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Westside Connection | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1995–2005 [1] [2] |
| Labels | |
| Past members | Ice Cube Mack 10 WC |
Westside Connection was an American hip-hop supergroup formed by Ice Cube, Mack 10 and WC. [3] The group's debut album, Bow Down , reached the number 2 position on the Billboard 200 in 1996, going platinum that year.
Westside Connection began performing together in 1995, appearing on Mack 10's self-titled debut album, Mack 10 , on the song "Westside Slaughterhouse". A few months later, the group again joined forces, this time appearing on WC's album, Curb Servin' , on the song "West Up!". It was around this time the group began work on their debut album, Bow Down , which was released October 22, 1996. [3]
Individually, Mack 10, WC and Ice Cube continued working on solo projects in between group albums. Together, as Westside Connection, they produced several songs released on film soundtracks and compilations including "Bangin'" (from West Coast Bad Boyz II ), "Let It Reign" (from Thicker than Water ) and "It's the Holidaze" (from Friday After Next ).
On December 9, 2003, the group released their second album, Terrorist Threats , preceded by the lead single "Gangsta Nation", produced by Fredwreck and featuring Nate Dogg.
Mack 10 quit the group in 2005 due to a conflict with Ice Cube, and Westside Connection subsequently disbanded. [4] However, Ice Cube and WC continued to collaborate, having since appeared on each other's albums.
In 2008, HipHopDX reported that Ice Cube and WC were planning to relaunch the Westside Connection project, with The Game being proposed as Mack 10's replacement (having appeared with WC on Ice Cube's album Raw Footage that same year), however the rumored relaunch never came to fruition. [5] In an interview with VladTV in 2020, Mack 10 commented in retrospect that any reunion without his involvement would still require his being paid, as he owns the trademark on the group's name, due to their second album being released through his record label. [6]
In 2023, Ice Cube denied a possible reunion despite Mack 10’s previous comments. [7]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [8] | US R&B | AUS [9] | CAN [10] | |||
| Bow Down | 2 | 1 | — | 45 | ||
| Terrorist Threats |
| 16 | 3 | 62 | 40 | |
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Best of Westside Connection: The Gangsta, The Killa & The Dope Dealer |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | AUS [9] | |||
| "Bow Down" | 1996 | 21 | 19 | 1 | — | Bow Down |
| "Gangstas Make the World Go Round" | 40 | 30 | 10 | — | ||
| "It's the Holidaze" | 2002 | — | — | — | — | Friday After Next (soundtrack) |
| "Gangsta Nation" | 2003 | 33 | 22 | 9 | 66 | Terrorist Threats |
| "Concrete" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | ||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | |||
| "Irresistible" [14] (Mariah Carey featuring Westside Connection) | 2002 | 16 | - | - | Charmbracelet |
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Whatcha Gonna Do (Remix)" [15] (Jayo Felony featuring Redman, Mack 10 and WC) | 1998 | Non-album single |
| Title | Year | Other Performer(s) | Group performers | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Bangin'" [16] | 1997 | Master P | Mack 10, WC, Ice Cube | West Coast Bad Boyz II |
| "Westside Connect OG's" [17] | The Comrads, Allfrumtha I | Mack 10, WC, Ice Cube | The Comrads | |
| "Maniac in the Brainiac" [18] | 1998 | None | Ice Cube, Mack 10 | Bulworth (soundtrack) |
| "Dopest on da Planet" [19] | Squeak Ru | Mack 10, Ice Cube | Allfrumtha I | |
| "My Hoodlums & My Thugz" [20] | E-40 | WC, Mack 10 | The Element of Surprise | |
| "Cheddar" | — | WC, Mack 10 | The Shadiest One | |
| "Freestyle" [21] | Funkmaster Flex | Ice Cube, Mack 10 | The Mix Tape, Vol. 3: 60 Minutes of Funk (The Final Chapter) | |
| "Murderfest '99" [22] | 1999 | Road Dawgs, MC Eiht, Boo Kapone, Boobie | Mack 10, Ice Cube | Don't Be Saprize |
| "You Ain't Know" [22] | Road Dawgs, Young Pretty, Q.S. Bandit | Ice Cube, Mack 10 | ||
| "III tha Hood Way" [23] | MC Eiht | Ice Cube, Mack 10 | Section 8 | |
| "Callin' All Hogs" [24] | 2000 | Boo Kapone | Mack 10, WC | None |
| "Nobody" | Timbaland | Mack 10, WC | The Paper Route | |
| "Connected for Life" | 2001 | Butch Cassidy | Mack 10, WC | Bang or Ball |
| "Walk" | 2002 | — | WC, Mack 10 | Ghetto Heisman |
| "Lights Out" | 2003 | Knoc-Turn'al | Mack 10, WC | Ghetto, Gutter & Gangsta |
O'Shea Jackson Sr., known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic, often incorporated through samples or re-recordings. It is represented by commercially successful albums such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992) and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle (1993).
Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, C-Murder, Mia X, Westside Connection, and Ice-T. It also distributed hip hop record labels including Death Row Records, Hoo-Bangin' Records, No Limit Records, Posthuman Records, Rap-A-Lot Records, Rawkus Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, Ruthless Records Duck Down Records, and Wu-Tang Records. According to Billboard, "few record labels were as important to the rise of West Coast hip hop as Priority Records".
Anthony D. Wheaton, professionally known by his stage name Sir Jinx, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper from Los Angeles. He is a cousin of multi-platinum producer Dr. Dre. He began his career as a member of the C.I.A. in the mid-80s with Ice Cube and Kid Disaster. He produced tracks for the likes of Dazzie Dee, Westside Connection, Too Short, Yo-Yo, Tone Loc, Kool G Rap, CeCe Peniston, Xzibit and Kurupt among others, and also remixed songs for Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Toni Braxton.
William LaShawn Calhoun Jr., better known by his stage name WC, is an American rapper and actor. He originally was a rapper in the group Low Profile and later formed his group WC and the Maad Circle, who first succeeded with the single "Ain't A Damn Thang Changed". He later started a solo career and has released four solo albums. He is also well known for being a member of the rap supergroup Westside Connection with West Coast rappers Ice Cube and Mack 10.
Dedrick D'Mon Rolison, better known by his stage name Mack 10, is an American rapper. He has sold nearly 11 million records combining his solo and group works. Mack 10 made his first appearance on Ice Cube's 1994 Bootlegs & B-Sides compilation on the remixed track "What Can I Do?" and was a member of hip hop supergroup Westside Connection along with WC and Ice Cube. Mack 10 is also the creator of independent record label Hoo-Bangin' Records and made his stage name with the Ingram MAC-10 submachine gun.
Bow Down is the debut studio album by American West Coast hip hop supergroup Westside Connection. It was released on October 22, 1996, through Lench Mob Records and Priority Records. The recording sessions took place at Ice Cube's house studio, Westsiiiiide Studios, in California, except for the song "Gangstas Make the World Go Round", which was recorded at Treehouse Studios in South Africa. The production was handled by Bud'da, Quincy Jones III, Binky Mack, and Ice Cube, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Allfrumtha I and the Comrads.
Terrorist Threats is the second and final studio album by American West Coast hip hop supergroup Westside Connection. It was released on December 9, 2003 through Hoo-Bangin' Records and Capitol Records. Production was handled by Young Tre, Bruce Waynne, Dirty Swift, Pockets, Rashad Coes, Big Tank, Damizza, DJ Jamal, Fredwreck, Megahertz, Neff-U, and Sir Jinx, with Ice Cube and Mack 10 serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from K-Mac, Butch Cassidy, Young Soprano, Knoc-turn'al, Nate Dogg, Skoop Delania, and Keith David, who voiced the intro track "Threat to the World", and parts of "Potential Victims" and "Gangsta Nation". The album debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 136,000 copies sold in the US. It has since sold 679,000 records in the US and has been certified Gold by the RIAA on January 12, 2004.
Hoo-Bangin' Records is a record label founded by Dedrick "Mack 10" Rolison in 1996. Its name is derived from the namesake song by his group Westside Connection, which was released that same year. The label operated as an imprint of Priority and Capitol Records until 2000, and later Fontana Distribution after the label's 2011 re-launch.
I Got the Hook-Up is the soundtrack to Michael Martin's 1998 crime comedy film I Got the Hook-Up. It was released on April 7, 1998, through No Limit/Priority Records.
The Recipe is the third solo studio album by American rapper Mack 10. It was released October 6, 1998, via Hoo-Bangin'/Priority Records. Production was handled by Young Tre, Binky Mack, DJ U-Neek, Rhythm D, Rick "Dutch" Cousin, Slice, Clint "Mr. Payback" Sands, KLC, Snoop Dogg, and Mack 10 himself. It features guest appearances from Big Pun, Big Tray Deee, Boo Kapone, Buckshot, CJ Mac, Eazy-E, Fat Joe, Foxy Brown, Gerald Levert, Jayo Felony, Jermaine Dupri, Master P, MC Eiht, Mystikal, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Road Dawgs, Snoop Dogg, Techniec, Thump da Hooddwella, KoЯn, and all members of Allfrumtha I, The Comrads and Westside Connection.
