Gangsta Rap
Refresh this page with new images
Characterized more by violent imagery than a specific musical style, Gangsta Rap tells tales of street life from oftentimes thuggish and misogynistic viewpoints. Epitomized by the groundbreaking rap act N.W.A. on their 1989 debut Straight Outta Compton, Gangsta Rap has always been the most controversial incarnation of hip-hop music, inspiring outrage among law enforcement officials with titles "F*** Tha Police" and "Crooked Officer." Protests and legal threats from politicians and the religious right resulted in such an overwhelming abundance of negative publicity that giant media corporations dropped extremely lucrative artists and labels just to escape the scrutiny. While still controversial, the studio polish and media-savvy music videos of Notorious B.I.G. and his brethren brought Gangsta culture much closer to the mainstream in the late 1990s.