The East and West coasts have long been fertile breeding grounds for musical and another artistic
talent. Rap is no exception. East Coast rappers come out of several regions. But the main one is in and
around New York City. According to RapTV, the Bronx in New York is, in fact, often listed as the
birthplace of modern rap music. Since rap has become a mainstay in American society, the West Coast
has grown more and more to match and sometimes surpass the East coast in terms of producing great
rappers. This seems to be especially true now as a new generation of rappers is emerging from the West
Coast and creating music that is sweeping the nation. Here are some of the best up and coming rap
artists you may not know from the West Coast.
1TakeJay
1TakeJay can barely still qualify as being “underground” as his music booms across LA speakers. The
rapper’s bouncy flow, funny lyrics, and unique beats make him one of the most popular and promising
up-and-coming rappers from the West Coast. Look out for this guy; you will surely be seeing or hearing
more from him soon.
AllBlack
Based out of Oakland, AllBlack is another slick West Coast Rapper. He came out with his first major
album Outcalls recently, and it has been getting a lot of traction, raising the rapper’s notoriety beyond
just his hometown. AllBlack has been endorsed by some of the biggest names in hip-hop, many of whom
seem to think he will be the next big thing.
Melii
Female rapper Melii brings some funky energy to the LA scene with her songs like “Ballin” and “Icey.”
This young rapper has a lot of promise and has grown significantly in popularity after Rhianna featured
one of her tunes on Instagram. It’s a good sign when millions of people want to know who you are after
hearing your music for only a few moments. Melli’s songs have the catchiness to become chart-topping
sensations. Who knows, we may be looking at the next Nikki Manaj.
AzSwaye
AzSwaye and 1TakeJay went on a highly successful LA-based tour in 2019 where AzSwaye showed off
some of his skills busting out songs like “Pop Shit,” and “Ride with My Glock,” both of which did very
well with LA crowds, which may be a sign of good things to come for things young rapper.
Blueface
Blueface came onto the scene in 2018, and at first, he was received as something as a novelty. Why?
Because his style of delivery was so odd-sounding that it almost appears accidental—as in, resulting
from inexperience. But Blueface kept coming, and in 2019 he had a few of his first bonafide hits. Now, in
2020 Blueface has the potential to become truly mainstream as he has amassed something of a
following of loyal listeners who love the unique sounding new rapper.
Rexx Life Raj
Rexx Life Raj promotes the party lifestyle and having fun in the music video for his song “Long Way,” but
there is nothing superficial about this “Berkley Superhero.” Rexx has some deep, intertwined lyrics that
he weaves through creative beats in an appealing way. It will be interesting to see this artist continue to
develop and grow in popularity over the coming year.
There you have it, some of the best up and coming rappers growing out of the warm West Coast sun.
Who knows what’s in the water in the West Coast, but whatever it seems to create some of the
country’s best rappers, as the area shows no signs of slowing down.
