Gangsta rap
Stylistic origins	Hip hop
Cultural origins	Early 1980s in Philadelphia/mid 1980s in Los Angeles/New York City
Typical instruments	Drum machine, beatboxing, vocals
Mainstream popularity	Popular from the late 1980s, mainstream dominance during the 1990s, still iconic throughout the 2000s. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The City of New York For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech.
Regional scenes
West Coast hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Southern rap, Midwest rap, Chicano rap

For the Ice T album, see Gangsta Rap (album). West Coast hip hop is a style of Hip hop music that originated in California in the early 1980s East Coast hip hop is the original style of Hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA, during the early-1970s Southern hip hop is a form of American hip hop music that emerged from a club oriented vibe in the late-1990s as a popular force from cities including but not limited to Midwest hip hop is Hip hop music performed by artists from the Midwestern United States. Chicano rap is a subgenre of Hip hop music, Latin rap and Gangsta rap that embodies aspects of West Coast and Southwest Mexican American ( Gangsta Rap is a 2006 album by rap artist Ice T. During release several record sales companies wanted to censor the album cover picturing Ice T and his wife

Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop music which developed during the late 1980s. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. It is a genre of hip hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of some inner-city youths. ^[1] Gangsta is a corruption of the word gangster. Corruption or bastardisation is a way of referring to certain changes in a Language. The genre was pioneered around 1983 by Ice T with songs like Cold Winter Madness and Body Rock/Killers and Kevin Ripton with Chillaxin and My Homie Achmed Waqazzand the Gypsy Jewz and was popularized by groups like NWA in the late '80s'^[2] After the national attention that Ice-T & N. W. A created in the late 80's, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of hip hop.

The subject matter inherent in gangsta rap has caused a great deal of controversy. Criticism has come from both right wing and left wing commentators, and religious leaders, who have accused the genre of promoting homophobia, violence, profanity, promiscuity, misogyny, rape, street gangs, drive-by shootings, vandalism, thievery, crime, drug dealing, substance abuse, racism, and materialism. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes The original meaning of the adjective profane (from the Latin for "in front of or outside the Temple " was to refer to items not belonging to the church Promiscuity refers to sexual behavior of a man or woman who casually has sex with many partners Misogyny (mɪˈsɒdʒɪni is hatred (or contemptof women Misogyny is parallel to Misandry — the hatred of men Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game. Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a Drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that This article addresses materialism in the economic sense of the word

Some commentators (for example, Spike Lee in his satirical film Bamboozled) have criticized it as analogous to black minstrel shows and blackface performance, in which performers – both black and white – were made up to look African American, and acted in a stereotypically uncultured and ignorant manner for the entertainment of white audiences. Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20 1957 is an Emmy Award -winning and Academy Award -nominated American Film director, Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical Film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised Minstrel show The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits variety acts dancing, and Music, Blackface in the narrow sense is a style of theatrical Makeup that originated in the United Gangsta rappers often defend themselves by claiming that they are describing the reality of inner-city life, and that they are only adopting a character, like an actor playing a role, which behaves in ways that they may not necessarily endorse.

Contents 1 Early Gangster themes 2 1984-1990 2.1 Schoolly D 2.2 Ice-T 2.3 Boogie Down Productions 2.4 Beastie Boys 2.5 N.W.A 2.6 Others 3 1990-Present 3.1 Ice-T 3.2 G-funk and Death Row Records 3.3 Mafioso rap 3.4 East Coast hardcore and gangsta rap 3.5 Southern and midwestern gangsta rap 3.6 Mainstream era 4 Notable Artists 4.1 Early gangsta rap artists 4.2 Non-gangsta artists who were early influences on gangsta rap 5 References

