West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the early to-mid 1990s with the birth of G-funk and the emergence of record labels such as Suge Knight and Dr. Dre's Death Row Records,Ice Cube's Lench Mob Records,the continued success of Eazy-E's Ruthless Records,Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment,and others.
Todd Anthony Shaw,better known by his stage name Too Short,is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s,with lyrics often based on pimping and promiscuity,but also drug culture and street survival. This is respectively exemplified in his most popular songs "Blow the Whistle" and "The Ghetto".
Killuminati:The 7 Day Theory is the fifth studio album by American rapper Tupac Shakur,his first posthumous album and the last released with his creative input. Recorded in July and August 1996,it was released on November 5,1996,almost two months after his death,under the stage name of Makaveli,through Death Row Records,Makaveli Records and Interscope Records.
Earl Stevens,better known by his stage name E-40,is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date,appeared on numerous movie soundtracks,and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist,his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998,he began collaborating with mainstream rappers outside the San Francisco Bay Area. He rose to higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go",which was produced by Lil Jon.
"California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper-producer Dr. Dre and American singer Roger Troutman of the funk group Zapp. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist of Death Row Records. The original version is featured on the UK version of his fourth album,All Eyez on Me (1996),and is one of 2Pac's most widely known and most successful singles. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and also topped the charts of Italy,New Zealand,and Sweden. The song was posthumously nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.
"Westside Story" is the debut single by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist the Game. The song was produced by both Dr. Dre and Scott Storch,and was co-written by Mike Elizondo,Dre,Storch,the Game and 50 Cent. It was released in 2004 as the lead single from Game's debut studio album The Documentary. The song debuted at #99 and peaked at #93 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was an airplay-only release,thus no music video for the song was made. Rolling Stone's review of the album described this song as "a kind of L.A. version of "In da Club". The Game has stated that this song is a tribute to Tupac Shakur,with a direct reference to him,saying "I got +California Love+ fuckin' bitches to that Pac shit." The Game also makes references to Tupac's songs,California Love and Against All Odds. Other references include:Nate Dogg,Tha Dogg Pound (D.P.G.) and their song New York,Westside Connection,Michael Jackson and his album Thriller,DJ Pooh and Kool G Rap.
"Dreams" is a song by American rapper the Game,from his debut album,The Documentary. It was released as the fifth official single from the album in all territories except France,which saw "Higher" released there first. The song was produced by Kanye West and features a sample of "No Money Down" by soul music singer Jerry Butler. The song is dedicated to Yetunde Price,who was shot dead on September 14,2003;the Williams' also came from the Game's hometown of Compton,California. The lyrics cite the Dr. Dre album 2001 being released "in 2001",when it was actually released in 1999. The song was placed 5th on About.com's Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2005.
"2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his fourth studio album,All Eyez on Me (1996). The song features fellow West Coast rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and was produced by Dat Nigga Daz. The song was released as a promotional single for the album on May 7,1996 and later as the B-side to the album's second major and third overall single,How Do U Want It. The song peaked at number 46 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The song contains interpolations of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's song "The Message" and "Radio Activity Rap " by MC Frosty and Lovin' C.
"Soul Survivor" is the second single of American rapper Young Jeezy,and appears on the 2005 album Let's Get It:Thug Motivation 101. The song features Akon. The song was released through The Island Def Jam Music Group,Def Jam Recordings and Young Jeezy's Corporate Thugz Entertainment
"Changes" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring Talent. It was recorded in 1992 before being remixed and released as a single from Shakur's Greatest Hits compilation on October 13,1998. The song makes references to the war on drugs,the treatment of black people by the police,racism,the reconciliation between the black and white people in America,the perpetuation of poverty and its accompanying vicious-cycle value system in urban African American culture,and the difficulties of life in the ghetto.
"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" is a song by American rapper 2Pac. It was released as the first single from the posthumous album R U Still Down?. The original version,titled "I Wonda if Heaven's Got a Ghetto",was released as a B-side on the 1993 single,"Keep Ya Head Up".
"Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album,Me Against the World (1995). It was released on February 21,1995,as the lead single from the album. The song is a tribute to his mother,Afeni Shakur. In the song,Shakur details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine,but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories. The song became his first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100,peaking at number nine. It also topped the Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks. As of March 2021,the song is certified 3×Platinum by the RIAA.
"Runnin' (Dying to Live)",is a posthumous song by American rapper 2Pac,with an additional posthumous verse from The Notorious B.I.G. It was released as the first single from the soundtrack album Tupac:Resurrection on September 30,2003.
"Hail Mary" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur from his fifth studio album,The Don Killuminati:The 7 Day Theory (1996). It was released after his September 1996 murder under the Makaveli stage name as the album's third single. Hail Mary features rap verses by Kastro,Young Noble and Yaki Kadafi of the Outlawz rap group and vocals from reggae musician Prince Ital Joe. A music video was shot for the song and can be found on the DualDisc of The Don Killuminati:The 7 Day Theory.
"I Ain't Mad at Cha" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from Shakur's fourth studio album,All Eyez on Me (1996). It was released on September 15,1996 two days after Shakur's death as the album's fourth and final single. The song features contemporary soul singer Danny Boy providing vocals for its hook and was written by Shakur,Danny Boy and Daz Dillinger,who produced the song using a sample from DeBarge's "A Dream". The lyrics focus on Shakur reminiscing about past friends,love interests and associates he has lost touch with. The song is widely considered one of Shakur's best with Cheo Hodari Coker calling it "possibly the best song 2Pac has ever recorded". In 1998,The Source ranked the song's three verses second in its category of "dopest verses" in the history of hip-hop.
"Pac's Life" is a single written and performed by American rappers Tupac Shakur and T.I and R&B singer Ashanti,produced by L. T. Hutton for Shakur's posthumously released album of the same name. It is a hip hop and R&B song;the second Tupac verse was recycled from a song titled "This Life I Lead". T.I. said in an interview that working on the song was an honor,as he idolized him while growing up.
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13,1996,by Death Row and Interscope Records,the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre,Snoop Doggy Dogg,Redman,Method Man,Nate Dogg,Kurupt,Daz Dillinger,E-40,K-Ci &JoJo,and the Outlawz,among others.
"Papa'z Song" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second solo album,Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993). It was released as the fourth and final single from the album. A music video was made for the single. The song peaked at number twenty four on the US Hot Rap Songs chart,number eighty two on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number eighty seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Tha Hall of Game is the third studio album by American rapper E-40,released October 27,1996,on Jive and Sick Wid It Records. The album features production by Ant Banks,Mike Mosley,Rick Rock,Studio Ton and Tone Capone. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 4 on the Billboard 200. One single,"Things'll Never Change"/"Rapper's Ball",peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. and performed well on several other charts as well. The album was certified gold in 1997 by the RIAA. The album features guest performances by fellow members of The Click:B-Legit,D-Shot and Suga-T,as well as 2Pac,Luniz,Cold 187um,Kokane,Keak da Sneak and Levitti.
"Uptown Anthem" is a 1992 song by hip-hop group Naughty by Nature. It was made for the soundtrack for the movie Juice. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach had a cameo acting role in the movie. Rapper 2Pac,who stars in the film,is featured in the video.
