From the Westside...

In case you've been living under a rock for the last year or so, you've probably noticed the sudden and electric revival of West Coast hip hop. Until recently, the West had been largely ignored and even forgotten by its most committed supporters. Some cried for the good 'ol days that gave us legends like Tupac, NWA and Snoop Dogg while other rap fans simply wished for a new crop of youngbloods to come around and give the West Coast another shot at glory.

While that first group may be still be left unsatisfied, I can gladly say that the "new guys" have given us all a reason to talk about the West again.

Here's a couple of the guys that have been killing it recently in the Golden State:

Odd Future (Tyler, MellowHype and the Gang) // Beyond a doubt, these kids from Los Angeles have been the craziest and most raucous out of the crop of new guys. Their misunderstood leader, Tyler, the Creator, has made stage diving cool again and has even broken bones doing so. MellowHype, the duo composed of rapper Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain, have also raised eyebrows by making an evil video or two and declaring their love for all that is satanic. And then there's Earl Sweatshirt, the mysterious kid who apparently got sent away to Samoa by his mother because of his affinity for wicked rhymes.

At the end of the day, though, all this weirdness and craziness wouldn't matter if OF didn't have any talent to back it all up. And luckily they do. Tyler's recent release Goblin was a vicious and unrefined yet incredibly deep album that has grown on me with each listen. Then you have MellowHype's re-release of their great mixtape BlackenedWhite that has spotlighted Hodgy's sick flow and Left Brain's talent at making captivating beats. Those two really make things happen together. The rest of the guys also have great mixtapes out that definitely show off the depth in OF's catalog (whoever says that Mike G can't rap can GTFO; the guy can spit fire in his own laid back kind of style).

All in all, Odd Future has made a name for themselves with their in-your-face style and wicked rhymes. Sure, they sometimes come off as arrogant and immature teenagers but I get that feeling that these "kids" know exactly what they're doing.

Dom Kennedy // There's just something about Dom Kennedy that makes you bob your head half in enjoyment and half in agreement of his music. Dom simply represents that essence of swag and style and, in many ways, might be the closest representative of the classic West Coast style. He has released several fantastic mixtapes each with their own original sound and I've yet to see a Dom Kennedy music video that has been anything less than dope (seriously, his videos are fuckin' dope). The guy may not have the most deep of bars and he may not floor you with his lyrics but its his delivery, confidence and flow that have made his music the soundtrack to my summer. The Original Dom Kennedy is still in rotation on my sound system and From the Westside, with Love II continues to grow on me with its smooth tracks.

As long as Dom is around to rep Leimert Park and rap about the finer things in life, I'll be happy.

Casey Veggies // Fresh off his senior year at high school, Casey is well on his way to becoming a West Coast star. Similar to Mr. Kennedy, Casey Veggies doesn't hit you with any particularly nasty lyricism, instead he impresses with his confident flow and unorthodox style. This was definitely highlighted in his verses on Dom Kennedy's "CDC" and his breakout hit "Ridin' Roun Town".
Casey gained some exposure early on in his career when he was actually apart of Odd Future's crew. His break from them, though, never created any ill will and he has since collaborated with Tyler on several occasions. Luckily for us rap fans, Casey's solo career has definitely brought out the best in him and enabled him to build relationships with guys like Dom Kennedy. He may be the most unknown out of this group of guys but he has undoubtedly found his niche in up beat West Coast rap. Look out for Casey's name in the next year, he's got skills.

Kendrick Lamar // I promised myself I'd remain unbiased in this feature but it's really hard not to say: I've kept the best for last. Kendrick's rise has been sudden and eye opening. He is incredibly intelligent and self aware and it shows in his rhymes. In his own words, he isn't a rapper, he's just a kid from Compton who just so happens to rap. And believe me, Kendrick really wants you to know that. He doesn't rap about banging bitches and sippin' 40s like some of the other guys out there. Instead, he recognizes what is right and wrong with humans as a whole and attempts to find solutions or reasoning to it all. It all sounds like a lot of preachy bullshit but the magic of Kendrick Lamar is how he can rap about real stuff in a fashion that makes him like everybody else; a human being.
With the release of his new project Section 80, Kendrick unleashes his passion for a better world on every track. Coupled with his ever evolving flow and rhyme schemes, you get something that not only amazes you now, but readies you for what more Kendrick has to offer in the near future. His upcoming project with J. Cole and his debut on a major label are sure to be hotly anticipated after his recent showing and with guys like Dr. Dre attempting to sign him, you just know that Kendrick is ready to amaze people a few more times.

Notes

• Odd Future's Mike G and Domo Genesis are expected to release their own debut albums sometime soon.
• Also, look out for new information on Earl's return.
• I realize that most if not all of these guys have been around for a while but the purpose of this article is to point out their recent rises to prominence and the related rebirth of the West.
• I also realize that some guys have been left out that could have easily been included such as Skeme and Blu but we had to keep it concise.

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