Ice-T - Westside (2002)

It's often said that the United States of America is not a nation in the pure sense of the word - more of a loose federation of 51 states, each differing vastly in culture, attitude and traditions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in hip hop, which during the last twenty years has evolved into four distinct sub-scenes (the East and West coasts, the South and the Miami sound) each with their own beats, slang, style of dress and code of behaviour.
East coast hip hop, with its spiritual roots in New York, veers towards the edgy, the frenetic and the complex, mirroring the city itself. Southern hip hop tends to be more musical. Its sing-song style echoing the expressive blues sound that part of the country is famous for. Miami bass, with its emphasis on high octane booty shakin’, perfectly suits the sexual energy of the party resort it takes its name from.
Contrary to popular belief, the west coast sound cannot be simply defined by the menace of gangsta rap. Sure, Ice-T put gangsta rap firmly on the musical map. But as the scene slowly evolved and found a voice of its own, it became increasingly difficult to pigeonhole.
If New York is the capital of the East, then Los Angeles (and its adjoining Bay Area) is the main hub of hip hop activity along the western peninsula - a huge, sprawling metropolis where the sun always shines and no-one bar the weirdos and the bums take the sidewalk. Like New York, the city of Angels harboured a thriving hip hop community long before the music was transferred onto vinyl - particularly the areas around Watts and Compton in the South Central district - which proved to be fertile breeding grounds for a whole generation of rappers... (From Liner Notes)