20 Greatest West Coast Rappers
Everyone knows that Hip-Hop started in the New York City, being the birthplace of Hip-Hop New York and the East Coast in general was the only area producing Hip-Hop music. However, that wouldn’t last forever as across the map rappers from the West Coast were starting to make names for themselves in their local areas and cities.
1980s - The 1980s is were acts such as N.W.A., Ice-T and Too $hort became the first few Hip-Hop acts to make names for themselves and started bringing attention to the West Coast. Albums such as Straight Outta Compton, Power and Life Is… Too Short are some of the first few classic albums to come out of the West Coast.
1990s - By the turn of the 1990s the power was shifting from the East to the West, most notably due to the rise of G-Funk, a sub-genre popularised from the likes of Above the Law, Dr. Dre and DJ Quik. Dr. Dre’s 1992 masterpiece The Chronic would become both a critical and commercial success, introducing an array of new talent from the likes of Kurupt, Lady of Rage and most notably Snoop Dogg. It would also help Death Row Records become one of the biggest labels within Hip-Hop, and with the signing of 2Pac, Death Row would become difficult to compete with for a short while. Whilst, there were also acts not associated with the label that would also make an impact from the likes of The Pharcyde and the Hieroglyphics.
2000s - Whilst Death Row would pretty much run West Coast Hip-Hop between 1992 to 1996, that would all end after the death of 2Pac. The decline of Death Row marked an end of an era for the West, and as the 90s drew to a close and the 2000s came around there was a lack of talent coming out. New York continued to hold a grip with Roc-A-Fella, Murder Inc and G-Unit, and the South grew to become the new focal point of Hip-Hop. The West however, struggled with only a few bright lights from the likes of The Game and the Bay Area’s hyphy movement, plus Blu & Exile’s Below The Heavens would became a beloved underground project.
2010s - The 2010s saw the resurgence of the West Coast with fresh new talent. TDE became the best rap label of the 2010s, possessing the talents of Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar. YG and DJ Mustard formed a great rapper and producer partnership, creating great music together. Nipsey Hussle would go on and make a name for himself by releasing great mixtapes and released his debut album Victory Lap in 2018.
Today we take a look at the 20 greatest rappers to ever come out of the West. The below list is ranked from 20 to 1, and is based collectively on the artist’s skills, their discography and lastly their impact and influence. One artist’s inclusion may be more because of their discography and impact, whilst having a lower skill level than others. Whilst another artist’s inclusion is because of their high skill level and discography. It all depends.
20. Mac Dre
Perhaps an unorthodox and unexpected start to this list for many, but I’m sure many residents of the Bay Area will understand Mac Dre’s inclusion. While having an album released during his four year incarceration, it would be Mac Dre’s work after his release from prison that would become more impactful. With his music in the late 1990s and most notably the early 2000s that would position Dre as a key figure within the Bay Area’s hyphy movement.
Tracks such as “Feelin’ Myself” and “Thizzle Dance” became party anthems, and Dre’s fast paced style and music also helped push the hyphy movement to gain mainstream success. Becoming the Bay’s signature and recognisable sound. Though fairly unknown outside of the Bay and West Coast area during his run, Mac Dre’s legacy has become more recognised since his tragic passing back in 2004.
19. Spice 1
An artist who doesn’t get the flowers that he truly deserves, Spice 1 was one of the earliest pioneers to help put not just the West Coast on the map, but the Bay Area. By the time of his self-entitled debut album, Los Angeles and Compton made their mark on the Hip-Hop scene. Besides Too Short, the Bay Area weren’t exactly there yet, however Spice 1 was one of the first artists to help change that. With his debut album and tracks such as “Welcome to the Ghetto”, Spice 1 showcased his ability to tell vivid tales of the California streets.
Spice’s peak years comes between 1992 and 1994, as he went on a three album run with the release of his debut album, 187 He Wrote and AmeriKKKa’s Worst Nightmare. Along with his impact on the Bay and his storytelling abilities, Spice’s inclusion within this list is definitely deserved, and I believe Spice 1 is an unsung hero of the early 1990s West Coast Hip-Hop scene.
18. The D.O.C.
Even with one great album, The D.O.C. still deserves a spot on this list and his talent and influence also helps with his inclusion. His debut album, No One Can Do It Better, was a landmark album during the beginning of the West Coast’s rise. Due to a near fatal car accident that affected his voice, The D.O.C. wasn’t able to capitalise off of the success of his first LP. However, he was still able to influence other rappers from the West.
