doing, but their sound reminds me of "G-Funk with a twist". I'm feeling it, but it just doesn't do it for me anymore. In my opinion, music should always develop. G-Funk was the sound from the 90s, and if we wanna hear that sound, then we can listen to those albums (Foesum, The Twinz, etc...). As for now, the West really needs something different.
That beat on the last Relativez album (I think the song is called "Gangsta". It was the last song, the one with Mitchy Slick & Young Hootie) was pretty banging too! If the West Coast's new sound would sound like Storch's latest beats and that "Gangsta" song, I'd be extremely satisfied.
Good topic btw.
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I think it will sound more like the South, that's my opinion.
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I voted for #1. Just because the whole laid back flow is the reason i started listening to West Coast rap. And i love DPG fo live from so so gangsta. I hope will be something like that with a laid back flow.
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That's really a hard choice here, but I gotta say that the you've displayed the most reasonable (and probably only) paths that will be taken, production wise, in the future.I agree that the west needs to stop depending on Dre, but if Detox does come out, I'm almost certain that it will have some impact on the West Coast sound.What I WANT is the west to have a totally new sound, something unheard, doesn't matter if it relies on samples or creativity.I really can't judge hyphy, cause I haven't been paying much attention to it, but the most reasonable thing to say is that the new west sound will evolve from Hyphy or it will be like #5 (which I'm voting for)
I feel u a lot on that. If you do have a chance to peep the songs I mentioned that are hyphy, you will see that they do have a completely different sound that did evolve from the old west as well as elements from the south, but it's still strong enough to be seen as it's own. But yeah, I do want the west to come with something new as you said.
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I went with number 5: "not G-Funk, but a strong West Coast sound combined with elements from other coasts". Bishop Lamont's "Up & Down"-beat is a nice example of what I mean: it has a clear West Coast vibe but it's far from G-Funk. Storch can come up with some really nice beats if he wants to.
On the other hand, I like what New West producers like Dem Jointz or Dae One are doing, but their sound reminds me of "G-Funk with a twist". I'm feeling it, but it just doesn't do it for me anymore. In my opinion, music should always develop. G-Funk was the sound from the 90s, and if we wanna hear that sound, then we can listen to those albums (Foesum, The Twinz, etc...). As for now, the West really needs something different.
That beat on the last Relativez album (I think the song is called "Gangsta". It was the last song, the one with Mitchy Slick & Young Hootie) was pretty banging too! If the West Coast's new sound would sound like Storch's latest beats and that "Gangsta" song, I'd be extremely satisfied.
Good topic btw.
Yeah I forgot to mention "Up & down" but that's exactly the sound I'm talking about. Scott's current sound definitely evolved from Dre and the 2001 sound, so even though most people may call his style East Coast, it already has west coast elements and it isn't hard for him to make beats that sound west coast....but being that he's not a west coast producer, they don't sound outdated or old school at all. Yeah...I do like it when producers do the "G-Funk with a twist", but the only bad thing about it is that it isn't different enough to make people like it who are already tired of G-Funk. And I will peep that Relativez song, I've never heard it.
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hey, you should check audio sections in this forum..you different types of beats from different producers...
one day, one of them may change the game.
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im kinda anticipating the "signature" sound to be a little more stripped down, that way it gains easy recognition by a casual listener. of course not to say that all these different styles wont exist, thats why the westcoast is sick we got a little bit of everything. but for some kid in ohio to be watchin tv and go "oh thats westcoast", it will probably need to be like a slowed down hyphy beat with a simple little melody or somethin, i dont know we could all be wrong and the next sound will be built off ethnic music samples, all i know is i like the direction west coast productions are heading in fuck the haters
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I like the Sound that Terrace is bringing..its fresh!!! (Shake that Shit , Joysticc)... Josef is good too and i think that if u listen to these two productions, u'll have a a taste of the new signature sound...or second option would be to wait until Dre comes up with something new and people will bite it
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The whole Trauma album was #1...The Westcoast sound should adapt the sound from that album.
The shit was someting new and fresh but still had lots of G-Funk and sounded very 'westcoast'
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the west coast should sample songs from The Gap Band, Kool and the Gang, and The Ohio Playaz.
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I hope its number 1, I like those type of tracks best
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The whole Trauma album was #1...The Westcoast sound should adapt the sound from that album.
