Tag: Gangsta Rap
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Capone-N-Noreaga ‘The War Report’ (1997)
The Queens rap duo of Kiam “Capone” Holley and Victor “Noreaga” Santiago first met in 1992 while serving time at Collins Correctional Facility and bonded over their shared backgrounds in Queensbridge and LeFrak City neighborhoods. After being released from prison they adopted stage names inspired by infamous gangsters and began recording together, signing with Penalty…
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Coolio ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ (1996)
“Gangsta’s Paradise” is an absolutely iconic hip hop song for about a million reasons. The stark social commentary. The cinematic production. The haunting orchestral sample from Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise.” The chorus hook delivered by singer LV (whose unforgettable, gospel-tinged hook gives the song a massive spiritual weight). All of the elements for greatness are…
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Dr. Dre ‘2001’ (1999)
Everyone (and I mean everyone) in my age group got a massive hit of nostalgia as soon as they saw this album cover come across their internet browser. To say 2001 was a formative album for anyone in their mid-30’s to their late-40’s is an understatement. This was the album that served as a soundtrack…
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Snoop Dogg ‘Doggystyle’ (1993)
Snoop Dogg’s transition from gangsta rap icon to mainstream celebrity is remarkable. Originating as Calvin Broadus, his partnership with longtime friend Dr. Dre, culminated in the success of his debut album Doggystyle in 1993.
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Raekwon ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…’ (1995)
Like we said when we discussed Ghostface’s 2000 album Supreme Clientele, any member of the Wu Tang Clan had their legacy pretty much cemented due to the sheer epicness of the group’s 1993 album 36 Chambers. But goddamn did their members ever have some bangers for solo albums, with Raekwon being no exception to that…
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The D.O.C. ‘No One Can Do It Better’ (1989)
An album titled No One Can Do It Better from an artist relatively unknown to the mainstream might sound like typical hip-hop bravado, but in this case, the claim holds weight. The D.O.C. is one of the most iconic “what could have been” stories in hip-hop history. Before releasing his debut in 1989, he was…
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Dr. Dre ‘The Chronic’ (1992)
The Chronic revolutionized hip-hop and established the G-Funk sound as a defining genre of the West Coast rap scene. Following his tumultuous departure from N.W.A. (which is detailed rather extensively throughout the entire album), Dre sought to carve out his own identity, blending smooth funk samples with hard-hitting beats. The album’s lush production, characterized by…
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Ice Cube ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ (1990)
Fresh off an acrimonious split with his prior group N.W.A. and riding the wave of massive superstardom that came along with their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, Ice Cube hit the studio to record his debut solo album. What he delivered in the face of those expectations is largely considered a hip-hop classic. It’s pretty…
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Geto Boys ‘We Can’t Be Stopped’ (1991)
In terms of memorable album covers We Can’t Be Stopped is a memorable entry. The cover features a real-life photo of Bushwick Bill in the hospital, flanked by his bandmates Scarface and Willie D, as he recovered from emergency surgery after getting shot in the eye following an argument with his then-girlfriend. The provocative nature…
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N.W.A. ‘Straight Outta Compton’ (1988)
From the first spoken words of Straight Outta Compton (“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge”) the tone is set. And as the bars unwind, starting with Ice Cube’s iconic opening line (“Straight outta Compton, crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube / From the gang called N**** with attitudes”), to MC Ren’s…
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ScHoolboy Q ‘Oxymoron’ (2014)
When ScHoolboy Q set out to release his first major label record distributed to music retailers (his first two albums were digital only) he had a clear vision of what he was looking to accomplish– a true gangsta rap album in the vein of late 90’s greats like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg that represented…
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JUVENILE ‘400 Degreez’ (1998)
When I was in middle school our local community center held dances once every few months. These were exciting days for a handful of reasons– the onset of puberty was in full overdrive, hormones raging, and there was an electricity in the air about meeting and dancing with girls at these mixers. And it was…
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2Pac ‘All Eyez on Me’ (1996)
Generation-defining artists like Tupac Shakur naturally get the benefit of contemporary listeners seeing their material with rose-tinted glasses on their material as the years go by. That benefit certainly applies to the final album released during their lifetime as well– that final release is typically put on a bit of a pedestal, even if the…
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Mac Dre ‘Ronald Dregan’ (2004)
Growing up in the Bay it was impossible to avoid Hyphy music during its heyday during the mid aughts, which coincided perfectly with my formative years in high school. And Mac Dre along with E-40 were indisputably the most influential figures in that scene. I honestly don’t know how much the Hyphy movement translated nationally…
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50 Cent ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)
Music in the early 2000’s still was largely controlled by the labels– this was the era before the proliferation of mainstream streaming services, and though Napster and other peer-to-peer networks could give artists a grassroots buzz, physical CD’s were still king. In other words, the the right marketing campaign still moved the needle for artists.…
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