west coast
what it is
This tag usually refers to old school rap or old school hip-hop from west coast. In California, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles ignited hip-hop culture along the western coast of the United States. (The old school west coast hip-hop tag refers to this musical genre alone.
✦ start here: albums
![R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece [Explicit Version] by Snoop Dogg](https://lastfm-img.freetls.fastly.net/i/u/300x300/c49cbe1c770e30a07bc5550a4fe83a59.png)
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make west coast a playlist
turn these 34 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is west coast?
This tag usually refers to old school rap or old school hip-hop from west coast. In California, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles ignited hip-hop culture along the western coast of the United States. (The old school west coast hip-hop tag refers to this musical genre alone.
What are good west coast albums to start with?
Try Oxymoron (Deluxe Version) by ScHoolboy Q, Niggaz4Life by N.W.A, On the Waters by Bread, and The Outsider by DJ Shadow.
Who are some women making west coast?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/west-coast/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making west coast, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20