The shit was someting new and fresh but still had lots of G-Funk and sounded very 'westcoast'
I completely agree I think more producers should be goin for that sound or to have more dept in the musical sense
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I'd say #5 but they'll also do #1 and possibly #2 as regional type joints and for fun.
www.tagworld.com/thablaqsinattra
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We need to let Lil Jon takeover the West Coast sound. He loves fuckin with Cali dudes and he sounds good with them.
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this is my last opinion to this thread...
Producers needs to get together and make some dope music, new producers, and vets they need to sit down and see if they can come out with something I mean u have R-Tistic, Meech Wells,Battlecat,Josef Leimberg,Terrace Martin, XL Middleton,Michaelangelo all those needs to get together and be a Team... and bring something new Im sure that something good and fresh would come out out of it
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We need to get back to being musical innovators like where we used to be, like Short and Ant Banks in the late 80's early 90's, Digital Underground, ATL, Dre with Chronic/Doggystyle/2001 and Quik with Rhythmalism. We need to get back to the musical innovation that the west was once known for.
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I feel you R-Tistic, its about the sound not the subject matter.
I remember hearing a DJ Quik interview back in 2003 where he said that In Da Club was what he percieved the next generation of westcoast music sounding like. Unfortunately, that sound has not really been expanded upon - we've only gotten some knock-off tracks that try to emulate the sound, not take it to the next level.
I think the sound that the west needs to come with is something heavy hitting and a bit futuristic. I liked where Storch was back in 2002-2003, he was making some crazy shit that sounded 100% westcoast. He seems to have dumbed down his sound greatly to match the melodical and technical simplicity that the south has brought.
That being said, the question is which producer will step up to the plate and really find the sound that can bring the westcoast as a whole back? Lil Jon, hate him or love him, is a musical genius. When I say that, I don't necessarily mean his overall knowledge of music theory or any shit like that. I mean that he had a sound that typified the South and its crunk movement. He never wavered with it, and look at mainstream hip hop now...it is all a continuation of the sound he brought to the table. Kanye brought a soulful and gritty Chicago feel with his music and it caught on. That sound helped rappers like Common appeal to the masses - a rapper who's subject matter and image has basically stayed the same throughout his whole career.
Who is gonna really bring a sonic quality and take this westcoast shit to the next level? I don't see anyone right now outside of Dr. Dre creating some crazy signature sounding music. The problem is, after he re-invents the wheel (as we are all predicting him to do yet again), continuing that with the entire west coast.
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LoL @ talking about DJ Quik, Lil Jon, hyphy, G-Funk, Terrace, Josef Leimberg, etc., when everybody is waiting on Dre to drop Detox to change the game again like he did with 2001, The Chronic, and various NWA albums. Nobody else on the West can influence a whole industry like Dre, only Dre and a select few on the East & South can do that.
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LoL @ talking about DJ Quik, Lil Jon, hyphy, G-Funk, Terrace, Josef Leimberg, etc., when everybody is waiting on Dre to drop Detox to change the game again like he did with 2001, The Chronic, and various NWA albums. Nobody else on the West can influence a whole industry like Dre, only Dre and a select few on the East & South can do that.
^^real talk
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the west coast should sample songs from The Gap Band, Kool and the Gang, and The Ohio Playaz.
Because no one has done that before right? ::)
The problem is that people usually try to avoid samples because it takes money out of your pocket.
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the west coast should sample songs from The Gap Band, Kool and the Gang, and The Ohio Playaz.
Because no one has done that before right? ::)
The problem is that people usually try to avoid samples because it takes money out of your pocket.
It's called sarcasm.
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5. "Something that won't really sound G-Funk, but will have strong west coast related elements mixed with elements of other coasts"
-I'd say that the main producers who've done this in the last few years would be Scott Storch and Lil Jon, who obviously aren't west coast producers, but have made beats that have catered to the west while keeping elements of the south and east. Many of these songs are dope as hell because of this, and it would make west coast songs adaptable to any region. These songs tend to have basslines mixed with heavy kicks, and many of them keep the high pitched synths and strings...but they sound different from what I put for #1 because they usually don't have as laid back of a vibe, and they sound more club or street sounding than some G-Funk.
Examples: Eastwood and E-40 "Bay To L.A.", Daz "Git drunk", Sly Boogy "That's my name", Snoop and Ice Cube "You gotta a lotta that", Ice Cube "Why we thugs" and "Child support", Crooked I "Boom Boom Clap", Too Short "Sophistocated",
I think this is the direction the west coast is heading down, at least with the newer artists. Stortch and Lil' Jon will be big in this because the West Coast put these guys on, and they are more than willing to give back to those that helped them get their start. Knowing this forum, not surprised at all by which way the votes are going.
