Photo: Al Pereira (Getty Images)
Although hip-hop actually originated in the 70s, it wasn’t until the late 80s that it turned into the now-famous gangsta rap that put this music genre on the map. One of the first rappers of this new wave were Ice-T (whose song 6 in the Morning is considered the start of this rapping style) and the group N.W.A. which consisted of rapping legends like Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and the late Eazy-E. A few years later, other rappers like Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Nate Dogg joined and formed the movement that became known as the West Coast. This provoked a response from New York-based rappers and brought the east rap scene to life. Starting with the Wu-Tang clan, NAS, and the Notorious B.I.G., the East coast rappers were ready to fight the west for the throne. Here are some of the most significant East Coast rappers of that time.
Wu-Tang Clan
The very core of the entire East Coast movement lay in the Wu-Tang clan, originally comprised of 9 members: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Masta Killa, and Raekwon. A few years later, they were joined by Cappadonna. What made Wu-Tang so special was the fact that their lyrics were a lot grittier and darker than it was before them. This attitude made them a lot more authentic and connected their music to the street. They’ve revived the East sound and contributed to the creation of gangsta rap. The greatest thing about the clan was probably the fact that they were all individual artists, working both together and individually to create a lot more diversified rap music and make some legendary tunes like “Protect Ya Neck.”
Nas
Another artist that really brought the East Coast to the center of attention was the Brooklyn-born Nas. Considering how his father was a respected jazz musician, it’s no wonder that he got into music and quickly started performing under the pseudonym – Nasty Nas. His debut album called “Illmatic” is considered to be one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all times and many compared him to Rakim, a legendary hip-hop artist of his time. The album discussed problems of drug abuse and questions the artist’s credibility with Nas’ unique rapping style that was rhythmically praised by critics and fans alike. However, his next album, It Was Written, truly introduced him to the world and dominated numerous top charts. His prolific career includes various collaborations, joint efforts, as well as feuds and controversies, but that’s something you should expect as a true gangsta rapper.
Notorious B.I.G.
Now, Notorious B.I.G. brought the rapping game to a whole new level mainly because he chose to live the gangsta life he sang about. One of the greatest feuds in rap has to be the one between him and Tupac that basically embodied the whole East vs. West conflict. As it is with all great nemeses, 2Pac and Biggie were once close friends who performed together, gave interviews together and, most important of all, hung out together in a truly friendly manner. However, the world wasn’t big enough for these two immensely popular rappers and the first sparks flew when Tupac was shot in New York, with both Biggie and Puff Daddy present. A short while after that, Biggie released a song called “Who Shot Ya?” which Tupac immediately understood as a provocation and an all out war started. Whether Biggie had something to do with it or not is still undetermined, but the fact remains that he was a gifted rapper who would have done so much more had he not been killed in March 1997, less than a year after Tupac. With their deaths, the entire rivalry between the West and East toned down and eventually dissolved.
Who do you feel are the most significant East Coast rappers? Would you add anyone to the list?
