Hip Hop 101 Rhyme and Reason - How The West Was Won

When it comes to West Coast Hip Hop many names come to mind. Ice T, NWA, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Easy E, Too Short, E40, and who could forget 2pac? There are TONS of West Coast Hip Hop artist that could have easily been mentioned in the aforementioned sentence but that would take all day and I just don't have that kind of time. Critics argue that Hip Hop was founded in the EAST but was PERFECTED in the west. With songs like, "Express Yourself" by NWA that talked exactly about what the title says and surprisingly enough doesn't have ANY CURSE WORDS, Freaky Tales by Too short which is also about what the title indicates, and "It Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube that took us on a journey through South Central Los Angeles. With songs like these, one could argue that "The Sun Son" really did set in the west. Get it? While the East still maintained a tight stronghold on Hip Hop, the West was beginning to hit their stride. Classic upon classic upon classic was being produced by Hip Hop artist west of the Colorado Rockies. Chuck Taylor wearing, jheri curl having, color waving kids were not only embracing the Hip Hop culture but they were also embracing where they were from. One think that has always been unique about right coast rap Hip Hop is that they were proud of where they were from. You couldn't listen to an East Coast record for longer than 30 seconds without knowing that he was from either Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Queens. In this case, I believe the West definitely borrowed that mentality of neighborhood pride.

After a long stint of recording classics with NWA, producer and rapper Dr. Dre began his solo career. The choice of becoming a solo artist would prove to be LEGENDARY and CLASSIC. Although his impact on the West Coast can still be felt today, I believe that it was the skinny, very confident teenaged protege' that he brought with him that changed the game forever. Calvin Broadus was an extremely laid back clever artist from Long Beach California. A Crip from 21st Street, he was an interesting and very clever lyricist that was hungrier than a dog in a junk yard. I guess that is why his nick name was Snoopy and he performed under the name "Snoop Doggy Dogg. Coming off a drug related incarceration as an 18 year old, Snoop received the break that he so desperately needed. He was afforded the opportunity to perform alongside the west coast legend Dr Dre on the title track for the Deep Cover Soundtrack. Although the song wasn't a huge hit, it was the first time that Dre's Long Beach Protege' was heard on record. It was the first time that his voice was heard nationally. The world turned their ear to listen what the young man had to say and the young man methodically delivered cleverly laced metaphorical rhyming schemes to the melody of southern california lifestyle. Very soft spoken and calm, Snoop jumped into his verse on Deep cover like a seasoned veteran. From the first random blurb that stated, "I can feel it" (which was a 70's funk classic sample by 70's funk group Undisputed Truth from their song (I Know) I'm losing you.) when the song first came on, we knew this song would be a hit. With Dre's hardened voice, the song begins to take us on a journey of being "Deep Cover" on the incognito tip...

After the first verse, history would be changed forever. The Chorus stated,

"Yeah and you don't stop"

- recited by Dre and Snoop interjects with

"cause its 1-8-7 on an undercover cop"

Snoop then ripped through the first verse of his infamous career. With a voice smoother than baby oil on ice, Snoop was able to make you creep with him as he crawled through the hood,

"Maniac Lunatic Call him Snoop Eastwood."

Snoop Dogg the baby faced Gangsta from the LBC laced us with an evenflo of West Coast lyrical gangbang life that was laced with dark blue and grey simile's.

I remember hearing this song for the first time in "The Teen Bunker" in Aviano Italy. Teenagers were in their playing pool and cracking jokes when suddenly the beat from Deep Cover dropped and silence hit the room. All eyes were on the tv which was playing "YO! MTV Raps" and we all stared at the screen in aww. We had all heard of Dr. Dre but had no idea who the other guy was. Epic... Immediately after we watched the video, the song had already had strong influence over an American High School in the middle of Europe. I can't even tell you how many White Sox Starter Wind breakers with the matching White Sox starter cap I started seeing everywhere only because Snoop had it on in the video. That was proof that Hip Hop influenced kids INSTANTLY. As stated in numerous other Hip Hop 101 blogs, YO! MTV raps was our only connection to Black people in the United States. All of our fashion trends came from the videos that we saw from tv and the summer of '92 was epic proof.

Was this song Snoops best verse? NO... The reason why this song is SO EPIC is because it gave birth to the West Coast G Funk. The West was always known for sampling hits from groups like Parliament Funkadelic and Zapp and Roger but it wasn't until '92 that some of those beats and lyrics were squeezed in such a way that it gave birth to a whole new style. Deep cover was the super catapult that inspired Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" album which which had Snoop laced all over it. I believe that if it wasn't for Deep Cover, the Chronic would never have existed.... and what is West Coast rap without THE CHRONIC? (No Pun Intended) In '93, Snoop released his first solo effort entitled Doggy Style and that album had to have been the most anticipated album of the whole 1990's. On the Doggystyle album, we were introduced to Snoops crew of up and coming lyrical gang bangers. Everyone from Daz, Kurupt, Warren G, and Lady of Rage were heard for the very first time on this album. It was like Snoop understood the value of picking people up and letting them ride shotgun as you drive yourself up to the top. (Pun Intended especially when referencing future songs like Murder Was The Case... lol) EVERY SINGLE ONE of the aforementioned artist had solo albums that were pretty good. They all held their own even though they never had the commercial success of Snoop.

