Ice Cube People forget that before he was doing kids movies and jokey Hollywood roles, Ice Cube was the scariest rapper on the West Coast. Few can compare with the insight and attention to detail that Cube gave to his neighborhood and the societal ills that prevailed there. From 1990 to 1992, Ice Cube released three dark, powerful gangster rap albums that changed the landscape of hip-hop More than just a controversial gangsta rapper, Ice Cube was a powerful and evocative storyteller who was fed up by the violence and racism he saw in his neighborhood and in America. Snoop Dogg Snoop Dogg has remained one of the most consistent (and profitable) west coast rappers thanks to his image and his huge charisma. The success of his own reality show didn’t hurt to boost his record sales and his image either. No matter what Snoop is involved with it usually turns out to be a laid back success. One the most influential rappers with his trademark flow and now ubiquitous catch phrase suffix “-izzle”, Snoop is considered one of the elder statements of hip-hop and will go down in history as one of the greats. E-40 While he may have never achieved the amount of national success of someone like Ice Cube or Snoop Dogg, in California, and especially in the Bay Area, E-40 is the king. One of the leaders of the hyphy movement, known for its energetic music and ridiculous dance style, he is one of the spokesmen for the hyphy movement and lifestyle. E-40 has one of the most unique and distinctive voices in hip-hop. With several gold and platinum records under his belt no thanks to popular radio play, the influence and popularity of E-40 cannot be overstated. One popular trend from hyphy that infiltrated the mainstream was "ghostriding the whip" where you would hang out your car or on your Mustang hood while the car was still in drive.