Everybody talks about Gangsta Rap. It was shocking, brutal and revolutionary. It was also the launching pad for some of the biggest names in hip-hop. It gave a voice to a minority that drowned out the sounds of police sirens and mainstream criticism... But the story didn't stop after NWA disbanded - that's was just the beginning. West Coast hip hop, against all odds, had found popularity far and wide, and once social and political tensions eased-off, it was time to get funky. This book details, for the first time, the style born from the collision of two proceeding genres; Gangsta Rap and P-Funk. The result was unlike anything heard before: G-Funk - music for the whole world to smoke to, ride to, dance to and bounce to. From 1992, with an incredible amount of young talent coming out of Long Beach, hip-hop would change forever. This book details the evolution of West Coast hip-hop and explores how the G-Funk sound developed, starting with The Bay Area style called "Oaktown Funk", moving down into Compton where the trademark synthesizers and tales of crime became popular, and finally into Long Beach where an slick young collective known as Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips were eager to find success - and Death Row Records proved to be the ideal place to make dreams a reality. There are album reviews throughout, and each chapter has it's own playlist for a more interactive and sonic experience.