Madlib & Freddie Gibbs have made one of 2019's best Hip-Hop albums in the form of Bandana. The Keep Cool/RCA Records album is a benchmark release in both artists' discography. While Gangsta Gibbs' journey dates back to the mid-2000s, Madlib's credits date back more than 25 years. In 1993, Madlib's... Read more

When West Coast vets are being discussed, King T’s name does not come up nearly enough. The Compton, California native released a robust major label debut, Act A Fool, in late 1988. This puts him in scarce company indeed, as Ice-T’s essential first album Rhyme Pays had dropped only a... Read more

In many ways, Tha Alkaholiks were a critical, often overlooked part of the 1990s West Coast Underground movement. Acts like Freestyle Fellowship, Hieroglyphics, and The Pharcyde were instrumental forces—unifying multiple MCs, groups, and styles in a didactic, soulful sound that was distinctly California. However, in L.A., E-Swift, J-Ro, and Katashtrophe... Read more