Yay Area

Being from Northern California or better yet, “NorCal,” I find that it’s only fitting that I dedicate my first post to a genre of music that originated from my part of the Golden State. Cities in this part of NorCal include San Francisco, Vallejo, San Jose, Oakland, Sausalito, Daly City, Berkely, Palo Alto, and Richmond. This type of music I’m talking about is Bay Area hip hop. There are a lot of terms related to this type of hip hop such as stupid, dumb and hyphy, Yay Area and the thizz face. Much of Bay Area hip hop has to do with partying, having fun, and of course, weed. This is like a lot of rap music, but the Bay Area has their own renowned style. What “Crunk” is to Lil Jon and the South, “Hyphy” is to the Bay. Many legends have surfaced from the Bay Area. This includes E-40, Mac Dre, Andre Nickatina, Keak Da Sneak, Traxamillion, Mistah F.A.B. and Too $hort. Even Tupac lived in Northern California throughout high school.

Listening to Bay Area music was one of my first introductions to hip hop and rap, so I have come up with a playlist that contain some of the necessary Yay tracks for those who are unfamiliar with this music:

1.    Blow the Whistle - Too $hort

2.    Get Stupid - Mac Dre

3.    Go Hard or Go Home (f/ Federation) - E-40

4.    Hands Up - Erk Tha Jerk

5.    I Got 5 On It (Remix f/ E-40, Dru Down Digital Underground, Richie Rich, Too $hort & Spice 1) - The Luniz

6.    I Wear My Stunna Glasses - Federation

7.    I'm On One - The Team

8.    It's Getting Hot In Here (Remix) - The Team

9.    Bottles Up - The Team

10. San Francisco Anthem - Traxamillion

11. Sideshow (f/ Too $hort & Mistah F.A.B.) - Traxamillion

12. Tell Me When to Go - E-40

13. That Go - Keak Da Sneak

14. Thizzelle Dance - Mac Dre

15. Up - LoveRance

16. Vans - The Pack

17. Yay Area - E-40

18. Yeah (f/ Messy Marv) - Andre Nickatina

19. 4AM-Bay Bridge Music - Andre Nickatina

20. 18 Dummy - Federation

21. Ghost Ride It - Mistah F.A.B.

22. Fast (Like a Nascar) [f/ Keak Da Sneak] - Kafani

23. Ayo for Yayo - Andre Nickatina

Now, Bay Area hip hop goes much deeper than this. Many of these tracks are the more popular dance/party songs that help newbies get associated with the Yay’s unique sound. And many of these are more recent.

If you listen to more Too $hort, E-40, and Mac Dre, you’ll be able to get more into the old school rap that started it all. Other old school rap artists/groups from the Bay Area include N2Deep, Souls of Mischief, The Conscious Daughters, and Saafir. You might also appreciate other artists such as The Jacka, San Quinn, and Messy Marv, which are less mainstream, but all legends in their own right.

My personal favorites from this list are:

That Go – Keak Da Sneak

I’m On One – The Team

Yeah (f/ Messy Marv) – Andre Nickatina

I never get tired of listening to those songs and they are the top played on my Ipod. Their beats scream Bay Area and I can never keep my body still when they come on. And I’ve never failed to get other people movin right along with me with these songs.

The most popular song on the list is probably “I Got 5 On It (Remix)” by The Luniz. It is often considered one of the greatest Bay Area hip hop songs of all time and I would probably agree. Every time I hear the beginning to that song, I immediately know what song it is and think of home. Not to mention it features a star studded cast of Bay Area greats on the track.

So I hope you check out the tracks on the list and enjoy them because I definitely do. And next time you’re in NorCal, you’ll know a little more about the culture and what people are listening to.