Hyphy Essentials

Hyphy Essentials

During its short moment of popularity in the mid-’00s, the Bay Area’s hyphy movement was the giddiest, sproingiest, ankle-breakingest sugar rush in hip-hop. Complete with its own slang—stunner shades, scrapers, slumpers, sideshows, and slaps—hyphy bounced from the Bay to points beyond. Its energetic feel can be traced back to performances by the late Mac Dre and raspy-voiced Keak Da Sneak in the ’90s, but the sound coalesced with the hyperactive blips of producer Rick Rock, who produced 2004’s movement-defining song “Hyphy” for the Federation. Bay Area artists like The Team, Turf Talk, and Mistah F.A.B. all rapped over the high-energy bounce, peaking with E-40’s 2006 smash “Tell Me When to Go.” Hyphy fizzled soon after, but its signature spring could be felt long afterward thanks to Bay Area artists like Sage the Gemini and Kamaiyah and Los Angeles fans like YG and producer DJ Mustard.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada