As the late great Rick James once said, cocaine is a hell of a drug.

Andre Nickatina, known to some as the King of Coke Rap or the Evil Clown Prince of the Bay (ok I made that one up), has a hell of a catalog. Throughout a 32-years-and-counting career - including this January's fun but not good enough for this list "Put That On The Gooch" with B-Legit - King Nicky has released by my count: 17 full length albums, 3 EPs, plus a handful of mixtapes and compilations.

Nickatina debuted in 1993 as Dre Dog. The first chapter of his career was a stint on In-A-Minute Records, an Oakland-based indie rap label that was home to Bay Area staples such as RBL Posse, Cougnut's Ill Mannered Posse (I.M.P.), Pooh-Man and Totally Insane. Dre Dog first appeared on the I.M.P.'s Back In The Days (see #70) and Totally Insane's Goin' Insane (on the title track) before dropping his debut album The New Jim Jones, leaning heavily into the horrorcore-slash-devil worship aesthetic that would define his Dre Dog era.

Following a second Dre Dog release for In-A-Minute, I Hate You With a Passion (1995), in 1997 he left the label to start his own imprint, Fillmoe Coleman Records, and officially made the moniker transition to Andre Nickatina. The name change kicked off a creative hot-streak with the artist now-known-as Nickatina finding his voice and ultimate sound. This period also marked the beginning of a creative partnership with producers Nick Peace and Mr. Peete, the musical secret weapons behind some of his best records. New Andre, same evil drugged out raps!

In the 2000s Nickatina planted roots in his stylistic lane and churned out 10 albums in 10 years. He cultivated his fanbase with a contrast of dark street rhymes that were simultaneously hilarious, ridiculous and catchy. The production was out of left field, his producers utilizing obscure samples (nothing close to James Brown or Parliament-Funkadelic) that no one else would dare think to use for rap songs.

Nickatina never had a major label turn, never had a radio hit. But in the early 2000s his voice seeped into the collective consciousness of high school and college-aged kids - mostly stoners (OK some cokeheads as well) and those drawn to shock value lyrics sprinkled with some humor. Thanks to the rise of P2P file sharing and one specific, irresistible novelty tune (see: #28), the name Andre Nickatina became more well-known among Millennials than any other strictly underground, mostly regional rapper of the era.

In the early 2010s Nickatina shifted again stylistically, working with glitzier production and buzzier (but still mostly local) guests to produce a modernized output closer to the Bay rap you'd find in clubs or on the radio. A handful of post-2010 Nickatina tracks that made this list but here are a few honorable mention close calls worth noting:

"Call The Dealer" (2011)

"Speed Ball" (2013)

"WGz With The BBz" (2014)

"Talkin Shit n Johnny Rockets" (2018)

The 70 tracks below are all you need to be initiated into the cult of Andre Nickatina. Please don't listen too loud in public unless you want to explain to your coworkers what “chewy” is, not a fun conversation.

70. Frisco (ft. Cellski, Dre Dog & Chewy-C) (1993) – I.M.P. [prod by Stingy]

69. Blood N My Hair (2004) [Nick Peace]

68. Nickatina Creation (OG Cocaine Raps Version) (1997) [Andre Nickatina & Nick Peace]

67. Everythang (ft. Andre Nickatina) (2007) – Equipto [Gennessee]

66. Purrfect Storm (w/ Equipto) (2006) [K-Maxx]

65. Andre Nickatina (1998) [Nick Peace]

64. Da Whip (w/ Equipto) ft. Shag Nasty (2006) [JustLuv]

63. Dirty Worm (1995) [T.C.]

62. Square Crows (w/ The Jacka) (2010) [K-Maxx]

61. Diamonds & Carats (Remix) (1998) [Million Dollar Dream]

60. Butta P-Khan (2013)

59. U-Beezy (w/ Mac Dre) (2008) [Freddy Machete]

58. Pitbull Terrier (w/ Equipto) (2002) – Andre Nickatina & Equipto [Crush]

57. A Pimp’s Blood (w/ Equipto) (2005) [Danker D]

56. Jim Jones Posse (1993) [T.C. & Andre Nickatina]

55. Color of the Benz (2008) [K-Maxx]

54. Nickatina Says (2000) [Nick Peace]

53. 4AM-Bay Bridge Music (w/ Equipto) (2005) [Laird]

