West Coast hip-hop legends Kurupt, MC Eiht, Tha Chill, Gangsta, Jayo Felony, and King T join forces as 1st Generation to release their debut EP, Rapture. The project perfectly captures the energy, creativity, and passion of everyone involved, and serves as a testament to the region’s past, present, and future approach to rap music.

The group makes its intentions clear on “Intro to Rapture,” a brief spoken-word track that ends with the message that 1st Generation is here to return “the authenticity in music they felt was missing on the West Coast.” And as soon as the title track hits your speakers, it’s obvious that these artists aren’t here to mess around. “Rapture” is a raw, head-nodding banger full of sharp lyricism and slick sh*t talking, and it sets the tone for the remaining tracks.

Everyone involved gets a chance to shine across the six tracks, and that includes the cameos from the likes of Coolio, J.Dee from Lynch Mob, BG Knockout, and Tash from Tha Liks. The producers keep everything moving, too, as Dae One, Josef Leimberg, Sir Jinx, and others flesh out the EP’s very West Coast production. “Worser” and “Here Comes The Money” are trunk-rattling bangers, while “Ova” delivers a stunning blend of jazz and funk.

Rapture will no doubt serve as a piece of hip-hop history for both long-time heads and new listeners alike, and it’s hopefully just the first of many projects to come from this group of West Coast rap stalwarts. The six track EP is available now for stream and download via Penagon/Boondocz in partnership with Fat Beats.