When Tupac had been released from prison in 1995, he not only immediately signed a deal with Suge Knight and Dr. Dre’s Death Row Records, but he also decided to connect with Dre for his comeback single “California Love.” Eventually becoming an anthem for both artists’ home state, and even performed by Dre at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2022, “California Love” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached 2x certified platinum by RIAA, and best of all, landed on our recent “8 Classic Hip-Hop Songs That Everyone Should Know” list.
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However, while the song is a widely known and beloved staple in the history of West Coast rap, there were many writers that were brought together to make “California Love” happen. So, here’s a little bit of background on all the names you need to know.
The Main Vocalists
The three main contributors to the song vocally, who were all listed as either the main artist or featured artists, are Tupac, Dr. Dre, and Roger Troutman. Troutman, unlike the two former emcees mentioned, is a bit lesser known in the hip-hop community. In the song, he sings the world-famous hook California knows how to party, which is drenched in a synthesizer.
This chorus is actually borrowed from a song titled “West Coast Poplock,” performed by Ronnie Hudson and the Street People. Troutman made a guest appearance on the song to perform the same portion he does on “California Love.”
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Along with Roger, his brother Larry Troutman also earned songwriting credits on both “California Love” and “West Coast Poplock.” Additionally, the beat for “California Love” produced by Dr. Dre samples the song “Dance Floor,” performed by Larry and Roger’s band Zapp.
A few years after “California Love” was released, the two brothers passed away in a ghastly incident, where Larry killed Roger, then himself, in a 1999 murder-suicide.
Ronnie Hudson and the Street People
Noted above, along with Zapp’s “Dance Floor,” Ronnie Hudson and the Street People’s song “West Coast Poplock” was sampled in Tupac and Dre’s classic hit. For this, Hudson and another man in the band named Mikel Hooks earned writing credits on “California Love.”
“Woman to Woman”
As Dre has always been known as a prolific producer in rap, he often used multiple samples to craft his beats. This is particularly evident on “California Love,” as the third song he sampled for its instrumental was a track named “Woman to Woman” by Joe Cocker. Because of this, Cocker and a frequent collaborator of his, Chris Stainton, both earned writing credits on “California Love.”
The Kleeer Connection
On top of all the samples used for “California Love,” Dre also enlisted the help of seasoned musicians that were senior to him, such as two members of the 1970s funk band Kleeer. Along with Kleeer’s bassist, keyboardist and composer Norman Durham, who also worked with other West Coast rappers like Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Too $hort, Dre credited the band’s singer, drummer, and producer Woody Cunningham on the song as well.
J-Flexx
And last, but certainly not least in the context of Dre’s career, is J-Flexx. An artist and songwriter signed to Death Row Records, J-Flexx’s first collaboration with Dre came in 1994 when he helped write the hit “Natural Born Killaz” for Dre and fellow N.W.A. member Ice Cube. As the years went on, J-Flexx continued to make music with Dre and Cube, and most notably wrote Dre’s verse for “California Love,” which included menacing bars like The track hits your eardrum like a slug to your chest / Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex.
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