West Coast Indie

New York may have struck the first blow with acts such as De La Soul and the Ultramagnetic MCs, but the West Coast indie pool is deeper, more talented and ultimately more influential. Up until the explosion of G-Funk in the late 1980s and early '90s, all West Coast hip-hop was essentially independent. While pioneers such as the Bay Area's Too $hort -- who sold records out of his car trunk -- informed the movement's D.I.Y. approach, the true stylistic seeds of West Coast underground can be found in the music coming from Los Angeles' the Good Life Café during the late '80s to early '90s. Freestyle masters such as Freestyle Fellowship's Aceyalone and P.E.A.C.E. as well as Supernatural and Busdriver bended, molded and regurgitated lexicon at the drop of a needle. From the groundwork that these acts laid in the early 90s, an entire underground movement emerged that was focused on reinventing the art of rhyme.

In the Bay, crews such as The Living Legends and Heiroglyphics helped establish the underground networks that East Coast pioneers such as the Def Jux crew would study and eventually adapt. Meanwhile, LA was home to crews such as The Shape Shifters, Likwid crew, and Stones Throw Records. And while the focus on lyricism did distinguish these acts from their G-Funk counterparts, West Coast underground acts have also made considerable strides in area of hip-hop production. Producers such as Peanut Butter Wolf, The Lik's E-Swift, Madlib, Thes One, Fat Jack, and many others have fostered a production aesthetic marries the jazz licks of East Coast hip-hop with a more laid back West Coast vibe. When you combine this sound with the MC's lyrical innovations, you get some of the most rewarding, unique and addictive hip-hop ever recorded.