WESTCOAST

There is a clear difference in the style of rap between the East and West coasts. With artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep and Nas dominating the East Coast and artists such as Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre taking the West, there is no doubt about the distinctive styles that operate in these areas. West coast rap tends to sound more ‘laid back’ and its subjects surround racial profiling, drugs, police brutality and slang. On the other hand, East coast rap is a lot harder hitting and features metaphors that are often motivated by social, political, or simply entertainment reasons.

The East Coast vs West Coast rivalry lasted between 1991 and 1997 between fans and artists within the two coasts. The focal point of this feud was between East-Coast based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (part of Bad Boy Records) and Tupac Shakur (part of Death Row Records) who became symbols for the feud.