Top 15 west coast rappers of all time
by Mokun0810 | created - 24 Mar 2015 | updated - 29 Mar 2020 | Public
1. Tupac Shakur
Actor | Juice
Born in New York City, Tupac grew up primarily in Harlem. In 1984, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he became good friends with Jada Pinkett Smith. His family moved again in 1988 to Oakland, California. His first breakthrough in music came in 1991 as a member of the group Digital ...
2. Dr. Dre
Soundtrack | Training Day
Considered by many to be hip-hop's greatest producer, Dr. Dre (b. André Young, February 18, 1965) pioneered gangsta hip-hop and his own variation of the sound, dubbed G-Funk. His very early albums were violent but cautionary tales of the criminal mind, but Dre's records with NWA celebrated the ...
3. Eazy-E
Soundtrack | Harsh Times
Eric Lynn Wright, better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and as a member of the group NWA Wright is affectionately called "The Godfather Of Gangsta Rap."
He was born in Compton, California. After dropping out of high school in the tenth grade, he supported ...
4. Kendrick Lamar
Soundtrack | Black Panther
Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop artist from Compton, California. He's signed with Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath. Kendrick also has his own label, known as 'Top Dawg Entertainment', with includes artists such as Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q and Ab Soul. Kendrick's major label debut album, 'good kid m.A.A.d city' ...
5. Ice Cube
Soundtrack | Friday
Ice Cube was born in South Central Los Angeles, to Doris (Benjamin), a custodian and hospital clerk, and Hosea Jackson, a UCLA groundskeeper. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. His compositions with that group included many ...
6. Ice-T
Actor | New Jack City
The legendary gangsta hip-hop emcee Ice-T was born Tracy Marrow on February 16, 1958, in Newark, New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles, California, to live with his paternal aunt after the death of his father while he was in the sixth grade; his mother had died earlier when he was in the third grade....
7. Zack De La Rocha
Soundtrack | The Matrix
Zack De La Rocha was born on January 12, 1970 in Long Beach, California, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and Godzilla (1998).
8. Snoop Dogg
Actor | Training Day
Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor.
His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre's solo debut, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 ...
9. Game
Actor | Street Kings
Jayceon Taylor was born on November 29, 1979 in Compton, California. He was born into a life of gang-banging and hustling. When later interviewed, Taylor, aka The Game says at a young age, he recalls seeing both of his parents preparing to do drive-bys. His father was a Nutty Block Crip and his ...
10. Gift of Gab
Soundtrack | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Gift of Gab was born on October 7, 1971 in Sacramento, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Ken Park (2002) and Biker Boyz (2003). He died on June 18, 2021 in the USA.
11. Kurupt
Actor | Hollywood Homicide
Kurupt was born Ricardo Brown in Philadelphia, Pa. He moved to Long Beach, California, where he met and befriended such rappers as Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger. He worked as a rapper on "Death Row Records" (Label run by Suge Knight), releasing one album with Daz Dillinger titled "Tha Dogg Pound" (...
12. Macklemore
Soundtrack | Tammy
Macklemore was born on June 19, 1983 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Tammy (2014), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz: Downtown (2015) and Horrible Bosses 2 (2014). He has been married to Tricia Davis ...
13. Cypress Hill
Soundtrack | Guns Akimbo
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. They are a hip-hop group that has sold multi-platinum and platinum albums, having sold over 20 million albums worldwide. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast and 1990s hip hop. The group has been ...
14. Too $hort
Soundtrack | Black Panther
Todd Anthony Shaw better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on pimping and promiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival; ...
15. Nate Dogg
Soundtrack | Real Steel
Nate Dogg was born on August 19, 1969 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Real Steel (2011), I Spy (2002) and The Fast and the Furious (2001). He was married to La Toya. He died on March 15, 2011 in Long Beach, California, USA.
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