Based on a True Story is the second solo studio album by American rapper Mack 10. It was released on September 16, 1997, through Priority Records. The album was produced by Ant Banks, Binky Mack, DJ Bobcat, Young Tre, Ice Cube, Soopafly, and Mack 10. It features guest appearances from Ice Cube, Allfrumtha I, E-40, Snoop Dogg, the Comrads, and Too $hort. The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 21, 1997.
Stephen Anderson, better known as Bud'da, is an American producer, songwriter, composer and rapper for artists such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Xzibit and Aaliyah. Through the successful Westside Connection stint, and the mutual acquaintance of fellow Pittsburgh producer Sam Sneed, Dr. Dre wanted to feature snippets of a Bud’da-produced track in the beginning and end of the 2pac & Dr. Dre video for “California Love,” off Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me. Soon after Dr. Dre’s historic departure from Death Row Records, Bud’da was once again recruited by Dr. Dre to co-produce the lead single "Been There, Done That" off the Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album.
Craig A. Miller, better known by his stage name Kam, is an American rapper known primarily among hip hop fans and music critics during the 1990s and early 2000s.
"Gangsta Nation" is a song by American West Coast hip hop/gangsta rap supergroup Westside Connection featuring Nate Dogg. It was released on October 14, 2003 via Priority Records as the only single from the group's second studio album Terrorist Threats. Written by all the three members, Ice Cube, Mack 10 and WC, as well as Nate Dogg and Fredwreck, it was produced by the latter. Mike Epps made a cameo appearance in the music video, which was directed by Dave Meyers.
Straight Outta Compton: N.W.A 10th Anniversary Tribute is a tribute album to the American Compton-based hip hop group N.W.A, released through Priority Records in 1998 on the tenth anniversary of the group's debut studio album Straight Outta Compton. It is composed of twelve of the thirteen songs in the order identical to the original, covered by N.W.A. members' affiliates, such as Ice Cube's Westside Connection groupmates WC and Mack 10 along with Hoo-Bangin' Records labelmates Allfrumtha I, Boo Kapone, MC Eiht and The Comrads, Eazy-E's protégés Gangsta Dresta and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and Dr. Dre's long time partner Snoop Dogg with Snoop's allies C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker, and Aftermath Ent. signee King Tee, as well as several other fellow rappers, including Ant Banks, Jayo Felony, J Dubb, Mr. Mike, Big Pun, Cuban Link and Fat Joe. Production was mostly handled by Ant Banks, as well as Craig B. of Beats by the Pound, Krayzie Bone, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, with Andrew M. Shack and Marvin Watkins served as executive producers. The album peaked at number 142 on the Billboard 200 and 31 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. Music video was shot for the title track.
Darrell L. Johnson, also known as K-Dee, formerly Kid Disaster, is an American rapper most known for his album Ass, Gas, or Cash
Allfrumtha I was an American rap duo from Inglewood, California: Binky Mack and Squeak Ru. They first appeared together on Westside Connection's 1996 debut album, Bow Down. Before dropping their self-titled debut album on Priority Records in 1998, they appeared together on several Priority Records soundtracks and compilations, including: The Substitute, West Coast Bad Boyz II, Big Thangs, Gang Related, Straight Outta Compton: N.W.A 10th Anniversary Tribute, and Thicker Than Water.
AllFrumTha I is the debut studio album by American West Coast hip hop duo Allfrumtha I. It was released on April 21, 1998, through Priority Records. The production was handled by Allfrumtha I, Dâm-Funk and Rick "Dutch" Cousin, with Mack 10 serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Mack 10, Boo Kapone, CJ Mac, Ice Cube, Road Dawgs, Soultre, the Comrads, and WC. The album peaked at number 168 on the Billboard 200, at number 6 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and at number 32 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
The Comrads is a self-titled debut studio album by American West Coast hip hop duo The Comrads. It was released on July 8, 1997 via Street Life Records. Production was handled by "Big Jessie" Willard, Young Tre, Bub, Binky Mack, Ant Banks and the Comrads' Terrell "Gangsta" Anderson. It features guest appearances from Westside Connection and AllFrumTha I. The album peaked at #113 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States. Its single "Homeboyz" was also charted on the Billboard charts.
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