By Malice Intended
Gangsta Rap was one of the many bi-products of the Crack era and the culture of selfishness and conspicuous consumption that resulted from it. The music played as a soundtrack to the mayhem that unfolded in urban areas around the country during the 1980’s and 90’s.
Rap music had always playfully flirted with gangster style imagery, but Gangsta Rap was a different beast entirely. Profane, excessively violent and misogynistic, it played a similar role to that of the Black Exploitation films and raunchy underground comedy albums of the 1970’s. Though it produced a few hit albums and notable stars in the 1980’s, it remained something of a low key phenomenon until the early to mid 90’s when it was discovered by the mainstream. It would soon supplant Rock music as America’s official outlaw music of choice.
Though Gangsta Rap in its purist sense is no longer the most prevalent or profitable form of Rap music, its influence is still evident. The synthesizer heavy grooves popularized by Andre Young and his brethren are still present in much of what is heard on Urban Radio today. So, in honor Of Al Capone’s birthday, Planet Ill Presents the Greatest Gangsta Rap Albums ever.
N.W.A Straight Outta Compton (1988)
It is always best, as they say, to start at the beginning. Straight Outta Compton may not have been the first “Gangsta” rap album, but it is easily the most influential. In fact, it is arguably the most influential Rap album ever. For better or worse it started the music on a course that changed it forever. Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and DJ Yella simultaneously made the city of Compton the most mythically infamous place in America and crafted a blueprint for all who followed in their path. They also rewrote the rulebook of what a Rap super group should be.
The content of the album was inspired by the gangbanging mentally that was out of control in the streets of South Central L.A. The lyrics and song titles read as tributes to that mentality. Dr Dre’s sonic backdrops are like a west coast interpretation of Rick Rubin’s “Slow & Low” sound on Early Def jam releases. Songs range from the unbelievably in your face protest anthem “Fuck The Police” to the Celebratory “Gangsta, Gangsta,” to the relentless, break beat assisted adrenaline rush of the title song.
The album set in motion the careers of two of Rap’s most prominent and prolific talents: Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Without Straight Outta Compton there would be no Death Row or G-Funk, and LA rappers would still be doing Electro.
NWA – “F*ck tha Police”
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NWA – “Gangsta, Gangsta”
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After helping to craft the blueprint of West Coast Gangsta music, Dr, Dre set out to perfect and refine it. The Chronic abandons the east coast influenced James Brown samples of Straight Outta Compton and adopts a more traditional and appealing approach to Rap music production. Samples are recreated with studio players and interpolated instead of being lifted directly from vinyl. The synthesized grooves of 1970’s and 1980’s funk records are melted over heavy drums. The slinky, snake-like vocals of then new comer Snoop Doggy Dogg merged with this experimental production style to create a new form of rap music like nothing anyone had ever heard before.
The experiment was a resounding success. Snoop Doggy Dogg instantly became Rap’s most loved and celebrated personality. The album was a multi platinum seller and produced Hit songs such as the instantly recognizable “Ain’t Nuthin But a ‘G’ Thang” and “Dre Day.” The songs that didn’t make radio playlists still became hits with urban and suburban youth nationwide. The Chronic also has the distinction of being one of the first West Coast Gangsta Rap albums to be openly embraced by East Coast Hip-Hop press and Radio outlets. It kick started the Death Row records revolution and seemed to never bottom out of momentum.
Dr. Dre – “Let Me Ride”
Dr. Dre – “Rat Tat Tat Tat”
Ice Cube-Amerikkka’s Most Wanted (1990)
After splitting with N.W.A and Ruthless Records on notoriously bad terms, Ice Cube headed east and enlisted the help of The Bomb Squad to start his solo career. This collaboration between east and west resulted in one of Rap’s first and best concept albums and Ice Cube became one of the most widely embraced rappers of his generation.
Though the album doesn’t have an overall story arch, the songs nonetheless seem to follow a certain theme. They play like diary entries of a gang banger in south central. Everyday activities such as crap games (“What They Hittin’ Foe”) and an ill-advised visit to the projects (“Once Upon a Time in the Projects”) play out in vivid detail. The militant political stance of Death Certificate is precursored by Cube’s collaboration with Chuck D, “Endangered Species”. The tracks provided by The Bomb Squad make for some truly manic and fascinating soundscapes.