Early Gangster themes

The 1973 album Hustler's Convention by Lightnin' Rod featured lyrics that deal with street life, including pimping and hustling. A pimp (also called fleshmonger) finds and manages clients for Prostitutes and engages them in Prostitution (in Brothels in most cases and The Last Poets member Jalal Mansur Nuriddin delivers rhyming vocals in the urban slang of his time, and together with the other Last Poets members, was quite influential on later hip hop groups, such as Public Enemy. The Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's Black nationalist thread Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin born in Brooklyn New York, 1944 is one of the founding members of The Last Poets, a group of Poets and Musicians Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Public Enemy, also known as PE, is an influential hip hop group from Long Island New York, known for its politically charged Lyrics, criticism Many rappers, such as Ice T, have credited pimp and writer Iceberg Slim with influencing their rhymes. Iceberg Slim ( August 4, 1918 &ndash April 30, 1992) also known as Robert Beck and born as Robert Lee Maupin, was an African

1984-1990

Schoolly D

Philadelphia MC Schoolly D can probably be credited as the first rapper to use the word "gangster" in one of his songs. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Schoolly D is the moniker of American Rapper Jesse B Weaver Jr In his 1984 12" single "Gangster Boogie"^[3] he mentions it with "I shot call a with my gangster lean". He released the 12" single "P. S. K. " (short for Park Side Killers) in 1985. In this song, Schoolly D makes direct references to his crew or gang (PSK) as well as describing putting his pistol against another rapper's head. ^[4] Schoolly D is often considered a pioneer in hardcore rap as well as gangsta rap. Hardcore hip hop is a form of Hip hop music that developed in the late 1980s His fellow Philadelphian, Steady B, also helped pave the way for gangsta rap's popularity. Warren McGlone (born January 5, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) known by the Stage name Steady B, was an American

Ice-T

In 1986, Los Angeles based rapper Ice-T released "6 n the Mornin", which is often regarded as the first gangsta rap song. "6 in the Mornin'" is a song by Ice T. Released in 1986 as the B-side to "Dog 'N the Wax (Ya Don't Quit-Part II" the song is considered to be one of Ice-T had been MCing since the early '80s. In an interview with PROPS magazine Ice-T said: "Here's the exact chronological order of what really went down: The first record that came out along those lines was Schoolly D's 'P. S. K. ' Then the syncopation of that rap was used by me when I made Six In The Morning. The vocal delivery was the same: '. . . P. S. K. is makin' that green', '. . . six in the morning, police at my door'. When I heard that record I was like "Oh shit!" and call it a bite or what you will but I dug that record. My record didn't sound like P. S. K. , but I liked the way he was flowing with it. P. S. K. was talking about Park Side Killers but it was very vague. That was the only difference, when Schoolly did it, it was ". . . one by one, I'm knockin' em out". All he did was represent a gang on his record. I took that and wrote a record about guns, beating people down, and all that with Six In The Morning. At the same time my single came out, Boogie Down Productions hit with Criminal Minded, which was a gangster-based album. It wasn't about messages or "You Must Learn", it was about gangsterism. "^[5]

Ice-T continued to release gangsta albums for the remainder of the decade: Rhyme Pays in 1987, Power in 1988 and The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say in 1989. Rhyme Pays is the debut album of Ice T, released in 1987. The album especially tracks like "6 'N the Mornin'" is considered to have Power is the second album by Ice T. Released in 1988, the album produced The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech Just Watch What You Say is the third album by Ice-T. Ice-T's lyrics also contained strong political commentary, and often played the line between glorifying the gangsta lifestyle and criticizing it as a no-win situation.

Boogie Down Productions

Boogie Down Productions released their first single, "Say No Brother (Crack Attack Don't Do It)", in 1986. Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group originally comprised of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. It was followed by "South-Bronx/P is Free" and "9mm Goes Bang" in the same year. The latter is the most gangsta-themed song of the three; in it KRS-1 describes shooting rival weed-dealers after they try to kill him in his home. Lawrence Krishna Parker (born August 20 1965) better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American Rapper. ^[6] The album Criminal Minded followed in 1987. Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions is a highly influential hip hop album Shortly after the release of the album, BDP's DJ Scott LaRock was shot and killed. Scott "La Rock" Sterling ( March 2, 1962 – August 27, 1987) was the original DJ for the hip hop group Boogie After this BDP's subsequent records focused on conscious lyrics instead. Conscious hip hop or socially conscious hip-hop is a form of Hip hop that focuses on Social issues.

Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys, while never credited as gangsta rappers, were one of the first groups to identify themselves as "gangsters", and one of the first popular rap groups to talk about violence and drug and alcohol use. Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, their 1986 album Licensed to Ill is "filled with enough references to guns, drugs, and empty sex (including the pornographic deployment of a Whiffle-ball bat in "Paul Revere") to qualify as a gangsta-rap cornerstone. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Licensed to Ill is the debut album by the Beastie Boys, released in 1986. Paul Revere is the 9th track on Licensed to Ill by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys. " ^[7]

The Beasties' 1989 album Paul's Boutique included the similarly-themed tracks "Car Thief," "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun," and "High-Plains Drifter. Paul's Boutique is the second Studio album by hip hop group Beastie Boys, released July 25, 1989 on Capitol Records " In their early underground days, N.W.A rapped over Beastie Boy tracks for songs such as "My Posse" and "Ill-Legal", and the Beastie Boys' influence can be seen significantly in N. NWA (also known as Niggaz with Attitudes) was a Compton, California -based hip hop group widely considered one of the seminal acts of the W. A's early albums. ^[8]

N. W. A

N.W.A released their first single in 1986. NWA (also known as Niggaz with Attitudes) was a Compton, California -based hip hop group widely considered one of the seminal acts of the They were crucial to the foundations of the genre for introducing more violent lyrics over much rougher beats. Eric 'Eazy-E' Wright was The founder of N. W. A. As well as Ruthless records. The first blockbuster gangsta album was N. W. A's Straight Outta Compton first released in 1988. Straight Outta Compton is the second album by Compton -based hip hop group N Straight Outta Compton also established West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and a rival of hip hop's long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked the first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song "Fuck Tha Police" earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director, Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement's resentment of the song. This article is about the NWA song For the J Dilla song of the same name see Fuck The Police (J Dilla song. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force ^[9][10] Due to the influence of Ice T and N. W. A, gangsta rap is often credited as being an originally West Coast phenomenon. West Coast hip hop is a style of Hip hop music that originated in California in the early 1980s In 1990, former N. W. A member Ice Cube would further influence gangsta rap with his hardcore, socio-political solo albums. O'Shea Jackson (born June 15 1969 better known by his Stage name Ice Cube, is an American Actor, Screenwriter, producer, and

Others

The rap group Run DMC are often credited with popularizing hardcore and abrasive attitudes and lyrics in hip hop culture, and were one of the first rap groups to dress in gang-like street clothing. Run-DMC was a pioneering hip hop group during the 1980s founded by Joseph "[The Reverend] Run" Simmons, Darryl "D Their socially conscious lyrics and the influence of rappers like Kool G Rap and Rakim would later influence socially conscious gangsta rappers and hardcore rappers such as Ice Cube and Nas. Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20 1968) better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American Hardcore rapper from the Corona Rakim (pronounced Rah-KIM (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin Jr O'Shea Jackson (born June 15 1969 better known by his Stage name Ice Cube, is an American Actor, Screenwriter, producer, and Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper Rappers such as Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, LL Cool J, the group EPMD, and the seminal hardcore group Public Enemy would further popularize hard-hitting, aggressive, often socio-political lyrics, sometimes revolving around street violence, poverty, and gunplay. Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968 in Brooklyn New York) better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an African-American Ricky Walters (born January 14 1965) better known by Stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler, is a Grammy James Todd Smith (born January 14 1968 better known as LL Cool J, is an American Rapper and actor EPMD is an American Hip hop group from Brentwood, New York, active for more than 20 years ( 1986 –present is one of the most Public Enemy, also known as PE, is an influential hip hop group from Long Island New York, known for its politically charged Lyrics, criticism Aside from N. W. A. and Ice T, early West Coast rappers include Too Short (from Oakland, California), Kid Frost (who was an important Latin MC), and others from Compton, Watts, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco. Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28 1966) better known by his Stage name Too Short (seen on album covers as Too $hort) is an American Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U Arturo Raymond Molina Jr (born May 31, 1962 in East Los Angeles California) better known as Frost (Originally Kid Frost) is a Compton is a city located in Southern Los Angeles County California, USA, south-southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Watts is a residential district in southern Los Angeles California (more specifically part of South Los Angeles) The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Kool G Rap used more and more crime-related themes in his lyrics towards the end of the decade. Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20 1968) better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American Hardcore rapper from the Corona

