West Coast sound

West Coast sound refers to styles of popular music associated with California, particularly Los Angeles.

In jazz, it describes the cool, relaxed style that emerged in the 1950s—lighter and more arranged than East Coast bebop.

In hip-hop, it means the funk-influenced, bass-heavy production pioneered by artists like Dr.

Dre in the late 1980s and 1990s: That track has a classic West Coast sound.

The term shifts meaning depending on genre and era.