Gangsta rap is a genre of hip hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of some inner-city youths.[1] Gangsta is slang for the word gangster. The genre was pioneered around 1983 by Ice T with songs like Cold Wind Madness and Body Rock/Killers and was popularized by groups like N.W.A in the late 80s.[1] 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 left wing and right wing commentators, and religious leaders, who have accused the genre of promoting homophobia, violence, racism, profanity, promiscuity, misogyny, rape, street gangs, drive-by shootings, vandalism, thievery, drug dealing, alcohol abuse, substance abuse and materialism.
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 audiences. 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.
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 gangsta rap
3.5 Southern and midwestern gangsta rap
3.6 Mainstream era
4 See also
5 References