The 25 most essential underground California hits of all time
The genre of hip-hop, without question, began on America’s East Coast in the Bronx borough of New York City. However, as the genre began to spread across the nation, the people of California took it and made it their own. They would talk about life on the West Coast, LA gangs, and lowriders and make it a little funkier.
But the West Coast is too often associated with G-funk, Death Row, and Dr. Dre. Although it is impossible to deny the impact that Dr Dre and Death Row Records had on hip-hop culture, California has produced a wide array of different MCs over the years, and not all of them adopted the G-funk sound.
Despite the obvious commercial viability of G-funk and its immense popularity, many lyricists and hip-hop purists in California chose to keep a more New York sound. Others, especially in Oakland, ended up in the Hyphy scene, and some forged ahead with more experimental productions of their own. That said, while Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre topped the charts with their distinct and renowned sound, other West Coast artists continued to make music. Unfortunately, they remained under the radar for the entirety of their careers. Some briefly crossed over, but for the most part, the California underground was jam-packed with talent that remained in the shadow of Dr Dre.
Of course, Death Row wasn’t the only California-based record label that entered the mainstream during the 1990s, and it would be foolish to ignore labels such as Sick Wid It and Bust It Records. However, there were other artists not on either of these labels who made waves in the underground. Many artists cite Ras Kass as an unbelievable emcee who doesn’t get his flowers. Furthermore, Eminem fans have seen him indirectly praise the San Francisco lyricist Paris.
There are a slew of California groups and artists akin to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest who decided to ditch the funk and experiment with jazz. However, the epicentre of this movement was on the East Coast. As such, many of the avant-garde groups on the West Coast were getting little to no recognition on a national level. The LA and Oakland underground were undeniably thriving more than the South’s in the 1990s, but artists and groups such as Del The Funky Homosapien (Ice Cube’s cousin), Styles of Beyond and Aceyalone are underappreciated.
The overall output of the West Coast is arguably better than the East’s, especially during the ‘90s, and many would say Kendrick Lamar is the ultimate culmination of California’s rich musical history. Still, many of the MCs who made the most essential underground anthems of all time are, to this day, unknown, unrecognised and unheard.
The 25 most essential underground California hits of all time:
- Rass Kass – ‘The Evil That Men Do’, Soul on Ice, (1996)
- Rass Kass – ‘On Earth As It Is…’, Soul On Ice, (1996)
- Paris – ‘Break the Grip of Shame’, The Devil Made Me Do It, (1990)
- Paris – ‘This Is A Test’, The Devil Made Me Do It, (1990)
- Paris – ‘Brutal’, The Devil Made Me Do It, (1990)
- Del The Funk Homosapien – ‘Eye Examination’, Dr Bombay, (1992)
- Del The Funk Homosapien – ‘You’re in Shambles’, No Need For Alarm, (1993)
- Aceyalone – ‘Alive’, Accepted Eclectic, (2001)
- Aceyalone – ‘Project Blowed’, Accepted Eclectic, (2001)
- DJ Quik – ‘Jus Lyke Compton’, Way 2 Fonky, (1992)
- Lootpack – ‘Whenimondamic’, Soundpieces: Da Antidote, (1999)
- Lootpack – ‘Break Dat Party’, Soundpieces: Da Antidote, (1999)
- Lootpack – ‘Wanna Test’, Soundpieces: Da Antidote, (1999)
- Hieroglyphics – ‘You Never Knew’, 3rd Eye Vision, (1998)
- Hieroglyphics – ‘Mics of the Roundtable’, 3rd Eye Vision, (1998)
- Blackalicious – ‘If I May’, Nia, (1999)
- Blackalicious – ‘Making Progress’, Nia, (1999)
- Styles of Beyond – ‘Holograms’, 2000 Folds, (1998)
- Styles of Beyond – ‘Winnetka Exit’, 2000 Folds, (1998)
- Styles of The Beyond – ‘Part II’, 2000 Fold, (1998)
- Compton’s Most Wanted – ‘Hit the Floor’, Music 2 Driveby, (1992)
- Compton’s Most Wanted – ‘This Is a Gang’, Music 2 Driveby, (1992)
- Compton’s Most Wanted – ‘Hood Rat’, Music 2 Driveby, (1992)
- WC & The Maad Circle – ‘Ain’t A Damn Thang Changed’, Ain’t A Damn Thang Changed, (1991)
- WC & The Maad Circle – ‘Back To The Underground’, Ain’t A Damn Thang Changed, (1991)