Ice Cube – “Once Upon A Time In the Projects”
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Ice Cube – “A Gangstas Fairytale”
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The Notorious B.I.G-Ready to Die (1994) & Life after Death (1997)
While many like to compare these albums, a better outlook would be to view them as a one two combination. Even more unfortunate is how some view these albums as being indicative of the east coast’s penchant for maligning and then appropriating the styles and traditions of other regions. That is truly a shame, as both of B.I.G’s albums play as love letters to the West Coast Gangsta scene. His debut and sophomore set pay tribute to a sound that captivated the country at the time, while tailoring it for New York sensibilities.
Ready to Die is the most East Coast centric of the two. It plays like an east coast version of Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, with skits and interludes tying the album together thematically and setting the appropriate mood. The more well known singles from the album lay the foundation for Bad Boy’s ascendance (“Juicy” borrows heavily from Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” beginning a trend that P. Diddy would continue throughout the rest of the 1990’s). “B.I.G Poppa” uses whiny synthesizers during its chorus that were a trademark of G-Funk at the time. Other tracks, like Easy Mo B’s “Machine Gun Funk” and Primo’s lone, stand out contribution “Unbelievable” keep the album firmly grounded in gutter NY sensibilities
Life After death, the much more polished and cohesive follow-up, veers even further away from B.I.G’s New York roots and further embraces the synergy of Rap and modern R&B. The themes remain firmly entrenched in the worlds of east coast “Mafioso” rap and west coast gangsta influences, but B.I.G includes even more radio friendly songs aimed at female audiences. “Mo Money, Mo Problems” became a club standard, shamelessly lifting elements from Diana Ross’s Disco classic “I’m Coming Out”. Primo again provides B.I.G with his gritty New York best on “Ten Crack Commandments”, which infamously uses Chuck D’s voice during the break.
Notorious BIG – “Gimme the Loot”
Notorious BIG – “Suicidal Thoughts”
Raekwon the Chef featuring Ghostface Killah – Only Built 4 Cuban linx (1995)
Not to be undone, Wu-Tang Clan developed a new “chamber” that crystallized the emerging Mafioso scene on the east coast. Raekwon’s first solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx was largely collaborative effort between him and Ghost, who established themselves as one of the best duos around.
Cuban Linx is actually an eclectic stew of pop culture influences and references. Skits and interludes borrow bits of dialogue from the expected sources (Kung-Fu films, Brian De Palma’s Scarface, The Mack) and some unexpected ones as well (John Woo’s action classic The Killer). The Rza’s sonic backdrops are as varied and colorful as endless as his list of references. The songs and subject matter range from reflective storytelling (“Can It All Be So Simple Remix”) to defiant declarations of criminality (“Criminology”, “Wu-Gambinos”). The albums lone guest, Nas, delivers one of the best verses of his career on “Verbal Intercourse”.
Raekwon feat. Ghostface and Nas – “Verbal Intercourse”
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Raekwon feat Ghostface, Method Man and Cappadonna- “Ice Cream”
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Mobb Deep-The Infamous (1995)
Queens duo Mobb Deep opted for a more organic approach to the prospect of developing a New York-centric brand of gangsta music. The beats provided by Havoc would be strictly Boom-Bap. No whiny synthesizers or keyboard bass lines. The mood is decidedly dark and foreboding. Havoc and Prodigy paint a picture of Queensbridge Projects that is hardly inviting. Prodigy’s vocal tone betrays an odd sort of detachment that gives his verses a chilling emotionlessness. Take his opening line from the manifesto “Shook Ones Part II”:
I got you stuck off the realness, we be the infamous you heard of us official Queensbridge murderers
Things become even grimmer with the evil piano chords of “Survival of the Fittest”, which plays as a declaration of war and a warning to potential victims. The Q-tip produced “Drink Away The Pain” (similar in theme and execution to Spice-1’s 187 Proof) offers a peak into the underlying sadness of the world portrayed on the album; otherwise things rarely veer off course. The Infamous is one of the most relentlessly listenable albums of its era.
