East Coast Vs West Coast Rappers List

East Coast Rappers List includes 1. The Notorious B.I.G 2. Nas 3. Wu-Tang Clan and more.

Here are some of the biggest rappers based in New York, who were heavily involved in the rivalry.

• The Notorious B.I.G
• Nas
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Puff Daddy
• Beastie Boys
• Tim Dog
• Uncle Luke
• Craig Mack
• LL Cool J

Nas

Nasty Nas is a New York-based rapper, who emerged at the top hip-hop scene amid inter-coast rivalry. He is regarded as one of the most influential rappers.

Never backing down from a beef, Nas rose to prominence with his notorious diss tracks and constant feuds with other rappers, battling with renowned artists Jay-Z, Tupac, Young Jeezy, and Cam'ron throughout the years.

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu burst into the scene in the early 1990s and features some of the iconic rap talents in the industry.

Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rap acts, the band helped popularize the East Coast hip-hop scene with its iconic style and hard-hitting lyrics.

Puff Daddy

Born Sean Combs, Puff Daddy is a talented Rap mogul and the founder of Bad Boy Records. He is widely known for nurturing artists like Biggie, Mary J. Blige, and Usher.

While his debut studio album, No Way Out, only came out during the end of the New York vs Los Angeles turf rivalry, he played a vital role in igniting the feud.

Rappers From The West Coast include 1. Tupac Shakur 2. Dr. Dre 3. Eazy-E and more.

• Tupac Shakur
• Dr. Dre
• Eazy-E
• Ice Cube
• Snoop Dogg
• The D.O.C

Dr. Dre

Dre is a legendary rapper and record producer who found fame with the seminal group N.W.A., known for their explicit lyrics.

Dre played a pivotal role in shaping the West Coast sound and is widely known for his debut album, The Chronic, his production skills, and the founding of Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment.

Eazy E

Dubbed "Godfather of Gangsta Rap", Eazy-E is a pioneering rapper and co-founder of N.W.A, who propelled the West Coast rap scene into the mainstream. 

Ice Cube

Bron O'Shea Jackson, Ice Cube is a highly influential rapper, singer, and actor who rose to prominence with N.W.A. in the late 1980s.

Known for his unapologetic and politically charged lyrics, Cube's songs often tackled themes of racial segregation, police brutality, and social injustice.

East Coast West Coast Rivalry was a conflict surrounding the musical artists from the East and West Coast hip-hop scenes in the US from the 1990s.

Though Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G became the focal point of the rivalry, the feud started even before the two artists hit the scene.

The rivalry began in the late 1980s and was primarily between the East Coast centered around New York and the West Coast hip-hop scene centered around Los Angeles.

As New York was considered the birthplace of hip-hop culture and music, New York rappers were often perceived as superior to their west coast counterparts.

The artists from L.A. felt they weren't given enough media coverage and public attention, and had developed an inferiority complex.

Tim Dog and Dr. Dre Label

In the early 1990s, the feud was ignited when East Coast Bronx rapper Tim Dog dissed several of the N.W.A. members with a song entitled "F**k Compton" from his album Penicillin on Wax.

The following year, Dr. Dre would retaliate with his debut studio album, The Chronic. The tracks in the album were deemed offensive by several New York-based rappers. Thus, initiating a chain of disses that was exchanged back and forth among several artists.

Tupac and Biggie Beef

The drama skyrocketed in the mid-1990s when New York-born Californian rapper Tupac Shakur, was shot five times.

Shakur, who was in the middle of an assault allegation suspected it to be the work of his old friend Biggie.

What didn't help was the release of Biggie's new song "Who Shot Ya" just 3 months following the incident, which he claimed was recorded before the happening and wasn't targeted upon Shakur.

Betrayed by his former mate, Pac was furious, prompting him to release "Hit Em Up" which contained vicious insults aimed at B.I.G and his crew.

Unfortunately, on September 7, 1996, Shakur was fatally injured in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas by the South Side Compton Crips gang.

Six months after Tupac's murder, Biggie was also a victim of a drive-by-shooting by an unknown assailant in Los Angeles and died at the crime scene.

While both cases remain a mystery, fans, and industry veterans believed the feud is to blame. In an interview, Soren Baker, author of History of Rap and Hip Hop stated:

It’s not just entertainment anymore, It became real life and the line between reality and entertainment blurred.

Is The Beef Over? No, the beef between the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes still resonates to this day, as per Soren Baker.

Following the death of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs held a press conference where they called for an end to the East Coast - West Coast beef that had claimed the lives of many aspiring artists.

They were unsuccessful, though, as less than a month later, Biggie was killed in a similar incident in Los Angeles.

Over time, the intensity of the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry has diminished. While regional differences and preferences still exist, the violent aspect of the feud has been put to rest.

As of now, the hip-hop scene has become more collaborative, with artists from both coasts frequently collaborating and touring together.

Having said that, it is important to remember that cultural rivalries and preferences can always resurface in different forms or in response to new circumstances.

Who Is The Goat Of Rap? According to Complex magazine, the Greatest Rapper of All Time since the 1990s are 1. Ice Cube 2. Q-Tip 3. Redman and more.

As with any other sports and entertainment sector, the key element of becoming the greatest rapper is consistency, which is very hard to maintain in the hip-hop scene.

As the industry is constantly evolving, artists have a hard time staying at the top of their game, but here are some of the iconic rappers who shun in the spotlight during their peak years.

However, there's no denying that most of the rappers of the 90s largely benefitted from the East Coast-West Coast beef which boosted their popularity in an unprecedented manner.

• 1990 - Ice Cube
• 1991 - Q-Tip
• 1992 - Redman
• 1993 - Snoop Doggy Dogg
• 1994 - Nas
• 1995 - The Notorious B.I.G
• 1996 - Tupac
• 1997 - The Notorious B.I.G
• 1998 - DMX
• 1999 - Jay-Z