N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton (1988)
An outcry that will always be remembered and connected to the movement of gangsta rap, announcing the coming of N.W.A. as much as it was announcing the new road of the music genre. The anger and rawness of this level cannot be fabricated and acted, which is why the track resonated across the United States and the world. So even though gangster rap originated in the U.S., it truly became a worldwide phenomenon, greatly because of Straight Outta Compton which paved the road.
Snoop Dogg – Murder Was The Case (1993)
It might be hard to connect pure gangsta rap to the Snoop Dogg we know now, but it’s undeniable that he was one of the true pioneers of the genre, and its legend now. A beat that is truly anthem-worthy, religious-like, sets up the tone unlike any other rap song of the ’90s. Despite falling into the domain of fantasy lyrically, Murder Was the Case is a rivetingly real track, and Snoop is haunting in his delivery of the G-funk hymn.
The Notorious B.I.G. – Give Me the Loot (1994)
Quite possibly the most overlooked song on this list, but those who know it are in awe of it as it is storytelling gangster rap at its prime. Ranking four on our list of the best Biggie tracks, this track perfectly displays the humorous side that often goes with the gangster hip hop songs. Even though it seems that it’s more than one person bombing on this New York looting action song, it’s Biggie that’s providing for all the voices.
50 Cent – Many Men (2003)
Representing the current century alone, 50 Cent had many gangster songs, but none of them seemed more real and true than Many Men. The career defining and describing track comes from the famed Get Rich or Die Tryin’ album, and it has a very different beat compared to the rest of the songs on this list. Piano based instrumental, but not in the Kanye West way, Many Men is the perfect representation of the second big boom of hip hop that came in the early 2000s.
N.W.A. – Fuck the Police (1988)
Is there anything more gangster than screaming “fuck the police”? One of N.W.A.’s ultimate signature songs, it’s all about the delivery in this one, as the rawness comes through the speaker from the first bar. The beat is not all that important, it’s the realness of the messages that made this track became an anthem of the street and a classic song that won’t be forgotten through the ages.
Do you think we left out some better gangster rap songs? If so don’t shoot us, just write them in the comments.
