WEST IS BEST: The West Coast/East Coast...

WEST IS BEST: The West Coast/East Coast rivalry that was a driving force in rap a few years ago is heating up again.

“It seemed we were getting closer to one nation of hip-hop, but it’s more divided now,” says Art Jaeger, executive vice president and general manager of L.A.-based Priority Records.

Accordingly, the new wave of West Coast pride that’s expressed in WC & the Maad Circle’s current hit “West Up!” is ready to crest in coming months:

* “Westside Slaughterhouse,” coming next month from Mack 10, who has a prominent guest role along with Ice Cube on the WC album, is described as “phase two” of “West Up!” The title of the upcoming song is apparently a response to East Coast rapper Masta Ace, whose song “Slaughterhouse” dissed Western gangstas.

* Priority--which will distribute the controversial Death Row/Interscope debut by Tha Dogg Pound, due Oct. 31--is also putting out “Legal Dope,” a compilation of West Coast gangsta rappers. The collection features new artist Homicide, with a video directed by Anton Fuqua, who did Coolio’s hit “Gangsta’s Paradise” clip.

* Snoop Doggy Dogg is helping out on the second album by Long Beach rapper Lil’ Half Dead, and Rhythm D (who produced Paperboy and Eazy-E tracks) is working with a new group, Me & My Cousin.

* February will bring the release of the second album by Conscious Daughters, associates of Oakland kingpin Paris.

* New albums from Cypress Hill (due this week) and Latino rapper Frost highlight L.A. hip-hop’s ethnic diversity, while the Pharcyde, with “Labcabincalifornia” due Nov. 14, offers an arty, impressionistic view of the city.

* Two L.A. rap pioneers are also represented with upcoming releases. A greatest-hits collection from the late Eazy-E is due Dec. 1, and a release of the material he was working on before he died of AIDS in March is due early next year. Meanwhile, Ice-T returns with a new album expected in March.