We list some of the best West Coast Rappers . Many of the pioneers like Eazy-E and Ice Cube had a bold, outspoken style that paved the way for gangster rap. N.W.A, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap, are in many ways the most notorious group in the history of rap. But we cant forget those that followed like The Game and much newer artists like YG and Nipsey Hussle who have became respected artists in the rap game.
14 West Coast Rappers Who’ve Dominated The Rap Game
1. 2Pac
2Pac is regarded as one of the best West Coast rappers when it comes to making rap music. He was highly competitive with aggressive and brash lyrics, often at times causing a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. However, the West Coast rapper was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1996, leaving behind an influential musical legacy at the age of 25. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
- Real name: Tupac Shakur (born Lesane Parish Crooks)
- Born: June 16, 1971 (New York City)
- Died: September 13, 1996 (aged 25) (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 19 million
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Read more:
- Rolling Stone: 8 Ways Tupac Shakur Changed the World
- GQ Magazine: Tupac Was Always Political
- In Tupac’s life: The struggles and triumphs of a generation
2. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is best known for his major-label debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which earned him widespread critical recognition and mainstream success. He is often cited as one of the most influential rappers in history and is often touted as one of the voices of his generation. Dr. Dre, arguably hip-hop’s most influential and respected producer, has even gone so far as to take the young rapper under his wing as a mentor. In August 2011, Lamar was onstage with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and The Game, when the three of them crowned him the “New King of the West Coast”.
- Real name: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
- Born: June 17, 1987 (Compton, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 36 million
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Read more:
- Why Kendrick Lamar is the Most Political Rapper in Modern-Day Pop Culture
- The Gospel According to Kendrick Lamar
- Why Kendrick Lamar is the artist of the decade
3. Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is a veteran in the game and the very definition of a real OG, synonymous not only with West Coast hip-hop. During his youth that was after graduating from high school, Snoop Dogg was frequently in trouble with drugs and law, in and out of jail for nearly three years. Released from jail he embarked on making homemade rap tapes with his friend Warren G, who was a stepbrother of Dr. Dre of N.W.A. After all, Dr. Dre asked him for collaborations, first on the theme song of the film “Deep Cover,” and then on Dr. Dre’s debut solo album “The Chronic.” Since then his career that has spanned gangsta rap to R&B.
- Real name: Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
- Born: October 20, 1971 (Long Beach, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 29 million
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Read more:
- Snoop Dogg Makes $45,000 from 1 Billion Spotify Streams
- Four Times Snoop Dogg Was Our Collective Hero
4. Roddy Ricch
Roddy Ricch was a member of the Park Village Compton Crips, and has two “C”s tattooed, symbolizing his previous affiliation with the gang. He also had a brief stint in county jail at the time when his second commercial mixtape, Feed Tha Streets II, was released. Influenced by artists such as Meek Mill, Future, Speaker Knockerz, and Young Thug (as well as the stylings of Atlanta trap and Chicago drill), Ricch began recording in his bedroom at the age of 16, honoring his family’s Louisiana roots while chronicling Los Angeles street life. His debut effort, Feed tha Streets, arrived in late 2017. The following year would see Ricch’s big breakthrough, starting with the release of his Be 4 tha Fame EP. That summer, he issued the single “Die Young,” produced by London on da Track. In December 2019, he released his debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, debuting and peaking at number one and spawned the hit song “The Box”. Ricch has also won several accolades, including a Grammy Award from different nominations.
- Real name: Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr.
- Born: October 22, 1998 (Compton, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 21 million
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Read more:
- Rapper Roddy Ricch arrested on gun charges in New York
- Roddy Ricch Is a Star, But Has No One to Celebrate With
- Roddy Ricch Won’t Let Superstardom Change Him
5. Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator rose to prominence as the leader and co-founder of the alternative hip hop collective Odd Future, and has rapped on and produced songs for nearly every Odd Future release. Tyler, the Creator’s sexuality is one of the things many people have been eager to know over the years. The speculations of being gay came about due to the nature of his songs titled “Foreword”, “Garden Shed” and “I Ain’t Got Time!” which sparked speculations that Tyler would be coming out of the closet as a gay. His fifth studio album IGOR debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200. It marked his first chart-topping album on the chart.
- Real name: Tyler Gregory Okonma
- Born: March 6, 1991 (Hawthorne, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 20 million
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Read more:
- From Odd Future to Igor: Breaking down every era of Tyler, the Creator’s career
- How Tyler, the Creator Grew Into the Rebel He Always Wanted to Be
6. Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre‘s influence on hip-hop is vast and far-reaching. He played a major role in the G-Funk movement of the late 80s/early 90s. The West Coast music producer and rapper immersed himself in the early Los Angeles hip-hop scene and in 1984 formed the World Class Wrecking Cru, a romance-themed, techno-style group whose song “Surgery” was a local hit. In 1986 Dr. Dre teamed up with Eazy-E , Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella) to form the seminal rap group Niggaz Wit Attitude, or N.W.A.. Dre’s production talents received widespread exposure on N.W.A.’s second album Straight Outta Compton (1988), which sold over 500,000 copies in six weeks with virtually no radio or video play. He also helped propel West Coast hip-hop to new heights with his masterwork, The Chronic.
- Real name: Andre Romelle Young
- Born: February 18, 1965 (Compton, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 17 million
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Read more:
- ‘The Chronic’: How Dr. Dre changed hip-hop with solo debut album
- The Evolution of Dr. Dre
- The Story Of Dr. Dre And Snoop Dogg’s “Still D.R.E.”
- Dr Dre facts: 52 things you forgot about Dre
7. Coolio
Coolio was a West Coast rap artist whose poignant and touching lyrics expressed ideas about family, respect, love, AIDS and revolution. He got his start in the South Central Los Angeles rap scene during the early 1980s. The rapper achieved mainstream success in the mid-1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief, Gangsta’s Paradise and My Soul. He is best known for his Grammy Award-winning single “Gangsta’s Paradise”, which appeared on his album of the same name and the soundtrack of the movie Dangerous Minds.
- Real name: Artis Leon Ivey Jr.
- Born: August 1, 1963 (Monessen, Pennsylvania)
- Died: September 28, 2022 (Los Angeles, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 14 million
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8. Ice Cube
Ice Cube is best known for being considered a founding member of gangsta rap. N.W.A.’s hard-hitting sound and lyrics jolted the music industry, all the while selling millions of records. The rapper wrote many of the controversial, political raps N.W.A was known for. Songs such as “F— the Police” earned the watchful eye of the FBI, but the group only became more popular. His solo career entailed five platinum albums and one platinum EP, including AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992).
- Real name: O’Shea Jackson
- Born: June 15, 1969 (Los Angeles, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 12 million
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9. YG
YG is a Compton-based rapper and songwriter of the West Coast scenery. In 2009, he released his debut single, “Toot It and Boot It”, featuring Ty Dolla Sign, which peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single’s success resulted in him signing to Def Jam Recordings. His 2013 single “My Nigga” reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The rapper has gone on to release top ten albums that began with My Krazy Life (2014) and has stretched through to My Life 4Hunnid (2020).
- Real name: Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson
- Born: March 9, 1990 (Compton, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 12 million
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10. The Game
The Game is considered to be a pioneer in bringing back the West Coast hip-hop scene also breaking the East Coast emcees’ dominance in the rap circuit. The Game was eventually signed to the Aftermath Entertainment label in 2003 after Dr. Dre heard his mixtape. He rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album The Documentary, which was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in that same year and has since sold over five million copies worldwide.
- Real name: Jayceon Terrell Taylor
- Born: November 29, 1979 (Compton, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 11 million
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Read more:
- The Game’s Many Hip-Hop Beefs, From 50 Cent to Meek Mill
- Behind the Beat: Cool & Dre on How “Hate It Or Love It” was the Beginning & End for The Game & 50 Cent
11. Schoolboy Q
Schoolboy Q released his first mixtape titled, ScHoolboy Turned Hustla and followed up in 2009 with Gangsta & Soul. After signing with Interscope, he subsequently began recording his major-label debut studio album, titled Oxymoron (2014). The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was preceded by the singles “Collard Greens” (featuring Kendrick Lamar), “Man of the Year”, “Studio” (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid) and “Hell of a Night”. The first three singles all charted on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, with “Studio” remaining his best-performing as a lead artist to date.