1990-Present

Ice-T

Ice-T released one of the seminal albums of the genre, OG: Original Gangster in 1991. OG Original Gangster is the fourth album by Ice T. Released in 1991, the album has been praised by many as the artist's best album It also contained a song by his new thrash metal group Body Count, who released a self titled album in 1992. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Body Count is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990 Body Count is the eponymous debut album of American heavy metal band Body Count. The group attracted a lot of media attention for the Cop Killer controversy. " Cop Killer " is a 1992 song by American Heavy metal band Body Count, from their 1992 self-titled debut album.

His next album, Home Invasion, was postponed as a result of the controversy, and was finally released in 1993. Home Invasion is the fifth solo album by Ice T. Released in 1993, the album was Ice T's first release on Rhyme Syndicate Records. While it contained gangsta elements, it was his most political album to date. Political hip hop is a form of Hip hop music that developed in the 1980s After that, he left Time-Warner records. Time Warner Inc ( is the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, headquartered in New York City. Ice-T's subsequent releases went back to straight gangsta-ism, but were never as popular as his earlier releases. He had alienated his core audience with his involvement in metal, his emphasis on politics and with his uptempo Bomb-Squad style beats during a time when G-funk was popular. G-funk, or Gangsta Funk, is a type of Hip hop music that emerged from West Coast Gangsta rap in the early 1990s He published a book "The Ice Opinion: Who Gives a Fuck?" in 1994.

G-funk and Death Row Records

Main Article: G-Funk

In 1992, former N. W. A member Dr. Dre released The Chronic, which further established the dominance of West Coast gangsta rap and Death Row Records, and also began the subgenre of G-funk, a slow, drawled form of hip hop that dominated the charts for some time. The Chronic is the Debut album of Hip hop producer and rapper Dr Death Row Records was a Record label that was founded in 1991 by Dr Extensively sampling P-Funk bands, especially Parliament and Funkadelic, G-funk was multi-layered, yet simple and easy to dance to, with anti-authoritarian lyrics that helped endear it to many young listeners. P-Funk (also spelled P Funk or P Funk) is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament was an African American music band most prominent during the 1970s Funkadelic was an African American music band most prominent during the 1970s Another G-Funk success was Ice Cube's Predator album, released at the same time as The Chronic in 1992. O'Shea Jackson (born June 15 1969 better known by his Stage name Ice Cube, is an American Actor, Screenwriter, producer, and The Predator is a 1992 and third solo album by Ice Cube. Released within months after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, many of the songs comment on It sold over 5 million copies and was #1 in the Charts, despite the fact that Ice Cube wasn't a Death Row artist. One of the genre's biggest crossover stars was Dre's protégé Snoop Doggy Dogg (Doggystyle, 1993), now known as Snoop Dogg, whose exuberant party-oriented themes made songs such as "Gin and Juice" club anthems and top hits nationwide. Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of Doggystyle is the 1993 debut album by American West Coast hip hop artist Snoop Doggy Dogg, released by Death Row Records. " Gin and Juice " is the second single by rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg, from his Debut album Doggystyle. Tupac Shakur (All Eyez on Me, 1996) has endured as one of the most successful and influential hip hop artists of all time. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper All Eyez on Me is the fifth studio album and a Double album by U Snoop and Tupac were both artists on Death Row Records, owned by Dre and Marion "Suge" Knight. Marion Hugh Knight Jr, better known as Suge Knight, is an Entrepreneur in the Hip hop music industry and co-founder and CEO of Death Many of Tupac's greatest hits sampled or interpolated earlier music by Zapp & Roger. In Music and Musical composition, especially 20th century and later interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with (almost immediate Zapp (also known as the Zapp Band or Zapp and Roger) was a soul and Funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman

