With Dr. Dre reclaiming his crown this past week with the release of 'Compton' – the producer's first full-length work in almost 16 years – and fellow hometown hero Kendrick Lamar still riding high off the critical and commercial success of 'To Pimp A Butterfly', Los Angeles hip-hop’s fortunes appear every bit as bright and vibrant as that famous California sunshine at 2015’s midway point.
In the past, L.A. rap was often derided as a poor relation to its traditional New York rival, and more recent times have seen the city outflanked by the envelope-pushing surge of scenes in Atlanta and Houston. But as the imminent release of N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton brings a renewed focus to the City of Angels’ rap legacy, more recent times have hinted at something of a rap renaissance here, drawing in a diverse range of artists and styles from across L.A. county.
Kendrick and his Black Hippy/Top Dawg crew of ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock may have spearheaded the charge, with city mainstays Nipsey Hussle and Dom Kennedy gaining increased exposure as DJ Mustard’s signature ‘ratchet’ production style redefines the west coast’s sound. But here are five more key artists – some new, others who’ve been steadily building an underground buzz over the past few seasons – who are also helping to tilt hip-hop’s axis a little more to the left….
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Vince Staples
Vince Staples’ first full-length studio album 'Summertime ’06' dropped on hip-hop powerhouse Def Jam in June, featuring production from long-term Kanye West and Common collaborator No I.D. Building on last year’s excellent 'Hell Can Wait' EP, the Long Beach emcee takes an expansive lyrical approach that tackles the grim realities of L.A. life, and also places police corruption and violence against the African-American community firmly in his sights. Set to a gripping, skewed musical backdrop, the album is a dark, hard-boiled gem that’s already been tagged as one of 2015’s best.
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YG
Though he’s been banging on wax since 2009, rolling out a stream of well-received mixtapes, it was last year’s superb debut album My Krazy Life which really sent Compton rapper YG’s stock skywards. Recasting his home turf as “Bompton”, the Piru Bloods-affiliated rapper – who was shot three times in the hip in June – is firmly rooted in the west coast’s reality rap tradition.
Lyrically, his day-in-the-life-of-the-hood perspective – which he expanded on with a self-released short film Blame It On The Streets late last year – recalls the likes of Above The Law and Compton’s Most Wanted, while sonically his new single ‘Twist My Fingaz’ revisits the classic ‘90s G-Funk sound pioneered by production kingpins Dre and Warren G.
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Cozz
South Central L.A. emcee Cozz drew considerable attention from several major industry players on the back of his ‘Dreams’ single in early 2014. He eventually signed with chart-topping US rapper J. Cole’s new Dreamville label last summer, with his debut mixtape, 'Cozz & Effect', following shortly after.
With many older successful rappers often seemingly content to churn out bloated, complacent material dulled by champagne and money, Cozz’s rhymes offer an engaging flipside, with tracks such as ‘Knock Tha Hustle’ brimming with hunger and ambition; the compelling sound of a ferociously talented emcee with absolutely nothing to lose.
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Boogie
Consider Boogie the anti-social media rapper. If there’s anything we can learn from the recent Meek Mill-Drake spat – described as the first rap beef of the social media age – it’s that Twitter disses and Instagram memes are now as important as actual rhyme-writing ability. But it’s a trend with which the Compton-born, Long Beach-raised emcee is unlikely to be on-board; Boogie’s reflective, honest raps frequently fire shots at the preening and posturing of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Still, his aversion to selfies and likes aside, last year’s soulful debut 'Thirst 48' and this June’s follow-up mixtape 'The Reach' provide a fine introduction to his considerable talent.
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Casey Veggies
A comparative veteran, Odd Future co-founder Casey Veggies first appeared alongside Tyler & Co. as a 15-year-old, dropping verses on 2008’s 'The Odd Future Tape'. Since then, the Inglewood rapper (real name Casey Jones) has remained a stalwart of the Los Angeles underground, steadily forging his rep over the course of several mixtapes and a self-released album, 'Sleeping In Class', as well as establishing his own Peas & Carrots label.
With a new studio LP, 'Live & Grow', primed for release next month, Veggies’ recent work – such as ‘Backflip!’, which featured Cali comrades YG and Iamsu!, and ‘Tied Up’ with Detroit’s hotly-tipped new female emcee DeJ Loaf – offer hints of a more refined, accessible sound than his earlier Odd Future work.
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Words: Hugh Leask
