Those wanting to steal the throne would check somebody’s Gangsta. Every now and then people would hear about rappers having beef (sometimes fatal) about reputations. Middle America thinks you are the reincarnation of Capone and for now you are content to keep sending out this image. The record company is happy, you are happy. You make a record about your area and talk about the trials and tribulations you’ve been through. You spot rap as a way out, so do some of the people in your crew. Maybe you’ve even dealt a little dope or hustled a bit to support yourself. You can flow a bit, and live in the hood. The end of street cred and the gangsta as we knew him Yet factors outside of its influence were about to bring it to its knees. At it’s height gangster rap was the major genre in rap, commercially and artistically. Record companies and artists alike created a web of onscreen personas and off screen deals to ensure that the pie was big enough for all to eat of. Looking back, we can also see that, much like during the Mafia Castellammarese Wars in the 1930 in the US, when many bought “made men status” because there was a war going on and soldiers were needed (thus applying less strict rules to those who entered the organizations), cred was being sold by those who could give in on order to ensure that the one getting the affiliation would be more successful. Characters like scarface (the movie) and the “pimp” got a polished rounding and struck a nerve with record buying public, thus even more pushing the tales that were being told in a certain direction.ģ. The celebration of wealth (in contrast to the celebration/empowerment of life that had been the dominant theme up until then via good time rap of Fresh Prince e.a or political rap of Public Enemy) started to take center stage, which in turn led to mediated tales of life on the streets being told. Now you were telling your story, which of course means somebody else’s was not being told.Ģ. This lead to the loss of independance in storytelling that had been visible in the work of NWA. Gang affiliation started infiltrating the genre (most noticeable in the early ‘90’s via Snoop Doggy Dogg, who was/ is a Crip). And a couple of things started to change from the original vision of NWA.ġ. From those who witnessed to those who had participated in crime, everybody grabbed the mike to spit the truth. What followed was a flood of gangster rap. Yet without intent they also united black and white America behind the color green 9 million sold of “straight out of Compton” without major airplay showed that there was money to be made in bringing the hood to America. Four guys from Compton were able to make White America take notice of what was going on. It was raw, uncut, the black answer to punk rock and Elvis. At it’s purest it was a depiction of the realities of life in south central LA.
In 1988 NWA broke down the doors for gangster rap. NWA- lyrics to the song: straight out of compton Squeeze The Trigger, And Bodies Are Hauled Off" "Straight Outta Compton, Crazy Motherfucker Named Ice Cubeįrom The Gang Called Niggaz With Attitudes
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