Mafioso rap

Mafioso rap is a hip hop sub-genre which flourished in the mid-1990s. It is the pseudo-Mafia extension of East Coast hardcore rap, and was the counterpart of West Coast G-Funk rap during the 1990s. The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century In contrast to West Coast gangsta rappers, who tended to depict realistic urban life on the ghetto streets, Mafioso rappers' subject matter included self-indulgent and luxurious fantasies of rappers as Mobsters, or Mafiosi. Raekwon and Nas popularized the genre with their albums "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" and "It Was Written". Corey Woods, known by his stage name Raekwon, is an American East Coast Rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper It Was Written is the second Studio album by rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 in the United States, Canada Other East Coast rappers, such as Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. began to take on as well. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again One notable example of the genre came about in 1995 with the debut album from AZ entitled Doe or Die. Doe or Die is the debut album by New York emcee AZ. Released in 1995 (see 1995 in music) AZ was introduced to the world on Nas 's Several songs (Sugar Hill and Mo' Money, Mo' Murder, Mo' Homicide especially) depicted self indulgent fantasies of living the high life and of the murder of a highly respected Mob Boss. After almost a decade of being absent, mafioso rap saw a rebirth in 2006 when Southern rapper Rick Ross (rapper) released the song "Hustlin'", and his album "Port of Miami (album)" dealt heavily with the drug trade and crime and also had several samples and references to the popular movie "Scarface (1983 film)". William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28 1976 better known by his Stage name Rick Ross (seen on album covers as Rick Ro$$) is an African American " Hustlin " is the first single off Miami rapper Rick Ross 's debut album Port of Miami. Port of Miami is the debut album by Miami rapper Rick Ross. The name of the album is a reference to Miami being a major arrival destination for cocaine shipments ' Scarface' is a 1983 Crime film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana

East Coast hardcore and gangsta rap

Meanwhile, rappers from New York City, such as Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo (Live and Let Die, 1992, Black Moon (Enta Da Stage, 1993), Wu-Tang Clan (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 1993), Onyx (Bacdafucup, 1993), Mobb Deep (The Infamous, 1995), Nas (Illmatic, 1994), the Notorious B.I.G. (Ready to Die, 1994), and Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, 1995) pioneered a grittier sound known as East Coast hardcore rap. Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20 1968) better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American Hardcore rapper from the Corona DJ Polo was one half of the rap duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo The two recorded for Cold Chillin' Records under producer Marley Marl. Black Moon is an american hip hop group consisting of members Buckshot, 5ft and DJ Evil Dee (of Da Beatminerz) Enta da Stage is the debut album of American East Coast hip hop group Black Moon, released on October 19 1993 through Nervous Records Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers is the Debut album of American East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, released November Onyx is a rap-group from New York City. Originally formed in 1989 by Fredro Starr, Sonee Seeza, the late Big DS, the group later added Bacdafucup (pronounced) is the Multi-platinum first album from Hardcore hip hop group Onyx. Mobb Deep is a hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The Infamous is the second album by Queensbridge hip hop duo Mobb Deep. Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again Ready to Die is the Grammy Nominated and Billboard Award Winning debut Studio album by East Coast Rapper The Notorious B Corey Woods, known by his stage name Raekwon, is an American East Coast Rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. B. I. G. and the rest of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records roster paved the way for New York City to take back chart dominance from the West Coast as gangsta rap continued to explode into the mainstream. Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean It is widely speculated that the "East Coast/West Coast" battle between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records resulted in the deaths of Death Row's Tupac Shakur and Bad Boy's Notorious B. I. G. This had a knock-on effect on Death Row itself, which sank quickly when most of its big name artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg left and it found itself on the receiving end of multiple lawsuits. Andre Romelle Young (born February 18 1965 primarily known by his stage name Dr Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of Dr. Dre, at the MTV Video Music Awards, claimed that "gangsta rap was dead". The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top Music videos of the year Although Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Entertainment fared better than its West Coast rival, it continued to lose popularity and support of the hip hop fan base with a more mainstream sound, and challenges from Atlanta and, especially, Master P's No Limit stable of popular rappers. Percy Miller, better known as P Miller, (formerly Master P is an American entertainer and entrepreneur No Limit Records is a Record label that began in 1990 as the No Limit Record Shop in Richmond California.

