Conscious West Coast rapper Kam once released a song called
“Peace Treaty” and yesterday, the Left Side held a landmark meeting
of unity that included some of the biggest names in California. Kam’s 12-year-old
song has come to life within Rap music.
Those in attendance included rappers like Xzibit, Young MC,
Snoop Dogg, The Game, The D.O.C., Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Warren G, King Tee, Daz
Dillinger, Suga Free and Lil’ Eazy-E, among others. Comic/ personality
Steve Harvey moderated the proceedings.
The Game of The Black Wall Street said that this show of unity
is the beginning of a new era for the West Coast Hip-Hop scene.
“Today was very monumental for West Coast music as a whole.
Some 80 West Coast Rap artists, up-and-coming as wells as veterans, filled a
conference hall at the Universal Sheraton in North Hollywood California,”
Game told AllHipHop.com. “Suge Knight nor Dr. Dre showed up for the event,
because they were both busy in their own respective rights. I, myself, spoke
on behalf of Dre and Aftermath [Records] and Steve Harvey spoke on Suge’s behalf.
All in all, I think it was much needed and I also believe that it’s the
beginning of a more diverse and unified West Coast Rap Movement.”
Snoop Dogg, who has had beef with a number of his coastal brethren,
arranged the conference and told MTV News this was the time for a change.
"I felt we
should come together as one, organize, unify and start making records with each
other and be about a cause," Snoop said after the meeting. "It’s time
for us to start standing up for something. It’s called ‘Protect the West.’
We’re all moving together, we ended all our beefs."
Snoop has resolved
all of his conflicts with Jayo Felony, Suge Knight, Kurupt and others.
West Coast-based journalist/activist Davey D proclaimed that
the West needed peace at the time when many Rap factions appeared to be fragmented.
“This is a beautiful thing that needs to be supported
from all sectors. If the artists can come together on their own accord that
means the corporate radio stations that profit off beef need to cease and fall
in line and do what they can to support the effort,” said Davey D.
Afeni Shakur, mother of Tupac Shakur and former Black Panther,
told AllHipHop.com that she hoped that the West Coast’s peace resolution
would continue throughout the youth in particular and the community as a whole.
“I am prayerful that the young community can come together
– all sides and all ends – will come together and institutionalize
some methods of conflict resolution. And just be more creative about how we
can solve the problems. I believe young people have the potential to do anything
that they want. In the 60’s, we believed that we needed to make change
in the government and we gave our whole selves to that.”
Candy Man 187 of Tha Havenotz, a group closely associated with
Tupac prior to his death, said that this summit was a positive step to avert
future tragedy and spark similar change in the East.
“The West has lost some of our greatest – Tupac, Mac Dre
– and n***s is finally realizing that this beef s**t ain’t worth
it. We on some ridah s**t now,” said Candy Man. “Now its time to
spread the love. We gotta spread it over [to the East Coast]. Its gotta spread
to the East Coast. We are all willing to come together for a greater cause.”
Snoop explained that that greater cause included networking
and the event doubled as a business summit for rappers to meet and build relationships.
Davey D cautioned that the rappers in the peace treaty should
be wary of possible external forces that could derail the process.
“One thing about the West Coast is that you will have
the police working extra hard to try and undo a truce cause that’s what
they did after 1992 when [warring gangs] came together try to break the unity,”
he stated.
The Game and Snoop, admitted members of rival gangs, plan to
kick off the How the West Was One Tour on Friday.
In 1990, the West
staged a similar show of solidarity. “We’re All in the Same Gang"
was an anti-gang violence posse song that featured West Coast luminaries like
Ice-T, Tone Loc, M.C. Hammer, N.W.A., Young M.C., Above The Law, Digital Underground,
King Tee, Body & Soul, Oaktown’s 3.5.7, Michel’le, Def Jef, Eazy-E and J.J.
Fad.
Mike Concepcion,
the legendary gang member-turned-peace activist, put the 1990 movement together.
Concepcion continues to work for peace to this day.