Because a lot of people instantly think gangsta rap when they think of the California rap scene, I had to hit you with some different as soon as the second installment of these Cali Nation series.
As I stated in Cali Nation I, that place is a land of many things and from the Hieroglyphics to Anticon thru Jurassic 5 to L.A Symphony among others, Killa Cali always had a great underground scene, away from the gun packing gangsta rappers, some were just backpacking...
This is what we’ll go into with this second part. But careful, though, I’m not even caressing the vast topic that is « underground hip-hop » in that enormous state, and it would be hard to.
I wanted to start easy, and actually, when i start thinking of this one, I didn't need to do a lot of brainstorming or to go through a lot of my collection to come up with something. The first few records that came to my mind had so much heat that I was able to do a good lil playlist with a little crop of artists and their few first LPs.
I really kept it concise with a somewhat heavy Hiero orientated compilation, and it is kind of logical, the crew being the pioneer it is in that field, and on that land.
If the gangsta conscious style of a guy like Kam was making some noise, Cube's cousin, Del, and his team, with boom bap/backpack type music, we were more accustomed to hear from their east coast counterparts, really showed another side of California.
Del's debut, 1991's I Wish George Was Here, and its even better follow-up second effort '93's No Need For Alarm, really caught a lot of ears worldwide, and helped opening doors for a lot of Cali artists straying away from the gangsta mold.
So you know, I had to feature a bunch of them on this one, and I did it with Casual, Extra Profilic and of course, Souls Of Mischief who had the biggest hit of them all with the timeless bomb '93 Til Infinity.
Del's debut, 1991's I Wish George Was Here, and its even better follow-up second effort '93's No Need For Alarm, really caught a lot of ears worldwide, and helped opening doors for a lot of Cali artists straying away from the gangsta mold.
So you know, I had to feature a bunch of them on this one, and I did it with Casual, Extra Profilic and of course, Souls Of Mischief who had the biggest hit of them all with the timeless bomb '93 Til Infinity.
Couldn't just talk about the Hiero (will soon, though!), so I've also added some of the dopest cuts from some of my favorites underground Cali rappers, Saafir and Defari, two guys that really crafted some excellent albums in those days that you can now classify in the classic section.
And I have to mention Paris too. The Bay Area MC who is probably the most hardcore conscious rapper from that region, and easily beyond that, because he is simply another really important figure of that other Cali.
And I have to mention Paris too. The Bay Area MC who is probably the most hardcore conscious rapper from that region, and easily beyond that, because he is simply another really important figure of that other Cali.
Yep, it's not all about smoking trees and riding lolos in the west. If you forgot (or don't know), we're here to remind y’all with a dope hour mix of underground Cali Hip-Hop. Get into it!
Cali Nation II Tracklist
- Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Sleepin’ On My Couch
- Yomo & Maulkie - Mama Don’t
- Clever Jeff - Late Night Tip
- Paris - Wretched
- Souls Of Mischief - Rock Like That
- The Nonce - Keep It On
- Saafir - Light Sleeper
- Kam - Hang Um High
- Extra Polific - Now What Ft Opio
- Defari - Likwit Connection Ft Tha Alkaholiks, Xzibit & Phil Da Agony
- Blak Forest - Don’t Drink The Waterde
- Defari - Focused Daily
- The Nonce - The West Is…
- Extra Prolific - One Motion
- Del Tha Funky Homosapien - Miles To Go
- Casual - We Got It Like That
- Saafir - Can-U-Feel-Me?
- Souls Of Mischief - ’93 ’Til Infinity
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