Southern and midwestern gangsta rap

After the deaths of Biggie and Tupac, gangsta rap remained a major commercial force. However, most of the industry's major labels were in turmoil, or bankrupt, and new locations sprang up.

Atlanta had been firmly established as a hip hop center by artists such as Goodie Mob and OutKast and many other Southern hip hop artists emerged in their wake, whilst gangsta rap artists achieving the most pop-chart success. Goodie Mob is a hip hop act based in Atlanta Georgia. Members Cee-Lo ( Thomas Callaway) Khujo ( Willie Knighton Jr Outkast (typeset as OutKast) is a Grammy Award -winning American hip hop duo based out of East Point Georgia, a city Jermaine Dupri, an Atlanta-born record producer and talent scout, had great success after discovering youthful pop stars Kris Kross (Totally Krossed Out, 1992) performing at a mall, and later masterminded a large roster of commercially successful acts on his So So Def label which although mostly weighted towards pop-rap & R&B, also included rap artists such as Da Brat (Funkdafied, 1994), and himself. Jermaine Dupri, also known as JD, (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin) is an American Record producer and Rapper. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Kris Kross was a teenage rap duo of the early 1990s The duo is most famous for their 1992 hit " Jump," and their fashion styling—consisting Totally Krossed Out is the debut album by rap duo Kris Kross. Shawntae Harris (born April 14, 1974) better known by her Stage name Da Brat is an American female rapper. Funkdafied is the debut album by female rapper Da Brat. It was released in 1994 and sold platinum making her the first female rapper to go platinum

Master P's No Limit Records label, based out of New Orleans, also became quite popular, though critical success was very scarce, with the exceptions of some later additions like Mystikal (Ghetto Fabulous, 1998). New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Michael L Tyler (born September 22, 1970) better known by his Stage name Mystikal, is an American Rapper who grew up in the Ghetto fabulous is an expression believed to have originated amongst African-Americans living in poor urban areas No Limit had begun its rise to fame with Master P's The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me! (1994), and subsequent hits by Silkk the Shocker (Charge It 2 Da Game, 1998) and C-Murder (Life or Death, 1998). Percy Miller, better known as P Miller, (formerly Master P is an American entertainer and entrepreneur This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994. Vyshonn King Miller, better known by his Stage name Silkk the Shocker, is an American rapper. For the football player of the same name see Corey Miller (football player. Life or Death is the debut album by rapper C-Murder. Track listing "Intro" "A 2nd Chance" (feat Cash Money Records, also based out of New Orleans, had enormous commercial success with a very similar musical style and quantity-over-quality business approach to No Limit but were less ridiculed. Cash Money Records is an Record label founded in 1991 by brothers Bryan "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams in New

Cleveland based rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony also had a monumental impact on the Midwestern gangsta rap scene. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip hop group from the Glenville section of Cleveland Ohio. The mid-1990s saw Bone metamorphose into an extremely popular commercial rap assemblage with the release of their critically acclaimed album E 1999 Eternal. E 1999 Eternal is the second album and the first major release by Midwest hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, released on July 25, Their fast, harmonizing vocals (coupled with their fast rap delivery) changed the limitations of gangsta rap.

