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Before N.W.A. took the nation by storm and shook up the industry, there was an active Hip Hop scene on the West Coast. As early as 1965, the Watts Prophets fused Jazz and Spoken Word to create music similar to the Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron. As Hip Hop made its way to the West Coast, DJ, dance, and graffiti crews quickly formed and much like New York, the DJs were the main attraction.
The first crew to gain a momentum was L.A.’s Uncle Jamm’s Army, named after Funkadelic’s 1979 album, Uncle Jamm Wants You. Their all star lineup of DJs, including Rodger Clayton, Chris “The Glove” Taylor, and DJ Bobcat, were routinely selling out LA’s largest venues and toured with Run DMC. Many of the region’s early Hip Hop stars were part of the crew, including Egyptian Lover, Ice-T, and DJ Pooh.
The Bay Area scene was slower to develop their identity, although acts including Motorcycle Mike, Steve Walker, and Too Short emerged. They left their impact on the early stages of Hip Hop by developing the blueprint for independently selling tapes out of the trunk. Their hustle showed the regions outside of LA and New York City how to build a following and make money.
In this article, I will share five influential Hip Hop figures that shaped the region’s sound prior to N.W.A.
