While most movements are fleeting as soon as they arrive, hip-hop supergroup Mount Westmore is here to stay. 

Formed in 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic, the group (which is composed of Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40) brings together four pillars of West Coast rap who have raised a generation of shit-talking adults – some of whom are graying “great-grandparents,” at least according to “E-40 minutes late,” the Bay Area rap icon who was running behind to the digital Q&A for Mount Westmore’s debut opus, previously released on Dec 9.

Cube is a pioneer of the often controversial hip-hop subgenre known as Gangsta Rap – largely due to his affiliation with N.W.A. (short for “Niggaz Wit Attitudez”), who is widely considered one of the most influential rap groups of all-time. $hort has been around since the late ‘80s, lacing beats with dirty sex raps and overly explicit lyrics about life in East Oakland. Meanwhile, Snoop helped introduce G Funk to a mainstream audience during the early ‘90s, and he just might be the most famous rapper in the world. And for nearly four decades, E-40’s quick-fire bars have sustained his status as one of the most culturally relevant artists in rap. 

It should go without saying that Snoop, Cube, 40, $hort (four names that need no introduction and the title of Mount Westmore’s indelible debut) has nothing to prove. The 16-track project is a culmination of years of writing and recording, amounting to a body of work that gives the people what they want: the same old story. As Cube pointed out, “When you go see The O’Jays or you go see The Isley Brothers, you just want ‘em to give you what they gave you before. You don’t want them to be new, know what I’m sayin’. You don’t want them to try and be another artist, or try to jump on this trend or that trend. It’s not like we’re some new artists.” $hort added, “For hip-Hop, this is dope as fuck. I wish I was 30, having a successful career and looking at these dudes do this shit. I’m like, ‘I’m finna do this shit, too. Fuck that.’ That’s how I see it. This shit is successful, period. At the launching pad it’s successful.”  

In fact, when it comes to managing expectations, being consistent is what has allowed these rap icons to build an unrivaled legacy. “The thing is, you gotta give the people what they expect from you and then a lil’ more,” as Cube says. Their individual success – which includes millions of album sales, co-founding a basketball league, cashing in on cannabis ventures, selling super premium ice cream, and even crossing over into the spirits industry – is the epitome of what it means to stay relevant in a genre that feeds off innovation. But at the same time, the group isn’t worried about what other people think, especially in regard to this latest plateau. “At the end of the day, our legacy is intact – ya digg. It’s really just about us giving the people what they want. And whoever want it ain’t got nothing to do with us in a way,” he continues. “It’s like a painter, man: you paint it, put it on the wall and walk away. Whoever walk by and look at it – some people gon’ love it, some people gon’ hate it, but that ain’t got nothing to do with the artist.”

$hort on the other hand, who’d been taking pulls from a spliff as he listened to Cube’s rebuttal, asserted himself in a way that only he knows best – proving that he’s still that same tongue-in-cheek rapper all these years later. Not to mention, he just might have crafted the greatest sales pitch in hip-hop history while doing so.

“We all got a lot of platinum albums and shit; a lot of albums that [the fans] love and shit,” says the “Blow the Whistle” rapper as he starts to revel in the group’s individual success. “We already hit the road as a group and every show sold-out. And the shows that we did (and the shows that we’re gonna do), the first run made lots and lots of money. And the next run will make lots of money. The fuckin’ merch shit made a lot of money. These are the things you want to happen as a group. And it’s like, the shits already happening for Mount Westmore. We put together a really good product for the people, so the brand is off to a great start. When you see us, you gon’ have a really good time; when you listen to us, it’s gon’ sound really good; when you put the shit on and it says ‘Mount Westmore,’ you gon’ feel really good about it.”

Much of their longevity hinges on the timelessness of records like “It Was a Good Day,” “Gin and Juice,” or “Sprinkle Me,” anthems that have worked their way into the ‘greatest hip-hop songs of all time’ conversation. In other words, Mount Westmore’s not making some daring attempt to recreate a past success with Snoop Cube 40 $hort, because like Cube said – their legacy remains intact. Not to mention, Too $hort just received his own day in the city of Oakland, appropriately titled “Too $hort Day” (Dec 10) – need I say more?

With 40, despite his legendary status, he’s always maintained an appreciation for his fans – like the mother-daughter, father-son duos who used to fill up the stands of his sold-out shows. “We got a lil’ bit of the younger generation and older generation because of the parents,” shares the founding member of The Click and Goon With the Spoon. “Our shows that we were doing, the grandma would bring her daughter and the daughter would bring her daughter, or vice versa, sons, or however it went.”

Whether Mount Westmore is flowing hard over beats that nod to their penchant for nostalgia, or speaking to 20-somethings who’ve stumbled across their solo efforts on the internet, the only thing that matters is Snoop, Cube, 40 and $hort are still in the position to give the people what they want – 125 years of combined experience later.