What's your favorite album from the West Coast?

You know the rules - what and why

Of SO many choices, I decided to go with this one. The lyrics, the production, the influence it had on hip hop @ the time, and more, this album epitomized what the West Coast hip hop sound was at that time, and plus, I was (and still am) a huge fan of Death Row and the majority of their material circa 92-96, and plus it's a long time favorite of mine. 5 star classic here.

Doggystyle

Does Vancouver count as "West Coast"? If so, Swollen Members - Balance

If not, Deltron 3030.

And if that one doesn't count either...I'll have to think about it.

Wayne wrote:

Of SO many choices, I decided to go with this one. The lyrics, the production, the influence it had on hip hop @ the time, and more, this album epitomized what the West Coast hip hop sound was at that time, and plus, I was (and still am) a huge fan of Death Row and the majority of their material circa 92-96, and plus it's a long time favorite of mine. 5 star classic here.

Damn Wayne, great minds think alike! We have the same fav East Coast (Illmatic) and West Coast album, with Illmatic being our GOAT.

The Chronic bumps as hard as any album ever created. It's sonically excellent, and it was the debut of Snoop Dogg on a full-length LP and man did he bring the heat on his appearances on this album. From Dre Day, to Ain't Nothin But A G Thang, to Lil Ghetto Boy, to Stranded On Death Row, to my personal fav on the album Bitches Ain't Shit. Snoop ripped every track he appeared on, and Dre proved why he's one of the greatest producers of all time. Even to this day, this album is perfect to bump no matter what type of mood you're in. It's a slam dunk classic.

Eastern Rap Pro wrote:

Wayne wrote:

Of SO many choices, I decided to go with this one. The lyrics, the production, the influence it had on hip hop @ the time, and more, this album epitomized what the West Coast hip hop sound was at that time, and plus, I was (and still am) a huge fan of Death Row and the majority of their material circa 92-96, and plus it's a long time favorite of mine. 5 star classic here.

Damn Wayne, great minds think alike! We have the same fav East Coast (Illmatic) and West Coast album, with Illmatic being our GOAT.

The Chronic bumps as hard as any album ever created. It's sonically excellent, and it was the debut of Snoop Dogg on a full-length LP and man did he bring the heat on his appearances on this album. From Dre Day, to Ain't Nothin But A G Thang, to Lil Ghetto Boy, to Stranded On Death Row, to my personal fav on the album Bitches Ain't Shit. Snoop ripped every track he appeared on, and Dre proved why he's one of the greatest producers of all time. Even to this day, this album is perfect to bump no matter what type of mood you're in. It's a slam dunk classic.

Well said KJ!

This was easy. And I have stated numerous times why this is not only my pick for this thread but its my number album of all time period. This is the first Ice Cube album I actually heard in full and one of the first of the few tapes I owned around this time. I just love the theme, beats, album cover, lyrics, guest, hooks, etc etc. Its a perfect album imo no skip trks save for maybe the intro's when I do not want to hear them. Also he took the message X Clan, PE, Brand Nub, and others were kicking about the plight of the black male and female and rasied the bar. He talked how we talked about this subject in the hood. Fuck being politically correct or being safe. Cube said what we meant and meant what he said.

Fun DMC

So what if I'm biased. This album's vibes are hard to beat.

ill have to think about this

D.O.C.-No one Can Do It Better

IMO, it's Dre's finest moment, and since i am east coast bias, i prefer D.O.C.'s east coast stylings.

Seagram - Souls On Ice


Just the dopest album I ever heard. Period. Mac Dre - YBB is a close second, but this one was the soundtrack to my high school years. Can't even begin to count how many times I spin this joint. Seagram had a flow like no other and he dropped knowledge on each and every track.

No One Can Do It Better

It's the whole package. Superb beats, lyrics and vibe. It's my favorite rap record of all time. Nothing comes close to it, IMO.

Damn, I gotta go three way tie on this one....lol. Below the Heavens, Blue Scholars self titled, and Bayani Redux all can be my favorite from the West on any given day. I am a Blue Scholars stan and those two albums are close to perfection to my ears. Stunningly beautiful beats (Sabzi is a beast) and Geo is the perfect emcee to rhyme over those top notch beats. They got me hooked on the underground scene. As for Below the Heavens, it's one of my most played albums in my collection. Only one skip track (and the track isn't even that bad, just sounds out of place) and the rest of the album is skip proof. This is both Blu & Exile's finest works to date imo. Should be consider a hip hop classic one day. So(ul) Amazin'.

Myestro - Deltron is cool. I plan a non-US thread so Swollen Members can wait for that thread.

KRob86 wrote:

This was easy. And I have stated numerous times why this is not only my pick for this thread but its my number album of all time period. This is the first Ice Cube album I actually heard in full and one of the first of the few tapes I owned around this time. I just love the theme, beats, album cover, lyrics, guest, hooks, etc etc. Its a perfect album imo no skip trks save for maybe the intro's when I do not want to hear them. Also he took the message X Clan, PE, Brand Nub, and others were kicking about the plight of the black male and female and rasied the bar. He talked how we talked about this subject in the hood. Fuck being politically correct or being safe. Cube said what we meant and meant what he said.