Mainstream era

Before the late nineties, gangsta rap and hip hop in general, while being extremely popular, had always been seen as a fringe genre that remained firmly outside of the pop mainstream. However, the rise of Bad Boy Records signalled a major stylistic change in gangsta rap (or as it is referred to on the East Coast, hardcore rap), as it morphed into a new subgenre of hip hop which would become even more commercially successful. Ice Cube is seen to have contributed to gangsta rap's move towards conquering the pop charts, as he produced albums which included both gritty gangsta narratives and polished, catchy, danceable pop productions entirely aimed at the clubs and at the mainstream pop charts. O'Shea Jackson (born June 15 1969 better known by his Stage name Ice Cube, is an American Actor, Screenwriter, producer, and Between the release of Biggie's debut album Ready to Die in 1994 and his follow-up Life after Death in 1997, his sound changed from the darker, sample-heavy production to a cleaner, more upbeat sound fashioned for popular consumption (though the references to guns, drug dealing and life as a thug on the street remained). R&B-styled hooks and instantly recognizable samples of well-known soul and pop songs from the 1970s and 1980s were the staples of this sound, which was showcased primarily in his latter-day work for The Notorious B. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure I. G. ("Mo Money, Mo Problems"), Mase ("Feels So Good"), and non Bad Boy artists such as Jay-Z ("Can I Get A. This article is about the rapper For the basketball player nicknamed 'Mase' see Anthony Mason. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella . . ") and Nas ("Street Dreams").

Also achieving similar levels of success with a similar sound at the same time as Bad Boy was Master P and his No Limit label in New Orleans, as well as the New Orleans upstart Cash Money label. A Cash Money artist, The B.G., popularized a catch phrase in 1999 that sums up what the majority of late-nineties mainstream hip hop focused on subject-wise: "Bling-Bling. A catch phrase (or catchphrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance Bling-bling (or simply bling) is a Slang term in Hip hop culture referring to flashy or elaborate Jewelry and ornamented " Whereas much gangsta rap of the past had portrayed the rapper as being a victim of urban squalor, the persona of late-nineties mainstream gangsta rappers was far more weighted towards hedonism and showing off the best jewelry, clothes, liquor, and women. Many of the artists who achieved such mainstream success, such as G-Unit and Jay-Z, originated from the gritty East Coast rap scene and were influenced by hardcore artists such as the Notorious B. G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City. I. G and Nas. Mase, Jay-Z and Cam'Ron are also typical of the more relaxed, casual flow that became the pop-gangsta norm. Many of these artists are viewed as being rather illegitimately "gangsta" compared to their West Coast counterparts.

Pop-inflected gangsta rap continues to be successful into the 21st century, with many artists deftly straddling the divide between their hip hop audience and their pop audience, such as Ja Rule, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and many others. Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29 1976 Music career Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with the group Cash Money Click Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella

Notable Artists

Early gangsta rap artists

• Ice T
• N.W.A. (Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella)
• Compton's Most Wanted (MC Eiht, MC Chill, and Ant Capone)
• Kool G Rap
• Too Short
• Geto boys
• Just-Ice
• X-Raided
• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
• Snoop Doggy Dogg
• Tupac

Non-gangsta artists who were early influences on gangsta rap

• Afrika Bambaataa
• Beastie Boys (especially on Licensed To Ill and Paul's Boutique)
• Big Daddy Kane
• EPMD
• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
• Iceberg Slim
• LL Cool J
• Parliament/Funkadelic
• Public Enemy
• Run-DMC
• Schoolly D
• Slick Rick
• Sugarhill Gang
• UTFO
• Edo Maajka (inspired by KRS-1)

References

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic