hyphy
what it is
Hyphy (pronounced /ˈhaɪfiː/ HYE-fee) is a slang word created by Bay Area Rapper Keak Da Sneak which is commonly used in the San Francisco Bay Area that means "rambunctious". Hip-hop artist E-40, with his 2006 single titled "Tell Me When to Go", along with many other Bay Area music productions, put the Bay Area culture on the national map, and this culture began to be known as the Hyphy movement. The movement started in the '90s rappers but re-emerged in the early 2000s as a response from Bay Area rappers to commercial hip hop's ignoring of the Bay's influence.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make hyphy a playlist
turn these 26 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is hyphy?
Hyphy (pronounced /ˈhaɪfiː/ HYE-fee) is a slang word created by Bay Area Rapper Keak Da Sneak which is commonly used in the San Francisco Bay Area that means "rambunctious". Hip-hop artist E-40, with his 2006 single titled "Tell Me When to Go", along with many other Bay Area music productions, put the Bay Area culture on the national map, and this culture began to be known as the Hyphy movement. The movement started in the '90s rappers but re-emerged in the early 2000s as a response from Bay Area rappers to commercial hip hop's ignoring of the Bay's influence.
What are good hyphy albums to start with?
Try Marjorie -W.C. Sinclair by Marjorie -W.C. Sinclair, Everything Based by Lil B, Based Boys by The Pack, and 4500 by Aflacko.
Who are some women making hyphy?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/hyphy/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making hyphy, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20