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Column en Hiphop Rap

20 Sep 2025

West Coast hip-hop was born out of Los Angeles street culture in the late 1970s.

Text: mmr｜Theme: From the birth of West Coast hip-hop to the present, producers, labels, East-West conflict, masterpieces, visual expression, and fashion changes

West Coast hip-hop began with block party and funk-derived beats, and while expanding into mainstream music, it has always incorporated underground creativity.This article summarizes changes in major figures, producers, labels, visual aesthetics, and fashion by era, as well as academic references and discography.

1970s-1980s: Origins and early innovations

Representative producer: Egyptian Lover, early Dr. Dre (World Class Wreckin’ Cru period)
Major labels: Priority Records, Ruthless Records (late)
Cultural background: There is a strong connection between the streets of Los Angeles and the gang society (Crips, Bloods), and expressions that emphasize realism were born.
Video/Fashion: Mainly low-budget MVs.Kangol, Adidas, and local sneakers are the basic styles.

Recommended albums

Album	Artist	Amazon link	Recommended points
Rhyme Pays (1987)	Ice‑T	Amazon	An important work that laid the foundation for gangsta rap
Straight Outta Compton (1988)	N.W.A	Amazon	A controversial work that shook society.Icon of the West Coast
On the Nile (1984)	The Egyptian Lover	Amazon	An outstanding fusion of electro and rap

1990s: The Golden Age and the Heyday of G‑Funk

Representative producers: Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, Battlecat
Major labels: Death Row Records, Priority, Ruthless
Cultural context: G-Funk was closely associated with lowrider and car culture, with its 70s funk sampling and thick synth bass.
East-West Conflict: The conflict between East Coast and West Coast intensifies, leading to the tragedy of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
Video/Fashion: MVs featuring lowriders, beaches, and the streets of South Central are becoming popular.Dickies, Chuck Taylor, and bandanas are iconic.

Recommended album (excerpt)

Album	Artist	Amazon link	Recommended points
The Chronic (1992)	Dr. Dre	Amazon	The monument that established G-Funk
Doggystyle (1993)	Snoop Doggy Dogg	Amazon	A masterpiece that spread the West Coast to the world with its smooth flow
All Eyez on Me (1996)	2Pac	Amazon	A masterpiece of a double album.2Pac’s masterpiece

2000s: The rebirth of independent and underground

Representative producers: Madlib, Daz Dillinger, Battlecat
Major labels: Stones Throw, Aftermath
Cultural Background: Mainstream G‑Funk is weakening, and LA underground bands such as Project Blowed and Freestyle Fellowship are gaining attention.The Bay Area Hyphy movement also occurred.
Video/Fashion: Skate, graffiti, and jazz club-like visual expressions are increasing, and street brands such as Supreme and BAPE are becoming popular.

Recommended album (excerpt)

Album	Artist	Amazon link	Recommended points
Madvillainy (2004)	Madvillain	Amazon	An underground masterpiece that combines experimentation and perfection
The Documentary (2005)	The Game	Amazon	A revival that feels like a successor to Dr. Dre

2010s-present: Diversification and global influence

Representative producers: DJ Mustard, Hit‑Boy, Flying Lotus
Major labels: Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Stones Throw
Cultural background: With the appearance of Kendrick Lamar and others, the expression “conscious” has been revived.The Internet and SNS are accelerating the distribution of music and fashion, increasing their global influence.
Video/Fashion: The music video is cinematic and has a strong message, and the fashion is a fusion of high brand and streetwear (Gucci, Off-White, Supreme, etc.).

Recommended album (excerpt)

Album	Artist	Amazon link	Recommended points
good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)	Kendrick Lamar	Amazon	Structure and narrative like a cinematic epic
To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)	Kendrick Lamar	Amazon	Fusion of jazz/funk and social criticism

Movie list

Movie title	Year	Amazon link
Boyz n the Hood	1991	Amazon
Menace II Society	1993	Amazon
Above the Rim	1994	Amazon
Straight Outta Compton	2015	Amazon
All Eyez on Me	2017	Amazon

References/further reading

Jeff Chang “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip‑Hop Generation”
Eithne Quinn “Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang: The Culture and Commerce of Gangsta Rap”
Cheryl Keyes “Rap Music and Street Consciousness”
“The Source” “XXL” “OG Magazine” archive articles (selected)

Representative discography (excerpt)

N.W.A

Album	Amazon link
Straight Outta Compton (1988)	Amazon
Efil4zaggin (1991)	Amazon

Dr. Dre

Album	Amazon link
The Chronic (1992)	Amazon
2001 (1999)	Amazon

2Pac

Album	Amazon link
Me Against the World (1995)	Amazon
All Eyez on Me (1996)	Amazon

Fashion changes by generation

Below is a Mermaid format horizontal and vertical table that can be embedded in a Jekyll article.If you post it on your blog, you can visually check the changes in fashion over the years.

flowchart TD style A fill:#0b1221,stroke:#ffffff,stroke-width:1px A["1970s–1980s\nKangol, Adidas, local sneakers"] --> B["1990s\nDickies, Chuck Taylor, bandanas, lowrider culture"] B --> C["2000s\nSupreme, Stüssy, BAPE, skate/street brand"] C --> D["2010s–current\nHigh brands x streetwear (Gucci, Off-White), genderless dressing"] classDef decades fill:#071428,color:#e6eef8 class A,B,C,D decades

summary

West Coast hip-hop was born from the street culture of Los Angeles in the late 1970s, and through the rise of gangsta rap and G-Funk in the 1980s and 1990s, it grew into a global music trend. Low-budget music videos, unique fashion styles, and ties to lowrider culture created an authentic expression of the West Coast.

Since the 2000s, diversity has expanded with the success of independent underground acts such as Madlib and The Game.In addition, Kendrick Lamar and other artists with global influence who make full use of SNS and the Internet have appeared, and their songs and visual expressions containing conscious messages are forming a new trend in West Coast hip-hop.

More than just a music genre, the region’s hip-hop continues to influence social messages, fashion, film, and culture as a whole, and continues to inspire artists and fans around the world.

🔗 [Column] East Coast Hip Hop History — From the Bronx to Brooklyn and the World”

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