The D.O.C. is one of the greatest song writers to ever come out of the West (or should I say one of the greatest ghost writers), he has writing credits on Eazy-E’s, N.W.A.’s and Dr. Dre’s albums. It’s also been suggested that he taught Snoop Dogg how to write songs. Without The D.O.C. some of the greatest songs to come out of the West Coast may not exist or they may not be as great as they are, for example Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin But A ‘G’ Thang” and N.W.A.’s “F**k tha Police”.
17. Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre’s ranking was negatively affected by the fact that he doesn’t write his rhymes, however it would be difficult to not include him. Dr. Dre is the architect of the West Coast sound and perhaps the greatest producer in Hip-Hop history. Within his catalogue, he easily has two classic Hip-Hop albums, with 1992’s The Chronic and 1999’s 2001. The former being one of the most essential Hip-Hop albums of all time. With The Chronic, Dre introduced and popularised a new sound in Hip-Hop, that being G-Funk.
Dre has introduced the world to some of the greatest rappers, from the likes of Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent. Plus, many have been influenced by his production and the G-Funk era, from the likes of YG, Wiz Khalifa and Kendrick Lamar. Dre is behind some of the greatest Hip-Hop songs and albums, and without him the West Coast would not have been able to stamp their mark on Hip-Hop.
16. Eazy-E
The Godfather of Gangsta Rap himself, there’s not many Hip-Hop figures that can rival the impact and influence of Eazy-E, many of the greatest rappers come from his lineage. Without Eazy, there would be no N.W.A. as he helped form and fund the group and the group’s label, Ruthless Records. Without N.W.A., there would be no Ice Cube or Dr. Dre. Without Dr. Dre, there would be no Snoop, Eminem or 50 Cent. Without Ruthless Records, there would be no Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Judging by the talent I have just mentioned, you can start to recognise the importance of Eazy-E. It’s no secret that Eazy didn’t write his rhymes, especially with his classic debut album Eazy-Duz-It, and just like with Dr. Dre this is what holds Eazy back from being higher on this ranking. On the other hand, his inclusion is absolutely necessary. When people think of N.W.A. and why they became such a success, it wasn’t just because of Ice Cube’s rhymes and Dr. Dre’s production, but it was also Eazy’s charisma.
15. Too $hort
Bay Area legend, Too $hort has a career that stretches back to the early 1980s. One of the earliest and perhaps the first pioneer within the scene in the West Coast. Too $hort single handedly put the Bay Area on the map, opening the door for future Bay Area rappers. Possessing beloved and classic singles from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, Too Short was able to remain relevant longer than many average rappers.
On the other hand, Too $hort’s discography does have a negative impact on his placement, as it should be higher. A dense discography, Too $hort does possess multiple great albums from the likes of Life Is… Too $hort and Short Dog’s In The House, his catalogue from the late 1980s and for the most part of the 1990s consist of his best work. However his projects after that don’t live up to his earlier projects, putting out many lacklustre projects. With that being said, his inclusion is still completely necessary for his earlier projects and his impact.
14. Blu
With huge amounts of talent, Blu made huge amounts of noise within the underground scene with his debut project Below The Heavens with his frequent producer collaborator Exile. Over fifteen years since the release of the album, Below The Heavens has garnered a cult following as a Hip-Hop classic. Along with Exile, the duo have collaborated on multiple projects continuing to make great music.
On his own, Blu has a solid discography as well, releasing great projects to this very day from the likes of 2021’s The Color Blu(e). The West Coast is heavily associated with Gangsta Rap and G-Funk, due to the commercial success of those two sub-genres. However, the West Coast is more than just that thanks to the likes of The Pharcyde and Hieroglyphics. They made music that was viewed as the West Coast’s answer to acts like A Tribe Called Quest, and Blu comes from that lineage.
13. Tyler, the Creator
After making a huge introduction with his 2009 mixtape Bastard and his 2011 single “Yonkers”, many didn’t expect Tyler, the Creator to be one of the most influential rappers to come out of the Blog era. Tyler’s musical evolution in the last decade is one of the most remarkable style evolutions in recent Hip-Hop history. Between 2017 and 2021 he’s released some of his greatest work, and has gone on an impressive three album run, with Flower Boy, Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost.
Similar to the likes of OutKast and Kanye West, Tyler has pushed himself to new creative heights with every release and has refused to remain in a box. His influence is still yet to be fully seen within the generation after him, however with groups such as Brockhampton and even non Hip-Hop artists from likes of Billie Eilish, you can see the influence of Tyler and Odd Future within them.
