Gangsta rap appeared in the mid-1980s whereby the lyrics or the artists themselves were connected to American street gangs. The style originated in 1985 with artists such as Schoolly D, who influenced the genre with his self-title debut record, and Ice-T, who experienced success in 1986 with his defining track, 6 in the Mornin’. The following year, Ice-T released his similarly successful debut studio record Rhyme Pays. 1988 was a landmark year for gangsta rap, seeing the release of N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton which featured the infamous and controversial track Fuck tha Police which was a protest song covering the ongoing problem of police brutality. Coming from California, N.W.A’s immediate success subverted the idea that hip hop was exclusively an East Coast movement. Into the 90s, Ice Cube left N.W.A to release a variety of highly influential records.
- Henry Sheppard
- August 31, 2022
- 4:54 pm
