yes music twitter prompt tweets typically emerge from the absolute lowest rungs of the hell that is that app (post an album cover that looks exactly like the album sounds - uh that's what album covers are supposed to do) but the other day the preeminent pay-to-play bay area rap aggregation outlet thizzler on the roof actually dropped a pretty nice one, asking What song is a bay area classic from an artist outside the bay?

despite the continued deterioration of regionally shared musical sensibilities due to the consolidation of all music distribution platforms and the overall end of information and everything else (thanks stebe jobs) the bay somehow remains a special beautiful bubble with its own distinctive taste profile, one that i am still trying to wrap my head and ears around fully even after having lived here for more than a decade. so i did what any half sane slaf hash sleepless semi retired rap nerd would do and spent the whole night compiling the most common replies to the thizzler tweet into one big fifty track deep youtube playlist.

(full track listing just in case youtube goes away forever one day)
1. Gucci Mane - "Big Cat (Laflare)" (2006)
2. Baby f/ Magnolia Chop - "Out The Ghetto" (2006)
3. Lil Wayne - "Dick Pleaser" (2008)
4. Soulja Boy - "Tear Em Up" (2011)
5. Fantasia - "See You" (2006)
6. Plies - "Dat Bitch" (2008)
7. Dej Loaf - "Try Me" (2014)
8. Juvenile - "400 Degreez" (1998)
9. Clipse - "Grindin" (2001)
10. 702 - "I Still Love You" (2002)
11. 03 Greedo - "Sweet Lady" (2016)
12. Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys f/ Oobie - "Nothins Free" (2002)
13. Suga Free - "Why U Bullshittin?" (1997)
14. Tee Grizzley - "First Day Out" (2017)
15. D4L (Fabo) f/ Young Jeezy - "Scotty (Remix)" (2005)
16. Petey Pablo - "Freek-A-Leek" (2003)
17. Bandgang - "Bandgang Or Nogang" (2014)
18. Gucci Mane f/ Young Jeezy & Lil Will - "Icy" (2005)
19. AzChike - "Burn Rubber Again" (2017)
20. Webbie - "What's Happenin" (2011)
21. Ying Yang Twinz - "Wait (Whisper)" (2005)
22. Yo Gotti f/ YG & Young Jeezy - "Act Right" (2013)
23. Ja Rule f/ Lloyd - "Caught Up" (2004)
24. Mike Jones - "Flossin" (2005)
25. Shordie Shordie - "Bitchuary" (2018)
26. Sada Baby & Drego - "Bloxk Party" (2018)
27. Young Jeezy f/ 2 Chainz - "R.I.P." (2012)
28. Mozzy - "Blahdadah" (2015)
29. Lil Boosie - "Bottom To The Top" (2010)
30. Plies - "Becky" (2010)
31. Travis Porter - "Ayy Ladies" (2012)
32. Nelly - "The Bay" (2008)
33. Cassie - "Me&U" (2006)
34. Fat Tone - "Jocking Me" (2003)
35. K. Young - "Please Me" (2009)
36. Cash Kidd - "On My Mama" (2014)
37. Pablo Skywalkin - "Flex On Em" (2013)
38. Rich Gang - "Lifestyle" (2014)
39. Ella Mai - "Boo'd Up" (2018)
40. Scarface - "Fuck Faces" (1998)
41. Gucci Mane - "Pillz" (2006)
42. Gorilla Zoe - "Hood Nigga" (2007)
43. Shawty Lo - "Dey Know" (2007)
44. Dem Franchize Boyz - "Oh I Think Dey Like Me" (2004)
45. Three 6 Mafia f/ UGK - "Sippin On Some Syrup" (2000)
46. Young Dro - "High Five" (2006)
47. Webbie - "G-Shit" (2005)
48. Crime Mob - "Knuck If You Buck" (2004)
49. Pablo Skywalkin - "Mansion Party" (2015)
50. Doughboyz Cashout -"Ghetto Gold" (2011)

of course dozens of people mentioned "big cat laflare," the gucci mane deep cut that has been so completely adopted as a bay classic that it's almost a meme at this point. other local favorites like plies, boosie & webbie and the whole cash money roster predictably over-reported too, as did artists from the bay's long standing sibling regions - detroit, sacramento, kansas city, la. some the tracks posted were explicit references or tributes to the region and some of them have found second or even third life as classics by actual bay artists. beyond that there were just a gang of obvious 00s club bangers and r&b hits that were big nationally but felt/feel even bigger in the bay for whatever reason. (i think the thizzler demo tends to skew mid-to-young millennial so most of these picks fall in the 00s - 10s range. there is surely an even better old head version of this list to be made but not tonight.)

as far as my methodology went i included every song that was mentioned in the replies more than once, either on the original thizzler tweet or their instagram repost then arranged them in an order that made sense to me in the moment. i didn't really editorialize much beyond that give or take including a few personal favorites that only got one single mention (if i ever make it back to the club and you see me there i do hope you'll give me a HIGH FIVE).

also i omitted "the motto" because it's still fuck drake forever and always, goodnight.