Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture and values typical of urban gangs, reality of the world and street hustlers. Emerging in the late 1980s, gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles, later expanding in California with artists such as N.W.A and Tupac Shakur. In 1992, via record producer and rapper Dr. Dre, rapper Snoop Dogg, and their G-funk sound, gangster rap broadened to mainstream popularity.
James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J, is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.
West Coast hip-hop is a regional genre of hip-hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip-hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the early to-mid 1990s with the birth of G-funk and the emergence of record labels such as Suge Knight and Dr. Dre's Death Row Records, Ice Cube's Lench Mob Records, the continued success of Eazy-E's Ruthless Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and many others.
Hip hop music has been popular in Africa since the early 1980s due to widespread African American influence. In 1985, hip hop reached Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa. Some of the first Senegalese rappers were Munyaradzi Nhidza Lida, M.C. Solaar, and Positive Black Soul.
UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop, is a music genre and culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of R&B/hip-hop. British hip hop can also be referred to as Brit-hop, a term coined and popularised mainly by British Vogue magazine and the BBC. British hip hop was originally influenced by the dub/toasting introduced to the United Kingdom by Jamaican migrants in the 1950s–70s, who eventually developed uniquely influenced rapping in order to match the rhythm of the ever-increasing pace and aggression of Jamaican-influenced dub in the UK. Toasting and soundsystem cultures were also influential in genres outside of hip hop that still included rapping – such as grime, jungle, and UK garage.
Indian hip hop is a genre of popular music developed in India. Desi hip hop is a term given by Bohemia for music and culture which combines the influences of hip hop and the Indian subcontinent; the term desi referring to the South Asian diaspora. The term has also come to be used as an alternative for rap music and even pop music which involves rappers of South Asian origins.
Pop rap is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip hop with pop's preference for melodic vocals, catchy hooks, and positive lyrics on pop-like productions and structure. This genre gained mainstream popularity during the 1990s, though the influences and roots of pop rap can trace back to late-1980s hip-hop artists such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and Beastie Boys.
Frazier Othel Thompson III, better known by his stage name Trae tha Truth, is an American rapper. He embarked on a recording career in 1998, and established local prominence in the Texas hip hop scene with his solo debut, Losing Composure (2003). His second and third albums, Same Thing Different Day (2004) and Restless (2006), followed thereafter, the latter of which was his debut on Rap-a-Lot Records.
Hip-hop or hip hop is a genre of popular music that emerged in the early 1970s in New York City. The genre is characterized by stylized rhythmic sounds—often built around disco grooves, electronic drum beats, and rapping, a percussive vocal delivery of rhymed poetic speech as consciousness-raising expression. The music developed as part of the broader hip-hop culture; while often used to refer solely to rapping and rap music, "hip-hop" more properly denotes the practice(s) of the entire subculture. The term hip-hop music is sometimes used synonymously with the term rap music, though rapping may not be the focus of hip-hop music. The genre also centers DJing, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks.
Tyler Gregory Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip hop during the 2010s. Okonma became well known in the late 2000s, when he emerged on the internet as the leader and co-founder of the music collective Odd Future. Within the group, Okonma participated as a rapper, producer, director and actor, releasing studio albums that he produced for its respective members. Okonma also performed on his sketch comedy show Loiter Squad (2012–2014).
Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., better known by his stage name Young Dolph, was an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He first garnered mainstream attention for his guest appearance on O.T. Genasis' 2015 single "Cut It", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, he released his debut studio album King of Memphis (2016), which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200. His fifth album, Rich Slave (2020), peaked at number four on the chart.
Drill is a subgenre of hip-hop music that originated in Chicago in the early 2010s. It is sonically similar to the trap music subgenre and lyrically similar to the gangsta rap subgenre. Early drill artists are noted for their explicit, confrontational style of lyricism and association with crime in Chicago, especially the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples. The genre progressed into the American mainstream in 2012 following the success of pioneering rappers like Chief Keef, Lil Reese, Lil Durk, Fredo Santana, G Herbo, Lil Bibby and King Louie, who had many local fans and a significant internet presence alongside producer Young Chop. Other rappers, such as Lil JoJo, FBG Duck, S. Dot, Edai, L'A Capone, RondoNumbaNine, SD and producer Leek-E-Leek also contributed to the early drill scene. Chief Keef, in particular, is considered the primary progenitor and popularizer of drill music, responsible for bringing it to the mainstream. The growing fanbase sparked major label interest, leading to deal negotiations and signings.
Durk Devontay Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a pioneering artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, he has been noted as one of the subgenre's most commericially successful rappers. He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.
Vivian Wilson Fernandes, known professionally as Divine, is an Indian rapper. Born and raised in Andheri, Mumbai, Divine is credited as one of the pioneers of the Indian hip-hop scene and for bringing it to mainstream attention. His lyrics often reflect his experiences growing up in the chawls of Mumbai, focusing on themes such as street life, struggles, and aspirations. He started gaining popularity after the release of his single "Yeh Mera Bombay" in 2013. He broke through with the release of "Mere Gully Mein" in 2015, which featured fellow Mumbai-based rapper Naezy.
Krishna Kaul, known mononymously as Krishna, stylised now as KR$NA, is an Indian rapper. He was one of the earliest rappers to emerge in the Indian hip hop scene in the mid-2000s under the stage name Prozpekt. He is widely acknowledged within the Desi Hip Hop community for pioneering a lyrical revolution in the genre, infusing a new wave of poetic depth and lyrical complexity into hip hop's narrative. He was also briefly featured in the 2019 Bollywood film Gully Boy as himself.
Dominique Armani Jones, known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes Harder than Hard and Too Hard — the former of which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single, "My Dawg." He signed with Quality Control Music, an imprint of Motown and Capitol Records to release his debut studio album Harder Than Ever (2018), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten single "Yes Indeed". Later that year, he released the collaborative mixtape Drip Harder with fellow Georgia-based rapper Gunna, and his solo mixtape Street Gossip; the former spawned his second top-ten single "Drip Too Hard", while the latter peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.
Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois, who was affiliated with the Black Disciples gang. He was considered a preeminent figure in the drill genre.
Haile Malik Salaam, known professionally as Xanman, is an American rapper from Landover, Maryland. He gained significant attention in 2019 with his single "Gucci Down". Xanman has worked with a number of other Maryland rappers including his cousin YungManny and frequent collaborator Goonew. Goonew died in March 2022 from gunshot wounds.
Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, known professionally as Central Cee, is a British rapper from Shepherd's Bush, London. He rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of his singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading". His first mixtape, Wild West (2021), debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, while his second, 23 (2022), debuted atop the chart.
David Wallace III, known professionally as Kashdami, is an American rapper from Prince George County, Maryland. He is known for his distinct melodic flow, melding distorted 808s with catchy hooks, and clever wordplay. He initially rose to popularity in 2020 with his song "Kappin Up", which later received a music video from WorldStar. In 2021 he regained popularity on video platform TikTok with his songs "Reparations", "Look N The Mirror", and "14" which featured rapper tana. These songs lead to heavy amounts of traction and growth on Wallace's SoundCloud and TikTok accounts and helped pushed the Plugg sound to the mainstream. He released his first major label mixtape epiphany in June 2021
