Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of West Coast Rap Pioneers

A monumental, revealing narrative history uncovers the legendary group of artists at the forefront of West Coast hip-hop: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur. Amid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality, this unlikely group of voices cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles, giving a voice to disenfranchised African Americans across the country and quickly redefining pop culture worldwide.

Led by a drug dealer, a glammed-up producer, and a high school kid, the group known as N.W.A. saw their names remain as popular as ever: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Dre soon joined forces with Suge Knight to create the combustible Death Row Records, which in turn transformed Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur into superstars.

Ben Westhoff's exploration reveals how this group of artists shifted the balance of hip-hop from New York to Los Angeles, leading to rivalries between members, record labels, and eventually a war between East Coast and West Coast factions. In the process, hip-hop burst into mainstream America at a time of immense social change, becoming the most dominant musical movement of the last thirty years.

At gangsta rap's peak, two of its biggest names—Tupac and Biggie Smalls—were murdered, leaving the surviving artists to forge peace before the genre annihilated itself. Featuring extensive investigative reporting, interviews with the principal players, and dozens of never-before-told stories, Original Gangstas is a groundbreaking addition to the history of popular music.

Westhoff's work is described as "raw, authoritative, and unflinching" by Kirkus, who also praised it as "an elaborately detailed, darkly surprising, definitive history of the LA gangsta rap era." This monumental narrative delves into the legendary group of artists who cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles, giving voice to the disenfranchised and forever reshaping the landscape of hip-hop and popular culture.

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