The West Coast Top 10

Over here at TRC, we do not discriminate by geographical borders. So we are starting a little segment, where we will break down the top 10 "rappers" from each region. They could be brand new, be in the "game" for a few years, or have maybe resurrected their careers, in a "new" way now. We will start with THE WEST COAST.

10. Problem
- Mostly known for his chorus ability("Function"), Problem has been "doing his thing now for a while", but has received national acclaim due to the likes of E-40 and IamSu. He's not only a chorus painter, he can make songs. Check out "T.O.". I see a big boost in Problem's status by next summer.

9. IamSu
- Although his career has been marked with "style stealing" and even song biting, until any of that is proven, SU remains the top new comer coming out of the bay. His national spotlight was lit on the summer smash "beat the pussy up", and for his work on the original version of "Function". Laid back, smooth, Su looks to make big moves this winter. His records are played from oakland to frisco, san jose to santa clara, and back. As his image creeps down california, i assume the same to reach the national market.

8. Young L
-Yes, L has been on the national stage since around 2006. After the incredibly odd break up of The Pack(which is still not really official), The B-Town boy of course was working on solo music. But what put him over the top in 2012 was his clothing line: Pink Dolphin. Working his ass off since around 2007 to get the clothing line to make a spark. It did. The first big endorsement was probably Chris Brown wearing the clothing in the Big Sean music video last summer. PD is so big, you rarely even see him wearing the clothing line. His music videos are intense, and his production is probably his best value. While Lil B's aura has dipped a little, it seems like Young L's stays at the same, even keel line the whole time.

7. Kreayshawn
-OK, her album didn't sell too well. But I guarantee, five years from now...Every one(girl or boy) will be trying to re create the sound/image that she made for herself. I look for her to bounce back heavy this winter.

6. Mistah F.A.B.
- He's Back! After focusing on being a father, and essentially "finding" himself, mistah F.A.B. has returned. He plans on releasing a new tape that is more congressional towards his "old sound", but the "new" F.A.B. seems to be a little more, well, different than before. After going sober, his music obviously had to change. Personally, I am a fan of his earlier work, but can't deny the emotions he evokes in his new work. Look for a major splash from F.A.B. in early 2013.

5. Lil Debbie
- New records with Riff Raff, Dolla Bill Gates, and V Nasty have started to make a mark for the once "twin" of kreay kreay. As far as her future musical plans, they seem to be more under wraps. I am interested to see where this year takes her. Will she just smash through guest verses("I Gotta Ball") , or create her own more solo type image("Squirt")?

4. E-40
- Come back of the year?! Not really, he's always been consistent. But it's been a few years since we've seen him on this national of a scene(Back to the Lil Jon days). Records with Chris Brown, French Montana, 2Chainz, and a bunch of others have helped kiddos remember where their favorite rappers got they lingo from.

3. VNasty
- "BITCH I GOTTA BALL!" she screams on her latest single. Like Debbie, her upcoming plans seem to be kept a secret, which I am taking as a good thing lol. It seems like every one from the bay moves to L.A., and hooking up with Dirt Nasty's crew has kind of given her a new fan base. Look for nasty to cross genres in 2013.

2. Nipsey Hussle
- This guy's also been around for a "while", but never quite got there nationally. Some say it's east coast bias, others say it's a lack of conformity to reach the "masses". Either way, the mixtape he did with Y.G. is glorious, and his guest verses(for maybach music and others) have been almost flawless. SO CAL.

1. Y.G.
- 4 HUNNIIIDDD! Sorry, I just had to. Jumping on the scene a few years back with "Toot it & Boot It", I don't think the world knew what to expect from Y.G. Well now we do. "I'm a Thug" might be the "street" song of the year...STILL. "Grindmode" is undeniable. But what makes Y.G. a favorite at TRC, is his ability to switch up his flow on any given beat. Some artists can bore you, with the same flow on every single song. I feel like Y.G. makes a point to switch it up whenever.


Well there you have it, TRC's top 10 favorite "Rappers". We will be installing the next segment: "The Midwest" next week.
- Lauren, TRC staff