52. My Middle Name Is Crime (w/ The Jacka) (2010) [Pak Slap]

51. Bananas (w/ Equipto) (2005) [Flay@mat1kz]

50. San Francisco Bay (2007) [K-Maxx]

49. Eyes of a Child (ft. Equipto) (2004) [Equipto]

48. Situation Critical (1995) [Mark5]

47. Glamorous Lifestyle (ft. Andre Nickatina) (2007) – The Jacka [Traxamillion]

46. U Got Talent (w/ Equipto) (2005) [Big D The Impossible]

45. Scottie 15 (ft. Shag Nasty) (1998) [DJ Pause]

44. Ate Miles from the City of Dope (w/ Equipto) (2006) [K-Maxx]

43. My Wishes (ft. Equipto) (2004) [Justin Weis]

42. Awake Like an Owl (2000)

41. Crackin Like Pastachio's (2004) [Mr. Peete]

40. That! (w/ Equipto) (2002) [Equipto]

39. Blind Genius (2010) [Nima Fadavi]

38. Lost Hawks (ft. Equipto) (2005) [Tommy]

37. Comb My Hair Like (w/ Equipto) (2006) [One Drop Scott]

36. Y-U-Smilin' (w/ Equipto) (2006) [Ecks]

35. Holla 4 Madonna (w/ Equipto) (2005) [Brian Batoosingh & Smoov-E]

34. I’m A Junkie (ft. Equipto) (2004) [Q-York]

33. Fly Like a Bird (ft. Dubee) (2003) [Mr. Peete]

32. Most Hated Man in Frisco (1993) [T.C. & Andre Nickatina]

31. Pick-Cha (2003) [Mr. Peete]

30. Girls Say (Remix) ft. The Jacka (2005) [Sync Knock]

29. Bakin' Soda in Minnesota (2000) [Nick Peace]

28. Ayo For Yayo (ft. Andre Nickatina) (2002) – San Quinn [Mr. Peete & Andre Nickatina]

27. Soul of a Coke Dealer (2003) [Jae Rilla]

26. Crack Raider Razor (1997) [Andre Nickatina & Nick Peace]

25. 5th Gear (ft. Equipto) (2003) [Krushadelic]

24. The Rap Gods (1999) [Mr. Peete & Andre Nickatina]

23. Balla Race (w/ Equipto) (2006) [Freddy Machete]

22. Dice of Life (2003) [Nick Peace]

21. Fist Full of Dollars (Green Eyes) (2003) [Nick Peace]

20. I'm a Pisces (1997) [Andre Nickatina & Nick Peace]

19. Tears of a Clown (1999) [Nick Peace & Andre Nickatina]

18. Yeah (ft. Messy Marv) (2006)

17. Daiquiri Factory (2000) [Nick Peace]

16. Classified (1999) [Nick Peace & Andre Nickatina]

15. These Clowns (w/ Equipto) (2005) [T.H.E. Menace]

14. Fears Of A Coke Lord (2000) [Mr. Peete & Laird]

13. Oh God (w/ Equipto) (2006) [JustLuv]

12. The Ave (1993) [T.C. & Andre Nickatina]

11. A Peez Paradise  (w/ Equipto) (2006) [JustLuv]

10. Tony Montana (2010) [Krushadelic]

The ultimate late-period Andre Nickatina track. Around 2000 he began playing around with a hypnotic form of sing-rapping – see also: "Dice of Life", "Rise and Fall of a Rap Cat", etc. - that was never better deployed than here. I do hope that Jacka (RIP) was honored when Nicky famously rhymed "Thick bitch but I really can't stand her" with "Somebody put on the new Jacka".

9. Gingerbread Man (2000) [Rodney Lane & Nick Peace]

Daiquiri Factory: Cocaine Raps Vol. 2 is the preface to the classic that is Conversation with a Devil (CR3). The samples were getting more obscure, production tighter, and Nickatina was beginning to play around with the melodic rapping that he would begin to perfect.

8. All Star Chuck Taylors (2002) [Nick Peace]

"My style don't pump no blood / It pump weed, and gasoline, Nicky Nickitine"

Entry-level Andre Nickatina. You could often find "ANDRE nickotina_AllStar ChuckTaylors" floating near the top of KaZaa or Limewire search results in the early 2000s.

7. Train With No Love (2003) [Nick Peace]

Conversation with a Devil is the peak of the Nickatina discography: well-rounded with extremely high highs and the best production of his career. "Train With No Love" is the emotional centerpiece, some rare vulnerability through expert-level storytelling raps.

6. My Homeboy’s Chevy (w/ Mac Dre) (2008) [Freddy Machete]

"I'm with the Genie of the Lamp, comin' off the exit ramp / I grab cash like a calf cramp"

Everything you need to know about the Nickatina-Mac Dre bromance can be found in this Thizzler interview clip from 2019. "We bonded on some Andre shit...just being an Andre."

5. My Rap World (Remix) (1999) [Mr. Peete & Andre Nickatina]

"In my rap world, we bump 75 Girls / Playboy Short, right before court"

Too Short influence runs deep through the Andre Nickatina catalog. The similarities are not surface level, each has their own distinct style, but Nickatina is a worthy heir to the Too Short ethos: homegrown, DIY Bay Area street raps with an equal dose of humor and reality.

4. Conversation with a Devil (2003) [Nick Peace]

Aside from “Ayo for Yayo” this is the Andre Nickatina song that, anecdotally, seems to resonate most with the general (non-Nickatina fiend) public. Nicky at his smoothest, makes you think he could have been a Def Jam hitmaker in an alternate timeline.

3. Smoke Dope and Rap (1993) [T.C. & Andre Nickatina]

A (chewy) trip that never gets old. The 1998 rework, "Scottie 15" (#45), is epic in its own right but the original can't be beat.

2. Killer Whale (1995) [Mark 5]

The Dre Dog Supervillain Theme, and the ultimate pisces anthem.

1. Jungle (w/ Equipto) (2002) [Equipto]

"I make MCs do angel dust / Take 'em to the Bay bridge, make 'em strip, tell 'em jump"

The dream team of Andre and Equipto was the foundation of Nickatina's consistency in the 2000s. There are a handful of good to great Andre Nickatina solo albums - all 3 of the Cocaine Raps series, Tears of a Clown, Big Bullets Blunts in Ah Big Bankroll - but the four Equipto collab albums are the heartbeat of his discography.

"Jungle" is a masterclass in back-to-back rapping - two MCs completely in sync stylistically, raising the stakes for one another with each subsequent barrage of rhymes. Nickatina's style is so distinct it becomes easy to forget he's flipping some of the most well-known lyrics in rap history into something completely his own, backed by a fittingly crazy sample and the looming sounds of a thunderstorm.