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Ask around who is the best rapper in the game today? You might get, "Kendrick Lamar," or "The Game." Of course you will hear, "Jay-Z," and South Florida is definitely going to throw, "Rick Ross," on the table. And "Common," of Chicago, dropped another classic album. "Nas," remains like a reigning legendary god with Harvard University's WEB Dubios Research Center dedicating a Fellowship, in his honor. The Greats still remain at the top of their games, and the influence of Hip Hop Icons like "50 Cent," "Diddy," "Snoop Dogg," "Scarface," "Eminem," and "The Lox," measure in real economic terms. The entire Hip Hop World fell silent when word of the Infamous, "Prodigy," of Mobb Deep passed away. A huge figure, controversial, and real in his message and ultimate goal. In his wake, we are reminded that the presence of an authentic movement with conscious wordplay is the essence of Hip Hop, and what its original goal has always been, to spread a great message or story across great distances. Who can deny that the West Coast is representing like no other coast or region, today?
After word in 2014, Dr. Dre signed a deal to sell his Hip Hop influenced Headphones, Beats Electronics, to Apple for over $3 Billion dollars, giving Dre nearly $620 million in one year, the entire West Coast applauded. The Game dropped The Documentary 2, and 1992, two critically acclaimed classic albums. Compton Rapper, YG bursted in the game and dropped a film on Netflixs. Nipsey Hussle has kept the competition live and street. And last, but not even the least because we are not going to talk about "Snoop Dogg," Kendrick Lamar is challenging the dominant discourse in America with his controversial albums from Overly Dedicated (2010) to his latest, Damn (2017), to see what is going on in the Black community. The drum beat of the West Coast cannot be ignored and is putting the issues of Black Life, front and center, to all Americans. The clarity of issues from police brutality, economic disparity, judicial injustice, gang violence, misogyny, marijuana inequities, and promoting unified movement is all here, on The West. The After-School Generation (2008-2017) of Hip Hop in the North and the South, cannot escape the "party life," and therefore, their message and wordplay has suffered tremendously. Their nursery rhymes and delivery often ends up jokes, but what they represent is still respected, even if it is a shadow of better times.
Why does the Hip Hop Throne live on the West Coast? During the East Coast-West Coast Wars, it was a matter of debate. Which coast is saying something real versus delivering Gangster-isms, 'Pimp'isms, and other misleading messages that the Old School did not accept, and the New School glorified in? The new After School Generation is guilty of the same sin. The answer is, the West Coast stayed the same and on message. The East Coast went from lyrical beasts and jazzy beats to Down South bass lines and catchy phrases. The New School heads asked what happened to New York since Cash Money, Master P, and Trick Daddy burst on the scene? The East Coast Giants still rock and tour like Ghostface and the Wu, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, The Tribe Called Quest, and Onyx. The Southern Giants coming on the coat-tails of Outkast and The Dungeon Family still rides with Lil Wayne, TI, and Young Jeezy. South Florida and The Midwest have their own categories, but the unified movement for the entire coast, is missing. Call it ego or shortsightedness? The singers are "bodying" the rappers here, on the East. But on the West, The Dub (W) is King.
Hip Hop culture can look to California as an example for how to support and move as a unit, as a team, and as a movement. And if you're sleeping on The Game's last two albums, or Kendrick Lamar's Damn, well maybe you're stuck in the party-life too!
Written by Mr. Cowan Amaye-Obu
WestOaklandImports@gmail.com
PS. Shoutout to Uncle Murda!
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