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Detox's prolly gonna be the next signature sound of hip hop in general.
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Detox's prolly gonna be the next signature sound of hip hop in general.
this is what's wrong with rap...producers should be doing their own thing instead of waiting 4 years for Dre to come up with some beats.
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Detox's prolly gonna be the next signature sound of hip hop in general.
this is what's wrong with rap...producers should be doing their own thing instead of waiting 4 years for Dre to come up with some beats.
good point
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they should start on some early 90's new york shit and say cali invented using old jazz records and drum breaks
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I don't know... I feel too much time is spent on this topic when it's ultimately up to the recording industry
people need to grasp the concept
so that said, only Dr. Dre can bring some attention back to it
it's the only logical answer to this question
I don't exactly think he's the most talented producer right now
but he has power and people will eat it up no matter what
regardless, seems ya can't count against a new Dre cd, so we'll see what happens
what I would like to continue hearing tho, is sound #1
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LoL @ talking about DJ Quik, Lil Jon, hyphy, G-Funk, Terrace, Josef Leimberg, etc., when everybody is waiting on Dre to drop Detox to change the game again like he did with 2001, The Chronic, and various NWA albums. Nobody else on the West can influence a whole industry like Dre, only Dre and a select few on the East & South can do that.
Dre sets trends.
The west always had it's own sound.
When G-funk became the sound of the west, a few groups outside of G-funk like Cypress still put out thier own westcoast sound.
Detox will change the game, just like Dre has done several times before.
But hip-hop in general should become more musical, that will be a great future for the sound.
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Well damn, this looks like a major problem to me.
Many of us are just sayin "wait on Dre" "Dre is the only one with the pull to do that" which makes sense and is all true to a point....but 8 years ago, Lil Jon wasn't here...Neptunes weren't here...Scott Storch wasn't here...and what I mean is that they were all starting off by doing songs for established artists, but none of them were at the level that they are now...so who's to say that we don't have someone right now who may end up getting to their level with their own sound that may be low key? It is bad that we are depending on someone to do something that seems to be a sure thing, but that might end up pushin us even further back. It does seem like many up and coming west coast producers are still doing beats that sound like 2001 or 2003-2005 Dre, old Battlecat, Lil Jon, Scott Stoch, Neptunes, and Kanye...versus trying something different and possibly forming their own sound. And many of us will turn down anything that doesn't "sound west coast" or doesn't remind you of Dre, Quik, or Battlecat, even though we could be listening to our own Timbaland or Pharell.
I can see why people would say that Dre's the only one who can come with something different enough to make noise nationwide...but look at how the other coasts ended up coming with their signature sounds...most of them were created by up and coming producers who came into the game on a different tip. I don't think the south was saying "ok, whatever Outkast does next will be the Atlanta sound"...Lil Jon, along with others, just kept coming with different shit, and they accepted all of it as their sound...and that's why their sound is so diverse and has caught so much attention, even if some of it is garbage to some people.
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w/d Dre brings on Detox :D
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I was thinking about this topic the other day, and just decided to up it....
From what I've seen in the last year, things have changed a little bit, but nothing major has happened...mainly because everyone still seems to be waiting on Dre, which is what I spoke against two posts earlier.
People outside of the West have started to identify the Hyphy sound as a west coast sound...and the majority of fans outside California still don't know much of a difference between L.A. and the Bay, even after the "MTV My Block" and all of that....so some of them will still ask L.A. people questions about Hyphy as if our rappers are on that tip. Even though that sound has died some, and it didn't blow up like people wanted it to...it has made an impact on the rest of the game. It's impossible to tell me that "Money in the bank" from Swizz doesn't sound like it came from Hyphy.
As far as L.A.'s sound...nothing much has really changed at all. We've barely had any singles or songs on radio, but we haven't heard anything that sounded much different either. "One blood" is a little bit what I was thinking when I mentioned a sampled song...but it wasn't distinct enough to start any sort of trend.
Overall....I still feel the way I did two posts ago....if we continue to wait on Dre, nothing at all is really going to happen.
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its the hooks man, songs nowadays are valued in the mainstream if a 16yr old girl ridin in her BMW that her daddy bought her can recite a melodic catchy hook.
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I would love to hear tha old g-funk sounds on records nowadays, but it ain't popular no more and very less artists use it.. Sad but true...