Mobb Deep – “Up North Trip”
Mobb Deep – “Cradle to the Grave”
Makaveli (2Pac)-The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
As any knowledgeable 2pac fan would tell you, it would be inaccurate to assign him or his persona to any single subgenre of Rap music. His subject matter and emotional range simply won’t allow for easy categorization. That said, his influence and impact on Gangsta Rap simply cannot be overstated.
Recorded and released under the moniker Makaveli, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory functions as a letter of the poison pen to Pac’s enemies. Though the subject matter isn’t limited to personal vengeance, it is that theme that provides the album with its most memorable moments. The haunting organs and keys of “Hail Mary” as effective today as they ever were, the same goes for Pac’s somber vocals that loom over the track forebodingly. “Against All Odds” is a more precise and calculated alternative to the venomous “Hit em Up”. “Me and My Girlfriend” is a love ballad to Pac lifelong companion, his gun.
Scarface–Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991)
Brad Jordan aka Scarface is a master of establishing mood. Along with graphically violent and profane tales of life on the streets of Houston Texas, ‘Face incorporated Christian themes and an emotional depth that was largely absent from the genre at the time. A true storyteller at heart, needless lyrical acrobatics are of no interest to him. He gives it to you straight, no chaser.
Scarface has one of the more consistent catalogs in Rap, so it’s somewhat difficult to single out any one album as his “best.” His debut, Mr. Scarface Is Back provides a handy overview of his abilities. Besides boasting an unforgettable title and a perfectly used Marvin Gaye sample, “A Minute to Pray and A Second to Die” reeks of sadness and regret. “Money and the Power” is a solid story that gives a look inside the mind of a drug dealer headed for a fall. This debut established Face as one of the best and most quietly influential rappers of all time.
Jay-Z –Reasonable Doubt (1996)
It may be hard for some to fathom, but there was a time when Jay-Z was not a star. When Reasonable Doubt dropped in the summer of 1996, many didn’t know quite what to expect from a rapper that they knew mainly from guest spots and an appearance in the video for The Jaz’s “Hawaiian Sophie”. Little did they know it was the beginning of a stellar and storied career.
More than any other album of its era, Reasonable Doubt personifies the world of drug dealing and hustling in its purist sense. It is often regarded simply as an east coast Mafioso album, and while it does make heavy use of that imagery it would be incorrect to dismiss it as such. Though it contains its fair share of bragging and romanticism, songs like “Dead Presidents Part II” and “Regrets” are somber and mournful. The “Seven Minutes of Funk” sample on “Ain’t No Nigga” provided a more than suitable introduction to a then largely unknown Foxy Brown, and “Brooklyn’s Finest” is a lively collaboration between The Notorious B.I.G that would sadly one of few.
Jayz feat. Notorious BIG – Brooklyn’s Finest
Jayz – Dead Presidents II
Compton‘s Most Wanted-Music to Driveby (1992)
Mc Eiht was never the most dynamic lyricist, but his image and vocal presence exuded a sort of authenticity that made his tales of the hood seem more authentic than most. You felt as though you were getting a ground zero account of what it was like to be a Tragnew Park Compton Crip. Accompanied by the sometimes jazzy yet always funky soundscapes of DJ Slip, The Gangsta music crafted by Compton’s Most Wanted wasn’t as marketable as that of N.W.A, but it is easily as memorable.
Their third studio album, Music to Driveby is the perfect example of what West Coast Gangsta Rap was before it became a fixture on national news headlines and Billboard charts. Eiht’s slow drawl oozes menacingly over the Issac Hayes sample used in “Hood Took Me Under.” “Who’s Fucking Who” is a reply to Tim Dog’s “Fuck Compton” that skillfully uses Tim’s own voice and lyrics as a weapon against him. “N 2 Deep” is a machismo fueled duet with Scarface that perfectly displays the earthy appeal of both artists.
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