West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the Western United States region of the United States. The gangsta rap subgenre of West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the early 1990s with the birth of G-funk and the emergence of Suge Knight's Death Row Records.
In 1986, inspired by Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D, Crenshaw-based Ice-T released the song "6 in the Mornin'". It is considered by many critics as the very first gangsta rap song. The LA gangsta rap scene exploded afterward. A young drug dealer named Eric Wright saw the potential profits and fame of the hip hop lifestyle. He began recording songs in his parents' garage. Wright, going by the name Eazy-E, befriended two local artists named Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Along with locals DJ Yella and Arabian Prince, the group became N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitude).
In April 1994, a 20 year old, Queens-based emcee by the name of Nas released Illmatic. Five of the album's ten tracks reached single status. It featured simple, menacing beats and dark street narratives. The release was vital in flipping the spotlight back to the east coast, facilitating the so-called East Coast Renaissance.
Σύνταξη: Αργύρης Αργύρης, Αλέξανδρος Κίτσιος.