Key Takeaways
- These are the 15 best songs from Compton rapper YG. The list shows his evolution from his early hit "Toot It and Boot It" through mixtapes and Def Jam/CTE days to becoming a cornerstone of the 2010s West Coast renaissance.
- His first two albums, the classic My Krazy Life and Still Brazy, were powered heavily by DJ Mustard and later Terrace Martin, balancing classic G-funk homage with innovative Bay Area-influenced production with storytelling.
- YG is set to be part of the Compton Forever VERZUZ battle with The Game, which is going down on July 23, on Apple and Complex platforms.
YG is a prime example of resilience.
The Compton rapper, who is from the 400 block, found success young. He was only 20 when he released his breakout hit, the naughty party anthem "Toot It and Boot It," before signing with Def Jam.
The song, which featured a young Ty Dolla Sign, was a minor hit, cracking the Billboard Hot 100 before the streaming era diminished what that meant.
But it wasn't a straight trip to the top for YG. He would have his ups and downs—even though he dropped a steady release of mixtapes, which featured some of the earliest work of DJ Mustard.
After joining forces with Jeezy under the CTE flag, he would make a statement with his debut album: My Krazy Life. One of the best albums of the 2010s, the release functioned as a spiritual sibling to Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city. The album rolled out a long narrative and partially paid homage to classic West Coast hip-hop. But there was also innovation, thanks to the producing prowess of DJ Mustard, who had his hand in more than half the album.
Success can be glorious, but it can also lead to tension. YG and Mustard went through a brief but public falling out; Still Brazy, his sophmore album, might not be the out-the-box classic his debut was, but it's a strong follow-up, with YG embracing more classic G-funk. YG would stay consistent, dropping an album every two years or so, while doing features with everyone from Mariah Carey to 2 Chainz.
With seven albums and multiple songs that cracked the Top 40, YG is putting his discography to the test by going head to head with The Game for the “Compton Forever” VERZUZ, going down this Thursday, July 23 at t 6:30 p.m. PT.
Before the matchup goes down, here are the 15 best YG songs of all time.
YG feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Toot It and Boot It” (2010)
Album: The Real 4Fingaz
Producer: Chordz & Ty Dolla $ign
It's funny to hear YG 1.0—more lighthearted, sex-obsessed, and not flaunting his gang affiliation nearly as much. "Toot It and Boot It" is an X-rated song about how to handle a one-night stand.
YG's rapping is cool, but it's the melody that makes this a classic—so addictive it got repurposed for a PG-13 stoner anthem by Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg on "Young, Wild & Free." —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YG feat. Jay Rock & ScHoolboy Q, “I Just Wanna Party” (2014)
Album: My Krazy Life
Producer: DJ Mustard
What do you get when you bring together three of the hardest West Coast spitters from Compton, Watts, and South Central? You get a new-age "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted."
The TDE and 400 connection on the song serves as a timestamp to the early 2010s West Coast Renaissance led by both camps.
YG, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock each deliver monstrous verses, the kind of chemistry that defined that era of West Coast rap. —Mark Braboy
YG feat. Shoreline Mafia, “Hollywood” (2025)
Album: The Gentlemen’s Club
Producers: damn james!, Ty Dolla $ign & Ya Boy N.O.I.S.
YG has spent his entire career serving as one of its wildest narrators. And "Hollywood"—which features the equally rambunctious Shoreline Mafia—is just another crazy chapter, a melodic meditation on the city's gravitational pull and the lifestyle it promises to everyone bold enough to chase it.
Listen as the crew celebrates a wild night of drinking, smoking, and late night activities with the ladies while threatening the "opps" in between. Extra points for checking Joey Bada$$’s snub towards West Coast rappers. —Mark Braboy
YG feat. Kamaiyah & Drake, “Why You Always Hatin?” (2016)
Album: Still Brazy
Producer: Kamaiyah & CT Beats
A crown jewel in YG's lighter-sounding Still Brazy, "Why You Always Hatin" was a standout summer bop that put a spotlight on then-Yay Area newcomer Kamaiyah. YG rides the instrumental with complete command while Drake's feature adds commercial pull. The trio found a natural rhythm together, making the record feel like a genuine collaboration rather than just another industry pairing. —Mark Braboy
YG feat. Slim 400, “Twist My Fingaz” (2015)
Album: Still Brazy
Producer: Terrace Martin
The first single from Still Brazy, YG reintroduced himself to the world without DJ Mustard, who was at the time still his most reliable collaborator. Instead he locked in with the OG Terrace Martin, who gave him a beat with so much g-funk you'd think it was left off of Dogg Food. This one features an appearance from YG's artist Slim 400, who was killed in 2021. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YG feat. Tyga and Jon Z, “Go Loko” (2019)
Album: 4REAL 4REAL
Producer: GYLTTRYP & Mustard
YG's homage to eses, "Go Loko," received some pushback upon its release, for the fact that it featured Mexican flags, YG in a charro outfit, and other cholo culture signifiers but no actual Mexican talent on the song. (Jon Z, the rapper on it, is Puerto Rican.) But the song still is a banger, featuring a gorgeous, cinematic guitar-driven beat from Mustard. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YG feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)” (2014)
Album: My Krazy Life
Producer: Terrace Martin, Ty Dolla $ign & Chordz
"Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)" unveiled deeper layers into YG the artist.
