Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappers flaunt associations with real street gangs, like the Crips and the Bloods. Gangsta rap's pioneers were Schoolly D of Philadelphia in 1985, Ice-T of Los Angeles in 1986, and especially N.W.A in 1988. In 1993, via record producer Dr. Dre, rapper Snoop Dogg, and their G-funk sound, gangsta rap took the rap genre's lead and became mainstream, popular music.
Eric Lynn Wright, known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".
Artis Leon Ivey Jr., known professionally as Coolio, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and actor. Coolio achieved mainstream success in the mid-to-late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). He is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award-winning hit single "Gangsta's Paradise", as well as other singles "Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "1, 2, 3, 4 " (1996) and "C U When U Get There" (1997).
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.
Anthony H. Forté, better known by his stage name Rappin' 4-Tay, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California.
Murder Was the Case is a 1994 short film and soundtrack album starring and performed by Snoop Doggy Dogg. The 18 minute film was directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy and chronicles the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a deal with the Devil. The film's title comes from Snoop's song of the same name from his debut album, Doggystyle, which had been released a year earlier.
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a song by American rapper Coolio, featuring American singer L.V. The song was released on Coolio's second album of the same name, as well as the soundtrack for the 1995 film Dangerous Minds. It samples the chorus and instrumentation, and includes some of the lyric of Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Pastime Paradise".
R&G : The Masterpiece is the seventh studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 16, 2004, by Doggystyle Records, making its first on Star Trak Entertainment and Geffen Records. Recording sessions took place from November 2003 to September 2004 in each of several recording studios. The album's production was handled from The Neptunes, The Alchemist, Lil Jon, Hi-Tek, Warryn Campbell, and L.T. Hutton, among others.
Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg, known then as Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album Doggystyle (1993), Snoop was charged with murder and in 1995, spent time preparing for the case that went to trial. On February 20, 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer. This was Snoop's final album on Death Row until 2022, when he acquired the rights to the Death Row Records trademarks from MNRK Music Group, releasing BODR the same year. This would be his last album under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg. Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996, with Suge Knight as the executive producer on the album, alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly and L.T. Hutton; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Kurupt tha Kingpin, Tray Dee and Warren G, among others.
Country rap is a fusion genre of popular music blending country music with hip hop–style rapping.
Keyshia Myeshia Cole is an American singer, songwriter and television personality. Her career began when she met MC Hammer at the age of 12, and later met rapper Tupac Shakur. At the age of 15, she moved to Los Angeles and was later introduced to A&M Records. She released her debut album, The Way It Is (2005), which spawned five singles: "Never", "I Changed My Mind", "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", "I Should Have Cheated", and "Love". It was certified gold within 17 weeks, and then platinum just eight weeks later. The album stayed on the charts for over a year, selling over 1.6 million copies.
Rap-A-Lot is a hip hop record label founded by James Prince in 1986. Smoke-a-Lot Records is a subsidiary.
Tyree Cinque Simmons, professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including Lil Uzi Vert, Jack Harlow, and Skeme on its roster. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta rapper T.I. and as a prominent mixtape DJ with his series, Gangsta Grillz. Numerous artists have appeared on DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz tapes, including Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Ludacris, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, and many others. He was a co-founder of the Atlanta-based DJ and artist collective known as the Aphilliates. Drama has released 5 studio albums, curating tracks with some of the industry's most lucrative talent, the most recent of which being Quality Street Music 2 in 2016.
The Dark Roads is the debut album by American rapper Seagram, released 1992 on Rap-A-Lot Records and Priority Records. The album features guest performances by labelmates: Scarface, Ganksta N-I-P, Bushwick Bill and Willie D. It peaked at number 74 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Souls on Ice is the third and final studio album by American rapper Seagram. It was released posthumously on August 12, 1997, by Rap-A-Lot/Noo Trybe Records, a year after Seagram's passing. Seagram was murdered by gunfire on July 31, 1996, while shielding his long-time friend Gangsta P.
Pre-Meditated Drama is the debut album by American rap duo Steady Mobb'n, released May 6, 1997 on Bomb Shelter and No Limit Records. The 12 songs DJ Daryl produced were recorded at The Grill Studios in Oakland California. It managed to gain decent success, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at 29 on the Billboard 200 selling 74,000 copies in its first week.
Down and Dirty is the debut album by American rap group The Click, released in 1992 on Sick Wid It Records. It peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Kimberly Michelle Pate is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame as the breakout star of VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta after appearing as a regular cast member for two seasons on the reality television series. Michelle subsequently signed with Atlantic Records. Her debut studio album, Rebellious Soul, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Her second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? was released on December 9, 2014. The album debuted at number six in the US and spawned three singles "Love 'Em All", "Maybe I Should Call" and "Hard to Do". The album sold 87,000 copies in its first week in sales.
Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, better known by her stage name Gangsta Boo, is an American rapper, who was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She was the first female member of the Memphis-based hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, where she initially rose to prominence. She left the group and label sometime in 2002, months after the release of her second album, Both Worlds *69, due to money disputes and issues regarding promotion of her album. She has since released mixtapes alongside artists like La Chat and Yelawolf, as well as some solo music. She has also been featured on albums by clipping. and Run The Jewels. She has been referred to as a pioneer of female rap music.
