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What is Los Angeles hip-hop? Before engaging in this discussion, it’s important to draw a distinction between L.A. hip-hop and L.A. rap. L.A. rap most often falls within the category of gangster rap, of which Los Angeles has a long history beginning with Eazy-E and N.W.A and stretching all the way to The Game (this lineage, of course, includes Snoop Dogg & The Dogg Pound, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Tupac). Kendrick Lamar and Black Hippy may be the latest contenders for the title, but that’s debatable considering their personas and deviation from traditional gangster-rap tropes, however slight it may be. Then you have artists like OFWGKTA, which includes Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. It’s safe to say that despite their aggressive nature and rough edges, Odd Future rappers and affiliates are not gangster rap, however, their rejection of widely-accepted mediums of hip-hop also excludes them from being categorized as traditional L.A. hip-hop. Tyler the Creator and other artists of that ilk occupy more of a grey-zone than anything, which brings us to the other end of the spectrum. Continue reading
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