Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of hip-hop that conveys the culture and values typical of urban gangs 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.
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, formed in Englewood, New Jersey in 1979. Their hit "Rapper's Delight", released the same year they were formed, was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's only U.S. hit, though they would have further success in Europe until the mid-1980s. The trio reformed in 1994 and embarked on a world tour in 2016.
Baby V.O.X was a South Korean K-pop group formed in 1997, whose final and best-known line-up consisted of Kim E-Z, Lee Hee-jin, Kan Mi-youn, Shim Eun-jin, and Yoon Eun-hye. It is considered one of the most prominent "first generation" K-pop girl groups of the late 1990s and early 2000s, along with S.E.S. and Fin.K.L, and is recognized as one of the groups at the forefront of the Korean Wave, having broken into the Chinese market. The group released seven studio albums and disbanded in 2006.
UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop, is a genre of music, and a 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.
"Ghetto Gospel" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur, which was released as the lead single from his 2004 posthumous album Loyal to the Game. The song was produced by American rapper Eminem and features a sample of Elton John's 1971 song "Indian Sunset".
"Changes" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring R&B group Talent. It was recorded in 1992 before being remixed and released as a single from Shakur's Greatest Hits compilation on October 13, 1998. The song makes references to the many wars in the Middle East, the war on drugs, the treatment of black people by the police, racism, the reconciliation between the black and white people in America, the perpetuation of poverty and its accompanying vicious-cycle value system in urban African American culture, and the difficulties of life in the ghetto.
The discography of American rapper Tupac Shakur consists of 11 studio albums. Throughout his career and posthumously, Shakur sold more than 75 million records worldwide. He has scored 5 No. 1 albums on Billboard 200 and 8 No. 1 albums on Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums. In 2001, Guinness World Records hailed him as the then Best-selling artist of rap in the US. According to Recording Industry Association of America, he has sold 37.5 million albums and an additional 4 million under his alias Makaveli with "The Don Killuminati", making him the second best-selling hip-hop artist in history.
"I Ain't Mad at Cha" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from Shakur's fourth studio album, All Eyez on Me (1996). It was released on September 15, 1996 two days after Shakur's death as the album's fourth and final single. The song features contemporary soul singer Danny Boy providing vocals for its hook and was written by Shakur, Danny Boy and Daz Dillinger, who produced the song using a sample from DeBarge's "A Dream". The lyrics focus on Shakur reminiscing about past friends, love interests and associates he has lost touch with. The song is widely considered one of Shakur's best with Cheo Hodari Coker calling it "possibly the best song 2Pac has ever recorded". In 1998, The Source ranked the song's three verses second in its category of "dopest verses" in the history of hip-hop.
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, E-40, K-Ci & JoJo, and the Outlawz, among others.
Joseph Ellis-Stephenson, better known by his stage name Dot Rotten or Zeph Ellis, is a British grime MC, rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer from Lambeth, South London.
Sirach Charles, better known by his stage name Angel, is an English singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer from West London, England. His single "Go In, Go Hard", featuring vocals from English rapper Wretch 32, was released on 18 March 2012. The song reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart. The following single, "Wonderful", performed better commercially, peaking at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and topping the UK R&B Chart.
"The Wave" is a 2011 song by British rapper Sneakbo. The song was released in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2011 by Play Hard Records, reached to number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and was added to BBC Radio 1's B-List.
Dominic Wynn Woods, better known by his stage name Sage the Gemini, is an American singer, rapper and record producer from Fairfield, California. He is best known for his 2013 singles "Gas Pedal" and "Red Nose," which peaked at numbers 29 and 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Both songs preceded his debut studio album Remember Me (2014), which was released by Republic Records and saw moderate critical and commercial reception. That same year, his guest appearance alongside Lookas on Flo Rida's 2014 single, "Going Down For Real (GDFR)" peaked at number eight on the chart and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He is a member of Bay Area hip hop collective the HBK Gang, and is the only member of the group alongside Kehlani and LoveRance to have signed to a major label.
Krept and Konan is a British hip hop duo from London, consisting of Casyo Valentine "Krept" Johnson BEM and Karl Dominic "Konan" Wilson BEM, the son of Delroy Wilson otherwise known as 'Jamaica's first child star'. Their first major release was the mixtape Young Kingz, released on 2 September 2013. As of 3 May 2013, Krept and Konan signed a record deal with Virgin EMI Records.
Brixton is the debut studio album by British rapper Sneakbo. It was released on 2 March 2018 independently by Jetskiwave Records. The album follows over nine years of Sneakbo releasing music, such as the commercial mixtape Certified (2015) and numerous non-album singles. Brixton includes guest appearances from Giggs, Not3s, Conor Maynard, and affiliates S.Wavey, M.Dargg, J Boy and Political Peak, among others. The majority of production is handled by Lekaa Beats, alongside additional production from Mazza Beats, ATG Musick and The Fanatix.
UK drill is a subgenre of drill music and road rap that originated in the South London district of Brixton from 2012 onwards. While being sonically distinct from Chicago drill music, it embraces its aesthetic and melds it with road rap, a British style of gangsta rap that became popular in the years prior to the existence of drill. UK drill lyrical content tends to be truculent, depicting the harsh realism of their lifestyles. The explicit lyricism has stimulated discussion about whether the subgenre is a factor in an increase in knife crime in London. Gang affiliation and socioeconomically-deprived backgrounds are common amongst UK drill artists.
Clive James Brooks, also known as Yungen, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Herne Hill, South London. Yungen first gained recognition for his 2011 F64 freestyle video for SB.TV, and by 2015 had been nominated for Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards.
Afroswing, also known as Afrobashment, or less commonly Afrobbean, or Afrowave is a genre of music that developed in the UK during the mid-2010s, derivative of dancehall and afrobeats, with influences from trap, British hip hop, R&B, and grime. Commercially, the genre has been very successful, with many afroswing artists making it into the British charts.
GAS Gang, also known more simply as GG or GAS, was a British street gang based in Brixton, South London that formed sometime in the late 2000s. The name carries various different meanings, such as Guns And Shanks, Gangsters Always Shoot, Grip And Shoot, and Grind And Stack. By 2012, they were considered one of the most dangerous gangs in South London, with at least 3 murders being committed by alleged gang members since 2010. The local council and police in 2012 believed the gang was responsible for three quarters of violent incidents involving young people in Brixton, with up to eight suspect members of the gang going to jail for attempted murder or murder.
Deno Michael Mebrahtu, known mononymously as Deno, is a British singer, songwriter, rapper and actor from London. His parents are originally from Eritrea, and he was raised in South London. He came to the forefront of London's afro-wave music scene beginning in 2018 with a number of viral music videos and hit songs.