12. E-40
A highly influential rapper, E-40 is one of the most successful rappers to come out of the Bay Area. Famous for his off-beat flow, E-40 is deemed as the curator of that rapping style. Suga Free, Silkk tha Shocker and even most recently Blueface are rappers who are famed for rapping off-beat, so E-40’s influence is very clear.
During the 2000s where the West Coast generally wasn’t having much success, the Bay Area specifically was enjoying some success with the hyphy movement. It even led to Bay Area veterans like Too Short and E-40 having new levels of commercial success. Being a part of the hyphy movement only added to E-40’s legendary status, already over a decade in the game since coming out in 1992, the Bay Area rapper released two of his biggest singles with “Tell Me When to Go” and “U and Dat”. With three decades under his belt, E-40 has been one of the most important rappers to come out of the Bay.
11. Snoop Dogg
Surprised? Yes, arguably the most famous and recognisable rapper from the West Coast didn’t make the top 10. Making his best work with Dr. Dre, the two are arguably one of the greatest duos in Hip-Hop history. Playing a pivotal role within the creation of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Dr. Dre’s debut is Snoop’s album just as much as it is Dre’s album. Snoop’s actual debut, Doggystyle, was highly anticipated and it delivered, being a definitive classic thirty years on from its release.
Unfortunately, Snoop has never reached the heights of his work in the early 1990s. Though releasing some good projects since then, his catalogue also contains huge amounts of lacklustre albums to the point that it has effected his position within this list. For the most part Snoop’s musical relevance since his debut has mostly been because of great singles not albums. If it weren’t for this, Snoop would rank much higher as his skill is immense and his influence is difficult to rival.
10. WC
Coming out in 1990 with DJ Aladdin as part of Low Profile, WC would later form his own group WC and The Maad Circle with Coolio, Big Gee and DJ Crazy Toones. Dropping two projects with his group, WC and the Maad Circle dropped albums that went under the radar when it comes to the discussion of great West Coast albums. Along with his standalone album, We’re In This Together, as part of Low Profile it seemed WC could do no wrong.
Unfortunately, it seems that many outside of the West Coast mostly recognise him for his work with Ice Cube and Mack 10 as a member of Westside Connection. Being a part of three respectable groups in his career justifies WC’s inclusion within this list.
9. The Game
After the dominance and success that the West had during the 1990s, the West struggled to continue it during the 2000s. The 2000s saw the West Coast struggle to compete and there were only two things that helped maintain some relative shine on the West. That being the Bay-Area’s Hyphy movement and The Game. For the most part of the beginning of his career it seemed that The Game was carrying the West on his own.
From the mid-2000s, The Game was the only commercially successful new artist to come out of the West Coast. His 2005 debut album, The Documentary, is a certified classic possessing both great singles and album cuts from the likes of “Hate It Or Love It“, “Runnin” and “How We Do”. In nearly two decades since the release of his debut, The Game has also released other quality albums, such as his second LP Doctor’s Advocate and 2012’s Jesus Piece.
8. DJ Quik
Coming out in 1991 with his debut Quik Is The Name, DJ Quik is easily one of the greatest rapper producers in Hip-Hop history. Yet, Quik is a criminally underrated artist who doesn’t receive the recognition that he truly deserves. You can hear Quik’s musical influence sonically in artist’s such as YG and Kendrick Lamar, being a fantastic producer who has produced great records within the Hip-Hop and R&B world, for the likes of 2Pac to Tony! Toni! Toné!
Sure Dr. Dre’s production has influence on rappers that came out after the 1990s, but so does Quik and he too is key figure within the sub-genre of G-Funk. On top of that he’s a good rapper with a strong catalogue of good albums from the likes of his debut and his follow ups such as Way 2 Fonky and Dollas + Sense.
7. B-Real
Lead member of the legendary Cypress Hill trio, who are the most successful Latino Hip-Hop group of all time. Saying all that I truly believe that B-Real doesn’t get the credit that he truly deserves. His distinct voice and his use of both Spanish and Hip-Hop lingo helped Cypress Hill become a household name, and it’s safe to say no front man sounded like B-Real.
His first album with the group, Cypress Hill, is viewed as a classic. However with their follow up, Black Sunday, everything stepped up and B-Real was at his best on the mic. Tracks from both albums, such as “How I Could Just Kill A Man”, “Hand On the Pump” and “I Wanna Get High” are Hip-Hop classics. Additionally the group were also one of the first first Hip-Hop acts to openly support the use of weed, knowing that it has become more accepted in the U.S., you could argue that acts such as Cypress Hill have had an influence for its acceptance.
