Kendrick Lamar put the entirety of the greater Los Angeles area on his back with the track “Not Like Us” which was largely a diss of Drake and a call for West Coast unity. Leading this charge, Kendrick Lamar and a collective of other West Coast Hip-Hop artists are enjoying a resurgence that has put the culture at large on notice.
To best examine how the West has won in 2024, or at least why we believe they’re poised to do so, one only needs to look back to Future and Metro Boomin’s “LIKE THAT” single released in March from the pair’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU project that started the mudslinging between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, reaching a culture-shifting zenith by way of K-Dot’s explosive “Not Like Us” track.
The runaway success of “Not Like Us” remains a case study in timing, impact, and the power of directedness. There is no mystery in Lamar’s verse, no esoteric lines to parse, or prose that goes over the head. It is beyond clear that K-Dot’s Canadian rival was his target and that his relentless attacks dug into Drake’s character and image, with some in Hip-Hop crowning Lamar an absolute winner in their feud.
Adding to the layers, the video for “Not Like Us” was another celebration of greater Los Angeles with YG, Dot’s former boss at TDE Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, Mustard, and DeMar DeRozan showing off regional pride via their appearances. It has come to the point that listening back to the relatively light jabs thrown on “LIKE THAT,” it remains baffling that the beef reached the heights that it did.
All of this has naturally overshadowed other crowning achievements from West Coast artists, and we’ll do our best to examine the year that was.
Groovy Q
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ScHoolboy Q also dropped in March with his sixth studio album, Blue Lips, an album that we at Hip-Hop Wired reviewed and enjoyed immensely. To date, no other major Hip-Hop release has taken as many risks sonically as Blue Lips and further cements the legend of ScHoolboy Q as a streetwise but spiritually grounded lyricist. And as much as the production stood out on Blue Lips, the maestro in the middle of the maelstrom was always Q.
Vince Staples Continues Strong Run
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The buoyancy and chaotic energy of Blue Lips is not overtly present on Vince Staples’ sixth album, Dark Times, another example of the Long Beach native’s ability to find a reflective thread in even the starkest details surrounding his upbringing and rise to fame. Dark Times is not an overjoyous album, at least not overall. As the album reveals, Staples consistently presents himself as an artist who isn’t interested in being dissected or even understood. The album is an audio missive of someone who hopes to exist on their terms without the weight of expectations.
T Says He’s The Biggest Out The City Since Kenny
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Tyler, The Creator —no longer just the talented, if foul-mouthed, producer-rapper that fronted the sprawling Odd Future crew — is now a veteran act and eight studio albums deep. His latest, Chromakopia, is an audio hodgepodge of all of Tyler’s sounds from rapping, singing, jazz, rock, you name it, it’s here. Continuing some of his chest-out rapping that appeared on CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, T acknowledges K-Dot on “Rah Tah Tah,” signaling that the coast is unified. Chromakopia follows a concept that aims at rabid fans, tackles the abortion debate, and bashes the upkeep of fame. Some have crowned the record as the best to release this year.
Soul-O Hoe!
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Ab-Soul’s sixth studio album, Soul Burger, was seen as a surprise considering the staggered release schedule that TDE typically employs. Dedicated to his good friend Doeburger, who passed away in 2021, Soul Burger finds the “Martin Luther King of Carson” paying homage to his friend and his roots while once again showing why he might be the strongest lyricist to emerge from the Top Dawg Entertainment camp.
New Kung Fu Kenny!
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This brings us to the surprise release on Friday (November 22) of Lamar’s latest album, GNX, a body of work that seems to be a continuation of the sound examined on “Not Like Us” and features the full version of “squabble up,” a track we only heard as a snippet previously. GNX, at least on our first listen, doesn’t stick to a theme or sound and will take some time to take in all the finer points. That said, K-Dot shows off his extraordinary abilities, and the autobiographical “The Heart Pt. 6” is a highlight. And yes, there are shots at Drake, mentions of the Super Bowl, and maybe even a dig at Lil Wayne? You be the judge.
Other standout albums that highlighted the West Coast’s dominance this year include the likes of Jay Worthy and DāM FunK’s funky Magic Hour collaborative album, Tha Dogg Pound’s We All We Got, Larry June’s Doing It For Me, Big-Hit, Hit-Boy, and The Alchemist’s Black & Whites, and JasonMartin (FKA Problem) and DJ Quik’s Chupacabra.
We also got potent bar work from Planet Asia and his Trust The Chain II EP with 38 Spesh on production. TiRon and Ayomari’s The Adventures of TiRon & Ayomari, Thurz’s Yannick Koffi: In Time, and Casual’s Starbuster EP should all be included in this concise roundup.
Regional biases and arguments aside, it will be determined over time if the West Coast can sustain its momentum into 2025. But if 2024 is any indication, the West had a lot more than just something to say. It appears that the entire coast is ready to move together as a cohesive unit, and as the smoke continues to clear, any challenge to the respective thrones will be sufficiently met.