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.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group formed in Compton, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music.
Lana Michele Moorer, better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a full solo album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock. The album spawned the singles "10% Dis" and "Paper Thin".
O'Shea Jackson Sr., better known as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
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, and others.
Robin Yvette Allen, known professionally as the Lady of Rage, is an American rapper, singer and actress best known for her collaborations with several other Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the seminal albums, The Chronic and Doggystyle. The Lady of Rage has been described as "one of the most skillful female MCs" with a "mastery of flow" and "hard-core lyrics".
100 Miles and Runnin' is an EP from the American gangsta rap group N.W.A. Released on August 14, 1990, this EP of five tracks reflects an evolution of N.W.A's sound and centers on the single "100 Miles and Runnin'." Two tracks, "100 Miles" and "Real Niggaz," incidentally incited N.W.A's feud with Ice Cube, who had left to start a solo rap career. The porno rap track "Just Don't Bite It," also drew notice. Pushing lyrical boundaries in its day, the EP went gold in November 1990 and platinum in September 1992.
The Source is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or semiannually. It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by David Mays.
Anthony Wheaton, professionally known by his stage name Sir Jinx, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper from Los Angeles. He is a cousin of multi-platinum producer Dr. Dre. He began his career as a member of the C.I.A. in the mid-80s with Ice Cube and Kid Disaster. He produced tracks for the likes of Dazzie Dee, Westside Connection, Too Short, Yo-Yo, Tone Loc, Kool G Rap, CeCe Peniston, Xzibit and Kurupt among others, and also remixed songs for Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Toni Braxton.
Da Lench Mob was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California, associated with Ice Cube. The group consisted of rappers Shorty, T-Bone, J-Dee, Maulkie, and Ice Cube. Their Islamic religious and social politically inspired-lyrics garnered much attention.
Death Certificate is the second studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on October 29, 1991 through Priority Records. The production on the album was primarily handled by Sir Jinx, DJ Pooh and Ice Cube. The album was supported by two singles: "Steady Mobbin'" and "True to the Game".
Robert Lee Greene Jr., better known by his stage name Spice 1, is an American rapper from Hayward, California. He began releasing albums in 1992, where he gained popularity as a pioneer of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop scene.
Kill at Will is an extended play by American rapper Ice Cube, released in 1990 via Priority Records. It was released soon after AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and capitalized on Cube's newfound solo success.
Live and Let Die is the third and final studio album by the American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo. It was released on November 24, 1992, via Cold Chillin' Records and features Big Daddy Kane, Bushwick Bill, Ice Cube and Scarface. The singles "Ill Street Blues" and "On The Run" both received consistent airplay on Yo! MTV Raps and BET's Rap City upon release.
"The Bitch in Yoo" is a single and diss song released by rapper Common in 1996. The song first appeared on the Relativity Records compilation Relativity Urban Assault and later on Roc Raida's Crossfaderz. It was also performed live alongside De La Soul on their album Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996. The b-side of "The Bitch in Yoo" is "The Real Weight", a solo track by No I.D.
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released on May 18, 1990, by Priority Records. It was his first solo album, after an acrimonious split from his former group N.W.A. Primarily produced by Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad, the album was a critical and commercial success, being certified platinum in the United States for selling over one million copies.
Make Way for the Motherlode is the debut studio album by the American West Coast hip-hop recording artist, Yo-Yo. Make Way for the Motherlode was released on March 19, 1991 through East West Records and Atlantic Records. The album featured production by Ice Cube, Sir Jinx, and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. Make Way for the Motherlode charted well on the Billboard Charts, peaking at number 74 on the Billboard 200 and number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Make Way for the Motherlode had two singles, including "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo" and "What Can I Do?", both of which featured Ice Cube. The background vocals for "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo" were sung by MC SOULA.
A number of hip hop artists in the United States are followers of Islam. Although some Muslims believe some or most forms of music are haram, these artists do not necessarily consider themselves as practicing orthodox Muslims.
10% Dis is a single from MC Lyte's album Lyte as a Rock produced by the hip hop duo Audio Two, who are also credited as songwriters.
The following is the discography of Yo-Yo, an American hip hop musician.
