
"California Love" was a huge hit for Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre upon its release in the mid-'90s, and history has remembered it fondly. Rolling Stone named it as one of "25 Greatest Songs Produced By Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine" in 2017. Aside from its catchy, fun sound, one reason why "California Love" has endured throughout the years is the meaning behind its words, which represent the excitement and freedom of the California lifestyle. With lyrics, "California knows how to party / California knows how to party (Yes, they do) /In the city of LA / In the city of good ol' Watts / In the city, the city of Compton / We keep it rockin', we keep it rockin'," Tupac and Dre show off the fun, glamorous party environment of various California cities.
The song was also recorded at a time when there was an east coast vs. west coast rivalry in rap music, so Tupac and Dre's lyrics served to show rival rappers how they were winning on the west coast. Tupac raps in the song, "It's Westside, so you know the Row won't bow down to no man / Say what you say, but give me that bomb beat from Dre." This is a direct shoutout to east coast rappers, letting them know that artists from Dre's label, Death Row Records, are making quality music that speaks for itself.
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