Hip Hop rose in the East and set in the west... but the west was won in '92. From '92 until sometime in '95, the west ruled the Hip Hop world with an iron fist. Pumping out classic after classic and album after album, we were bombarded with how life was in the LBC, a city that I had never even heard of before '93. Dr Dre gave birth to Snoop, Snoop picked up his soldiers, and his soldiers spawned the West Coast takeover of supreme of dominance which included other noted superstars such as 2pac, . It wasn't until a fat rapper from Bedford Stuyvesant and a unique 9 man crew from Staten Island emerged in late '94 early '95 that we had even heard anything supremely prolific come out of the East Coast. After Snoop "Crushed the Buildings" in the "New York New York" video created by Daz and Kurupt of The Dogg Pound right in the heart of Times Square. Snoops influence on Hip Hop was legendary and who knows what would have happened if Deep Cover was never created. In this installment of Hip Hop 101, we will celebrate how the west was won by honoring Deep Cover as the west coast catalyst for supreme dominance in the G funk Era. Here are the lyrics and video to enjoy! Thanks for reading. PLEASE LEAVE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND OPINIONS! I would love to hear what you have to say about this post. Agree? Disagree? Let me read your thoughts.




"Deep Cover"
(feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg)

[Verse One: Dr. Dre]

"I Can Feel It" Sample

Tonight's the night I get in some shit, (Yeah)
Deep cover on the incognito tip.
Killin' motherfuckers if I have to,
Peelin' caps too, cause you niggas know I'm comin' at you.
I guess thats part of the game,
But I feel for the nigger who thinks he just gonna come and chance things
With the swiftness, so get it right, with the quickness,
And let me handle my business, yo.
I'm on a mission and my mission won't stop
Until I get the nigger maxin at the top.
I hope you get his ass before he drops.
Kingpin kickin back while his workers sling his rocks.
Coming up like a fat rat.
Big money, big cars, big body guards on his back.
So it's difficult to get him.
But I got the hook up with somebody who knows how to get in contact with
him.
Hit him like this and like that,
Let 'em know that I'll make it for a big fat dope sack
What is this pen? so let's rush it.
If you want to handle it tonight we'll discuss it
On the nigga's time, in the nigga's place,
Take a strap just in case one of his boys recognise my face.
Cause he's a sheisty motherfucker,
But I gives a fuck, cause I'm going deep cover.

[Chorus: Dr. Dre (Snoop Doggy Dogg)]

Yeah, and you don't stop (cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop)
Yeah, and you don't stop (cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop)

[Verse Two: Snoop Doggy Dogg]

Creep with me as I crawl through the hood,
Maniac, lunatic, call 'em Snoop Eastwood
Kickin dust as I bust fuck peace
And, the mothafuckin drug police
You already know I gives a fuck about a cop
So why in the fuck would you think that it would stop
Plot, yeah, that's what we's about to do
Take your ass on a mission with the boys in blue
Dre, (whatup, Snoop) yo I got the feelin
Tonight's the night like Betty Wright, and I'm chillin
Killin, feelin, no remorse, yeah
So lets go straight to the motherfuckin' source
And see what we can find
Crooked ass cops that be gettin niggaz a gang of times
And now they wanna make a deal with me
Scoop me up and put me on they team and chill with me
And make my pockets bigger
They want to meet with me tonight at 7:00, so whassup nigger?
What you wanna do? (What you wanna do?)
I got the gauge, a uzi and the mothafuckin 22
so if you wanna blast, nigga we can buck 'em
If we stick 'em then we stuck 'em so fuck 'em!"

[Chorus: Dr. Dre (Snoop Doggy Dogg)]

Yeah, and you don't stop (cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop)
Yeah, and you don't stop (cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop)

[Verse Three: Snoop Doggy Dogg]

Six fo' five was the time on the clock,
When me and my homey bailed in the parking lot.
The scene looked strange and it felt like a set up
Better not be, cause if it is, they're getting lit up.
Oh here they come from the back and they laxed.
I'm checkin for the gats they strap, so whats up black?
Chill, lets hit a deal,
if it aint up to what you feel then grab your steel.
Right, so, what you motherfuckers gonna come at me with?
Hope you ain't wantin' none of my grip.
Cause you can save that shit. Guess what they told me?
'We give you 20 G's if you snitch on your homey,
We'll put you in a home, and make your life plush,
Oh yeah, but you got to sell dope for us."
Hmmm, let me think about it
Turned my back and grabbed my gat and guess what I told him before I shot
it:
'If you don't quit, yeah, if you don't stop, yeah, I'm lettin' my gat pop'
Cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop

[Chorus: Dr. Dre (Snoop Doggy Dogg)]

Yeah, and you don't stop (cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop)
Yeah, and you don't stop (cause it's 1-8-7 on an undercover cop)