The rapper is at his most relaxed and his most revealing, painting a portrait of street life that feels less like performance and more like a window left open.
With added star power from fellow Comptonite Kendrick Lamar, who was still riding high from good kid, m.A.A.d city, the two create one of the darkest moments of the album. —Mark Braboy
YG Feat. 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, “Big Bank” (2018)
Album: Stay Dangerous
Producer: Mustard
YG's highest charting single as a lead artist, “Big Bank” features the rapper embracing all regions. He gets verses from the South (2 Chainz), Midwest (Big Sean), and East Coast (Nicki Minaj) for an anthem about the joys of getting and spending money. There was some controversy with the song after it was featured on Madden—the Colin Kaepernick reference ("You boys all cap, I'm more Colin Kaepernick") was edited out. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Nipsey Hussle feat. YG, “Last Time I Checked” (2018)
Album: Victory Lap
Producer: Rance, Mike & Keys & Brody Brown
One red, one blue—YG and Nipsey Hussle just had a chemistry together that made for classic songs. It was duo so tight they even talked about putting an album out together.
But "Last Time I Checked," their last collab together, is near the top, with Nipsey doing most of the heavy lifting on the rapping before YG closes things out with a stellar third verse. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Jeremih feat. YG, “Don't Tell 'Em” (2014)
Album: Late Nights
Producer: Mick Schultz & Mustard
There was once a time where Mustard and YG felt like a package deal. So when singer Jeremih needed a hit for his third album, he went to the duo who were both riding off the success of My Krazy Life. The song is an all-time 2010s club banger, one that unfortunately never got a video. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YG feat. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan, “My Nigga” (2013)
Album: My Krazy Life
Producer: Mustard & Mike Free
"My Nigga" was the lead single from YG's My Krazy Life and a big reason the album became both a critical and commercial hit.
Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan joined the Atlanta-and-Bompton alliance to help YG deliver a classic street anthem celebrating fellowship and loyalty. Heard in the context of the full album, it cements itself as one of the most timeless records in YG's catalog. —Mark Braboy
YG feat. Drake, “Who Do You Love?” (2014)
Album: My Krazy Life
Producer: Mustard
Drake and YG, and Mustard might be on uncertain terms right now, but damn did they make some slappers together.
"Who Do You Love?" is a classic—YG has all the energy, but the song is carried by a mint Drake verse where he’s doing his best Rappin' 4-Tay interpolation. Drake saw it as homage, 4-Tay saw it as something else. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YG, “BPT” (2014)
Album: My Krazy Life
Producer: Mustard & Mike Free
"BPT," the first song on My Krazy Life, is about as good as you're going to get for a modern day rap intro. It's the West Coast "What Up Gangsta”—featuring a beat made up what sounds like a wailing siren and vivid, elite rapping on the first verse from YG, who is telling his origin story—of how he got jumped into his gang. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YG feat. Nipsey Hussle, “FDT” (2016)
Album: Still Brazy
Producer: DJ Swish
At the intersection of President Donald Trump's first presidential run, which stoked racial terror among Latin and Hispanic Americans and the Black Lives Matter movement stood YG and the late, great Nipsey Hussle.
These were two unexpected heroes who created one of the signature protest anthems of the era. So poignant, it spawned a remix featuring the left coast's white all-stars, G-Eazy and Macklemore.
YG and Neighborhood Nip moved with the energy of two men who understood exactly what they were building. They both spoke directly to a political moment that became personal. Nipsey's verse carries the intellectual weight, YG supplies the fire, and together they provided one of the most direct political statements in West Coast rap history. —Mark Braboy
YG, "Bicken Back Being Bool” (2014)
Album": My Krazy Life
Producer: DJ Mustard
Few records capture the essence of modern-day Compton like YG's "Bicken Back Being Bool." The track operates as a B-Walkin' thesis statement—a lot has changed in the CPT since Dr. Dre first mapped out Compton on The Chronic. Mustard's production does exactly what great production does: it creates a world before a single word lands. Mustard's signature sound and YG's sharp, conversational delivery proved that hyper-specific Compton storytelling could travel globally—and that YG had the charisma to carry it all the way there. —Mark Braboy
