Theres more then one artist each era every year there was a era.
80's-
Ice-T, N.W.A, D.O.C, Mc Hammer
90's-
Mc Hammer, Deathrow Records, Ice Cube, Too $hort, Black Market Records(lynch, raided), C-Bo, Spice 1, E-40, Paris, Westside Connection
2000s -
Xzibit, The Game, DJ Quik(even though he dropped early 90's he started being appriciated more mainstream after Rhythmlism dropped), Crooked I,
2000's was the years that no one gave a fuck about the west on a mainstream level no more.