6. Paris
Considered the Black Panther of Hip-Hop, Paris’ music is known for his highly charged socially conscious and politically charged music. With album’s such as his debut, The Devil Made Me Do It and his second LP Sleeping With The Enemy Paris showcased himself as an impressive MC. Coming out during the heights of Ice Cube, Chuck D and KRS-One, Paris seems to not receive the same level of recognition as the other rappers that I have mentioned. Just like them, Paris is a skill full rapper and possesses multiple great albums.
Following his first two projects, Paris continued to release albums that garnered respect from the likes of his third album Guerrilla Funk and Sonic Jihad. Coming out of the San Francisco Bay Area, he’s one of the most talented rappers to come out of that area.
5. Ice-T
Along with N.W.A., Ice-T is one of the pioneers of Gangsta Rap. Starting his career in the early 1980s, it wasn’t until 1987 were the world got the first ever Ice-T album with Rhyme Pays. The lead single off the album, “6 ‘N The Mornin”, is one of the first popular tracks that put Los Angeles on the Hip-Hop map.
Ice-T’s early catalogue from the late 1980s and 1990s is really important. Along with his debut his follow up albums, such as Power and O.G. Original Gangster; Ice-T has truly released multiple projects and songs that have become heralded as essential West Coast Hip-Hop music. The latter album, O.G. Original Gangster being regarded as his best work. Additionally, his ability to be both smooth and aggressive on the mic, along with his lyrical ability has allowed him to be one of the greatest rappers of all time.
4. Ice Cube
From his introduction with N.W.A., Ice Cube has been one of the hardest hitting and one of the most blunt rappers to ever touch a mic. From his work with N.W.A. to his first three albums in the early 1990s, Ice Cube was easily the best rapper coming out of the West Coast. After becoming a solo artist, he went on to achieve one of the greatest three album runs, with the releases of AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Death Certificate and The Predator.
Cube’s ranking may have been higher if it weren’t for the albums he released after his fourth project, Lethal Injection, as they didn’t live up to the same heights of his earlier work. With that being said however, it’s impossible to not have Cube as high as he is when talking about West Coast Hip-Hop acts. He is behind some of the most influential moments, songs and albums in Hip-Hop history.
3. Del The Funky Homosapien
A brilliant lyricist that has released some of the best projects within the underground scene since the early 1990s. A member of the Hieroglyphics collective, Del helped spear head Hiero’s impressive run of influential releases with 1991’s I Wish My Brother George Was Here and his 1993 follow up with No Need For An Alarm.
By the turn of the millennium, Del continued to reach new heights creatively with the release of Deltron 3030. Working with producer Dan the Automater and DJ Kid Koala, the trio released one of the greatest Hip-Hop concept albums. Arguably one of the most versatile and creative MCs to come out of the West Coast, Del even teamed up with virtual band Gorillaz rapping on their self entitled debut album and rapping on what would be one of the band’s biggest single, “Clint Eastwood”.
2. 2Pac
What can be said about 2Pac, that hasn’t been said already? Almost 30 years since his untimely passing, 2Pac’s influence grows bigger with every year that passes. The most imitated rapper to have ever existed, the work and impact he made in just five years, can’t be matched by any one else.
Compared to other rappers, 2Pac didn’t produce complex rhyme schemes or rapped just a bunch of words together. Pac’s rapping talents laid with his voice, flow and his story telling abilities; along with his discography has led to 2Pac being regarded by many as the greatest rapper of all time. Additionally, he went on a phenomenal three album run with Me Against The World, All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. 2Pac released songs that showed immense passion and emotion, and these are the reasons as to why he is loved so much.
1. Kendrick Lamar
I believe many who didn’t grow up in the 2010s would disagree with Kendrick Lamar being number one, perhaps saying that recency bias is playing a role, however this is far from the truth. Kendrick Lamar deserves the number one spot; Kendrick is one of the most consistent rappers when it comes to releasing great bodies of work. Kendrick has continuously produced fantastic albums. With his second and third album, good kid, m.a.a.d. city and To Pimp A Butterfly being modern day Hip-Hop classics.
In terms of his talent on the mic, he is incredibly versatile. In the last 10 years, Kendrick has somehow been able to be a successful mainstream artist, whilst always being socially conscious and he has never given up his artistic integrity, to which I find incredibly impressive. Kendrick Lamar’s talent and music has led him to be the most impactful artist of his generation and in my eyes the greatest rapper to come out of the West Coast.