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Chanel West Coast thinks Hip-Hop has lost its way.
The rapper and television personality opened up about how the genre has shifted with excessive “ratchetness,” a far cry from the classy female rappers who inspired her to pursue music in the first place.
Growing up, West Coast was immersed in Hip-Hop culture from day one. She started dancing to the genre at age seven and had a Hip-Hop DJ for a father.
That foundation shaped her love for the music, but she’s concerned about where it’s headed.
“I think rap’s went in a little bit of a different direction. And I just wanted to make music that’s a little bit more positive. You know, there’s always going to be the bad girl side to me, but it’s just a little bit classier, more refined. The motherly side of Chanel in this music.”
The artists who inspired her, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, and Eve, represented a different era.
“There were very classy women rappers. It wasn’t so ratchet,” West Coast explained.
Her concerns extend beyond her own artistry. Chanel West Coast believes Hip-Hop is influencing young people in harmful ways.
She shared a troubling example: “I do feel like rap is influencing kids the wrong way. There was some kids at a pool near us talking about robbing a vending machine. I’m like these kids are like 8 years old. Like what what are you watching that’s influencing you to to talk about this or think about this?”
West Coast grew up around music. Her father was a DJ in New York City, and she spent her childhood watching him work vinyl records in clubs.
Her mother’s family came from a small town in Ohio, so she was exposed to country music early on. That blend of influences shaped her musical journey.
The transition from rap to country wasn’t random. West Coast realized the two genres share something fundamental: they’re both built on poetry and rhyming.
“Rap and country are actually very similar. They’re the two genres where everything rhymes,” she explained.
Music producers she worked with noticed her voice had a natural country tone, and she decided to lean into it.
Her new country single “Down to the Filter” dropped recently, and it’s getting serious traction.
The song came together in an unexpected way. West Coast covered “Need a Favor” by Jelly Roll, and the cover went viral.
Rob Ragosta, who co-wrote that song, saw her version and wanted to collaborate. He and producer Shane from Nashville started working on the hook while West Coast was in a different state. When they sent it to her, she loved it immediately and wrote the verses herself.