Co-Sign...

its between these

Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Ras Kass - Soul On Ice
Souls of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity
Brotha Lynch Hung - Season of Da Siccness
2Pac - MATW

SRP i knew you loved that Souls On Ice but not that much. But I highly respect the individuality of that pick. I played his album Reality Check to death back in the day also. I got into Souls On Ice late but its a real decent album.

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

Myestro - Deltron is cool. I plan a non-US thread so Swollen Members can wait for that thread.

That be my pick then. Deltron 3030.

And a non-US thread would also consist of Bliss & Eso, Hilltop Hoods, Sweatshop Union, and all the rest from Canada. I better get a head start and figure it out!

Doggystyle

First hip hop album i heard and made me obsessed with the music ever since. Also kept me buying snoop albums 15 years later just trying to find a track that was similar to any track on here. He was like a gangsta version of slick rick now he is just the man that says shizzle. Me Against The World, Bizarre Ride, The Predator, Temples Of Boom and plenty of others could have been my pick but i think i have played this more than any album ever. Best tracks are all of them, even the skits don't piss me off

Has to be "The Chronic". When it first came out it was the best thing I had ever heard. "No One Can Do It Better" and "Death Certificate" would round out my top 3.

Red wrote:

Doggystyle

First hip hop album i heard and made me obsessed with the music ever since.

That's crazy. Same here! LOL! Doggystyle was the first rap album I heard and I just wanted more and more after that.

2Pac - Me Against the World is my default favorite album, everyone knows that.

But my 2nd fave. is Soul on Ice by Ras Kass. The #1 most slept on underrated rapper of all time, at his best.

Justin Linker wrote:

Red wrote:

Doggystyle

First hip hop album i heard and made me obsessed with the music ever since.

That's crazy. Same here! LOL! Doggystyle was the first rap album I heard and I just wanted more and more after that.

Yeah man it was all over for me after that. I'm the same age as you too. I first had it on cassette. This type of explicit material really appealed to me as a kid. I remember thinking that cartoon in the cover was the coolest thing i ever saw. Then i was on a mission to be a gangsta LOL

Again...my most played album of all time from the West Coast is definitely

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

Obviously the the title track was a banger, but it was more so songs like "When The Revolution Comes" and "Too Hot" that really resonated with me. I had almost every word of this memorized at one time, and even though now I'd take a dozen albums over it, this was my first true love in terms of hip hop albums.

The album I play most is People Under The Stairs - O.S.T.

The production on this album is incredible, and while Thes One and Double K aren't mindblowing lyricists, they keep the album interesting.

I could objectively put a lot West Coast classics ahead of this, but this album is a personal favorite of mine.

That would be my number 2. ^

Fun DMC would be up there as well. That album has grown on me.

hmmm my favorite wess side album??

2pac-Me Against The World

why??


Well I remember when this one dropped in March of '95...Pac was locked up in NY on the "rape" charges and I remember when I heard the title I thought that just sums up where his life was at that time...and when I finally heard the album I just thought man this shit is just a brilliant display of emotions, lyrics and production....this album IMO is by far Pac's finest moment on cd......he brought everything he had to this performance and then some...this is the album that made him a LEGEND IMO.....it's the album that placed him among the greats.....there are so many great moments on this album...Dear Mama....Temptations...So Many Tears.....Me Against The World.....Can U Get Away....Old School....If I Die 2nite.....It Ain't Easy....Death Around The Corner


this album and Ol Dirty Bastard-Return To The 36 Chambers were being blasted out of every car I saw at the Freaknik '95 in Atlanta....and it was in constant rotation for myself as well!


I mean this album was when Pac was still Pac (not that steriod fiend that appeared on All Eyez On Me)....and the production on it by Easy Mo Bee and Johnny J...Soulshock And Karlin and Shock G just too name a few was a completely dope effort....them combined with Pac just killed this effort and because of that I'm giving it the honor of being my favorite west coast album of all-time...

KRob86 wrote:

SRP i knew you loved that Souls On Ice but not that much. But I highly respect the individuality of that pick. I played his album Reality Check to death back in the day also. I got into Souls On Ice late but its a real decent album.

Yeah man, Seagram is my GOAT based on Souls On Ice. I played that album more than daily for a few years... I love Reality Check and Dark Roads as well, but Souls on Ice is just knowledge. Just few albums hit me like that, that being one of them.

Seagram was dope as fuck. My favorite from him is The Dark Roads

Sorry SRP, I can't pick just one, so I'm gonna roll with the disc that gets the most play in my super sport and that's A Tale Of Two Andres. Technically not a real album so I'll play it safe since I can't choose. You know the reason, my two favorites on one disc...and it's slaptastic.

Justin Linker wrote:

Seagram was dope as fuck. My favorite from him is The Dark Roads

I never heard Dark Roads

I had Dark Roads on tape twice before I finally bit the bullet and ordered the CD. Luckily it dropped in price a ton last January and I got it for 25 shipped.

You got a link for it my young mexican rabbi homey???