- Real name: Quincy Matthew Hanley
- Born: October 26, 1986 (Wiesbaden, West Germany)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 8 million
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Read more:
- Schoolboy Q: Why the Reluctant Rap Star Almost Quit
- Schoolboy Q: ‘I Wanted to Be a Cop — Until I Started Running From Them’
- ScHoolboy Q doesn’t care what you think
- Schoolboy Q‘s murky past
12. Warren G
Warren G aided in the creation of the G-funk sound, which assisted West Coast rap’s ascent in the early 90s. In 1990, he formed with Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg a trio, 213. The trio dissolved after Warren G connected them to Dr. Dre. At that point, two solo careers were launched: Dr. Dre’s and Snoop Dogg’s, upon G-funk. Nate, too, signed to Dr. Dre’s Death Row Records. Warren G initially helped there, but, not desiring a career in his mentor and stepbrother’s shadow, signed to Def Jam Recordings, in New York City. Among his seven Top 40 hits, the 1994 single “Regulate,” Warren’s duet with Nate, was a massive hit.
- Real name: Warren Griffin III
- Born: November 10, 1970 (Long Beach, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 4 million
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Read more:
- Warren G Ain’t Trippin, Ain’t Mad, and Is Forever Hip-Hop’s Unsung Legend
- ‘G-Funk’: How Warren G Became the ‘Unsung Hero’ of Hip-Hop While Snoop Dogg Soared
- Warren G and Nate Dogg’s ‘Regulate’: The History of a Hip-Hop Classic
13. Vince Staples
Vince Staples was once a close associate of Odd Future, in particular Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt. He credits Mac Miller with kick-starting his solo career. Miller provided beats under his Larrie Fisherman pseudonym for the Stolen Youth mixtape which eventually led to a record deal with Def Jam. His second album Big Fish Theory, which contains the singles “BagBak”, “Big Fish” and “Rain Come Down”, was released in June 2017 to further acclaim from critics. He was also featured as a part of the XXL 2015 Freshman Class.
- Real name: Vincent Jamal Staples
- Born: July 2, 1993 (Compton, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 4 million
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Read more:
- Living to Overcome: An In-Depth Interview With Vince Staples
- Vince Staples, Regular Genius
- Vince Staples: ‘We Live In A Space Where Your Name Isn’t Enough’
- Vince Staples Is the Anti-Rapper for Our Time
- Vince Staples is the rapper who tells it like it is, always
14. Eazy-E
One of the best West Coast rappers, Eazy-E performed solo and in the hardcore hip hop group N.W.A. After dropping out of high school in the tenth grade, he supported himself by selling drugs before investing in Ruthless Records and becoming a rapper. Deeply influenced by the contemporary funk groups, rappers and comedians, he went on to develop his own unique style that made him much popular among the masses. The group’s second album, Straight Outta Compton (1988), was a breakthrough for the nascent gangsta rap movement, featuring explicit descriptions (and often glorifications) of street violence and drug dealing. However, in early 1995, Eazy entered the hospital with respiratory difficulties, believing he had developed asthma. The diagnosis was far more serious: he had contracted AIDS. Eazy announced his plight to the public shortly thereafter, winning admiration for his straightforward attitude. Sadly, just a few weeks later, on March 26, 1995, the disease claimed his life.
- Real name: Eric Lynn Wright
- Born: September 7, 1964 (Compton, California)
- Died: March 26, 1995 (Los Angeles, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3.8 million
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15. Nipsey Hussle
Nipsey Hussle adopted the name from comedian Julius “Nipsey” Russell. In 2005, he released his first mixtape called A Slauson Boy. Around 2010, he would release The Marathon, a mixtape in which hits such as “Love ?”, “Mr. Untouchable”, “Young Rich” and “Famous and Late Nights” and “Early Mornings” appeared. He also created The Marathon Clothing at that time, a sports and casual clothing brand that was based in his neighborhood. He then released the mixtape The Marathon Continues (2011), and was featured in the popular XXL Magazine Annual Freshman Top Ten. In 2013 came Crenshaw, a mixtape that would become famous because Jay-Z himself bought 100 copies for $ 100 each. He found commercial success in 2018, when he released his only studio album called Victory Lap. That album was nominated for best rap album at the Grammy Awards in February 2019. However, on March 31, 2019, Hussle was fatally shot outside his store in South Los Angeles. Eric Holder, a 29-year-old man who confronted Hussle earlier that day, was arrested and charged with murder two days later. Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder on July 6, 2022.
- Real name: Nipsey Hussle in 2011
- Born: August 15, 1985 (Los Angeles, California)
- Died: March 31, 2019 (Los Angeles, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 2.8 million
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Read more:
- Nipsey Hussle was more of a movement than a musician
- Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death put an inspiring life in the spotlight
Honorable mentions
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