The Bay Area Essentials: The 80s
So u/Xaamy was askin if I could do an Essentials for The Bay Area and I went to get the help of u/DatBasedGod and u/D-Noch (between us 3 we been listening and following the Bay Area Hip Hop scene for well over 20 years) and we hashed out a list for the 80s and 90s. We will work on the 00s after we complete the 90s, but for now here go the crack era. Each album title is a link to where you can find out more or buy the shit.
All these tapes had a huge, undeniable influence on The Bay Area Hip Hop scene.
THE 80S
MC Hammer - Feel My Power 1987 by u/Gift2Gab
This was when Hammer was just a local nigga from East Oakland that worked at The Coliseum and sold tapes out his car. With the help of the Oakland A's Dwayne Murphy & Mike Davis, Hammer started his own record label released this debut album and Hammer sold it to anyone willing to buy. "Ring 'Em" became hot as fuck at clubs in The Bay and word started spreadin quick especially since Hammer went ALL OUT with his performances. A few of these tracks made it to his major label debut. Had to put this tape on the essentials since it's the very first glimpse of something that was goin to take the world by storm.
Highlights:
Action Packed Gangsters - Crew On The Rise 1989 by u/D-Noch
Action Packed Gangsters, also known as A.P.G. was an early rap group out of Oakland. APG consists of Marlon “M.C. Mello Mar” Blackwell, Jimmy “J-Cutt” Robinson, DJ Pause and DJ Red Slice. They were signed to Metro Records and Yo! Records. They came together in 1989 to release their first album On The Rise, and then released Oaktowns Finest in 1991. A.P.G. along with 415 were some of earliest crews bridging the gap between hip-hop and what would eventually become mob music. After a seven year hiatus, the group released its third and final album, See The Light on Metro Records.
Highlights:
The Mac – The Game Is Thick 1988 by u/DatBasedGod
“Staying money motivated with thoughts of Mike Robinson and DJ Cease…” Coming outta Vallejo, the Mac released the Game is Thick in 88 and enuff of tis shit in 90’ before his life was cut short tragically in 91’. The biggest legacy the man left was being the mentor to Mac Dre and a major influence on his music. The Game Is Thick contains 4 tracks plus an instrumental of one of them. All songs were produced by Khayree.
Recommended Tracks
I.M.P (Ill Mannered Posse) – No Prisoners 1989 - by u/DatBasedGod
Coming outta the SCO, I.M.P(ill mannered posse) consisted of DJ’s Rob V and Stingy, with rappers Cougnut, C-Fresh, and Lou-E-Lou, first linking up in 1989 and releasing the four track EP No Prisoners. The biggest track off this was Scandlous, which would later be put on their debut album release “Back In The Days”
Recommended Tracks
One of frisco’s earliest hardcore gangsta rap tapes still goes hard to this day
Mac Dre - Young Black Brotha EP 1989 by u/Gift2Gab
"Before Snoop Dogg, Biggie and Pac, it was Mac Dre and he ran with The Romp.. It was California Livin and The Bay was home, and that was way before E-40 was on"
Mac Dre's first ever tape was a huge hit in Vallejo. With production from Khayree this tape fuckin slapped and Dre really showed off his skills on the title track. Crazy cus he was only 18 when he recorded this. This tape, along with the Romper Room robberies, pushed Mac Dre to bein one of the hottest rappers in The Bay.
"Cold rhymer, big timer, you can search but I'll doubt you'll find a nother MC like me the A the N the D the R the E, straight Mac man never will I love a ho.. a lil hard but a fly young brotha tho"
Full Tape:
Hugh E.M.C. - Gangsta Knowldege 1989-90 by u/Gift2Gab
This tape was officially released in 1990 but a few of the tracks been floatin around since the 80s so this goin under the 80s cus fuck it. Another Bay legend that will make you go, who?? Hugh EMC came outta Fillmoe in the 80s with pimp raps, a subject Fillmoe was famous for. He was Frisco's Too $hort pretty much and he influenced damn near every Frisco rapper that came after him. If you ever heard Messy Marv shout "Keep a bitch broke, keep keep a bitch broke" that's a shoutout to Hugh EMC's classic "H Niggas Groove" off this tape. Infact Mess, and a lot of Frisco rappers, used lines from this track all the time.
Just like the title of the tape says, Hugh EMC dropped gangsta knowledge on his tracks. Straight uncut game. He's considered The Godfather of Frisco rap for a reason.
Full tape:
BayUndaground interview with Hugh EMC
Represent The Bay TV Interview with Hugh EMC
Too Short – Life Is Too Short 1988 by u/DatBasedGod
Born in LA, raised in the town, short dog is a pioneer of west coast hip hop. Released in 1988, Life Is…Too $hort is Too $hort’s most successful commercial and considered by many to be his best. It would go on to be certified double platinum and be the first rap album from the bay area to sell a million copies. Everything that is great about Too $hort is captured on this album. Raunchy explicit lyrics backed by real funky beats make it stand the test of time. This is a classic west coast rap album and Too $hort’s influence can still be felt today in the rap game.
Recommended Tracks:
Title track, great opener.
Beat on this is so funky. His voice sounds crazy on it and the lyrics are on point.
Too short raps about Nancy Reagan sucking his dick, enough said.
Too $hort - Born To Mack 1987 by u/Gift2Gab
$hort Dogg's Jive debut (Jive re-released it in 1988 but the album was alread out in The Bay in 87), Born To Mack is an all time classic. "Freaky Tales" blew the fuck up in hoods all over the country. The funky bass beats and $hort's dirty raps were a major hit and brought $hort, who was already well known in Cali, to a national stage. You never met a playa like $hort baby...
Just listen to the whole damn album like it was spose to be heard.
415 - 41Fivin 1988 by u/Gift2Gab
Straight outta Oakland, 415 (named after the area code for Oakland & SF before Oakland became 510) hit the streets hard. The group was Richie Rich, D-Loc and their producer DJ Daryl (who produced for Tupac and went on to work for No Limit Records and produced alot of their shit) and their debut album "41Fivin" was some hard gangsta shit for the 80s. The influence this album and group had even stretched down to SoCal where it influenced a young Snoop Dogg to want to rap like Richie Rich. "Sideshow" was the anthem on this album, a major street hit, the track was an anthem for the infamous East Oakland sideshows. 415 helped pave the way for gangsta rappers out in The Bay with this release.
Highlights:
Posted Apr 11, 2014, 8:44 PM UTC · edited