The Good Life Cafe was a health food market and cafe in Los Angeles, California , known for its open mic nights that helped the 1990s Los Angeles alternative hip hop movement flourish. In 2008, director Ava DuVernay , who had performed at the cafe with the Figures of Speech hip hop group, released a documentary about the cafe, This Is The Life . The film featured a number of hip hop artists discussing the importance of the Good Life Cafe to themselves and the hip hop scene. The Cafe was open from 1989 to 1999.
123-574: It was described as "a platform for rappers to perform their material" and "a testing ground for Los Angeles' independent rap scene". Artists like Ice Cube , Snoop Dogg , Lenny Kravitz , Mister CR , and others reportedly attended the open mic, while many other musicians honed their skills at the events. The Good Life Health Food Centre's weekly open-mic night began in December 1989. Started by B. Hall and her son R/KainBlaze with his friends The Mighty O-Roc and The Dynamic Flow, KNGR: The Underground Radio at
246-462: A longstanding issue in rap's bicoastal rivalry , the group aimed to reinforce West pride and resonate with the undervalued. The Westside Connection's first album, Bow Down (1996), featured tracks like "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go 'Round" that reflected the group's objectives. The album was certified Platinum by year's end. Interpreting rapper Common 's song " I Used to Love H.E.R. " as
369-576: A "natural Muslim ", claiming to do so because "it's just [him] and God". In 2012, he expressed support for same-sex marriage . In 2017, he said that he thinks "religion is stupid" in part and explained, "I'm gonna live a long life, and I might change religions three or four times before I die. I'm on the Islam tip—but I'm on the Christian tip, too. I'm on the Buddhist tip as well. Everyone has something to offer to
492-616: A South African exiled to America who returns 15 years later, Cube starred in the action thriller Dangerous Ground , and had a supporting role in Anaconda . In 1998, writing again, the director Ice Cube debuted in The Players Club . In 1999, he starred alongside George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg as a staff sergeant in Three Kings , set in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War , whereby
615-672: A causal relationship between rap music and alcohol abuse and violent acts, noting that young people who engage in this behavior may listen to rap music for any number of reasons, including to fit into a subculture or to find relatable content that reflects their life experiences and trauma. A 2020 study found no causal relationship between drill music , a gangsta rap genre with notoriously violent lyrics, and real-world violence when compared to police-recorded violent crime data in London. Critics of gangsta rap hold that it glorifies and encourages criminal behavior, and may be at least partially to blame for
738-421: A crack dealer and his posse to death (in self-defense). The album Criminal Minded followed in 1987, and was the first rap album to have firearms on its cover. Shortly after the release of this album, BDP's DJ, Scott LaRock was shot and killed. After this, BDP's subsequent records were more focused with the inadequate rationale removed. The New York–based Run-DMC and LL Cool J , though originating prior to
861-421: A diploma in architectural drafting , he returned to Los Angeles and rejoined N.W.A, but kept a career in architecture drafting as a backup plan. In 1986, at the age of 16, Ice Cube began rapping in the trio C.I.A. but soon joined the newly formed rap group N.W.A . He was N.W.A's lead rapper and main ghostwriter on its official debut album, 1988's Straight Outta Compton . Due to a financial dispute, he left
984-462: A diss of West Coast rap, Cube and the Westside Connection briefly feuded with him, but they resolved amicably in 1997. It was also at this time that Cube began collaborating outside the rap genre. In 1997, he worked with David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor on a remix of Bowie's " I'm Afraid of Americans ". In 1998, Cube was featured on the band Korn 's song " Children of
1107-475: A family adjusting to the matriarch's new husband, played by Terry Crews . On August 16, the show was renewed for 90 more episodes, amounting to six seasons. Cube also credits Tyler Perry for his entrée to TBS. In front of the television cameras, rather, Cube appeared with Elmo as a 2014 guest on the PBS children's show Sesame Street . In 1990, a musical associate in the rap group Public Enemy introduced Cube to
1230-454: A flop, its subsequent critical acclaim and commercial success encouraged other mainstream rappers to take greater creative risks with their music. During the release of The Blueprint 3 , New York rap mogul Jay-Z revealed that next studio album would be an experimental effort, stating, "... it's not gonna be a #1 album. That's where I'm at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made." Jay-Z elaborated that like Kanye, he
1353-570: A freezer and pull [him] out when [he] was an ice cube". Cube also attended William Howard Taft High School in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. He was bused 40 miles (64 km) to the suburban school from his home in a high-crime neighborhood. In the fall of 1987, soon after he wrote and recorded a few locally successful rap songs with N.W.A , he enrolled at the Phoenix Institute of Technology Phoenix, Arizona . In 1988, with
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#17330846167251476-585: A half-sister who was murdered when Cube was 12. He is a cousin of fellow rappers Del tha Funky Homosapien and Kam . He grew up on Van Wick Street in the Westmont section of South Los Angeles . In ninth grade at George Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles, Cube began writing raps after being challenged by his friend "Kiddo" in typewriting class. Kiddo lost. He has said that his stage name came from his older brother, who "threatened to slam [him] into
1599-465: A new subgenre of hip hop which would become even more commercially successful and popularly accepted. Gangsta Boo , Gangsta Blac, and Ghetto Twinz released Gangsta rap albums. The earlier, somewhat controversial crossover success enjoyed by popular gangsta rap songs like " Gin and Juice " gave way to gangsta rap's becoming a widely accepted staple on the pop charts in the late 1990s. R&B -styled hooks and samples of well-known soul and pop songs from
1722-605: A place to go to develop their own art. The no-cussing policy wasn’t about us being uptight church people, it was about wanting the atmosphere of a serious arts workshop. Most of the crowd respected the rule, some said it made rapping more challenging, that it created more respect and brotherhood." After the venue closed at night, people would continue with battles in the parking lot. In December 1995, several notable performers established Project Blowed which became its own successful venue. Lenny Kravitz , Common , Ice Cube , Snoop Dogg , will.i.am and Macy Gray reportedly attended
1845-484: A quarter of a mile outside of the city of Compton in Los Angeles county. While Dre was on the turntable, Ice Cube would rap, often parodying other artists' songs. In one instance, Cube's rendition was "My Penis", parodying Run-DMC's " My Adidas ". In 2015, the nightclub's co-owner and Wreckin' leader Alonzo Williams would recall feeling his reputation damaged by this and asking it not to be repeated. At 16, Cube sold his first song to Eric Wright, soon dubbed Eazy-E , who
1968-609: A role that Tupac Shakur then played. Cube starred as the university student Fudge in Singleton's 1995 film Higher Learning . Singleton, encouraging Cube, had reportedly told him, "If you can write a record, you can write a movie." Cube cowrote the screenplay for the 1995 comedy Friday , based on adult themes, and starred in it with comedian Chris Tucker . Made with $ 3.5 million, Friday drew $ 28 million worldwide. Two sequels, Next Friday and Friday After Next , were respectively released in 2000 and 2002. In 1997, playing
2091-456: A similar sound at the same time as Bad Boy was Master P and his No Limit label in New Orleans, as well as the New Orleans upstart Cash Money label. Three 6 Mafia , Lil Jon, Pitbull, and Crime Mob released "crunk" CDs. By the turn of the century, the style of gangsta rap pioneered by N.W.A. had long given way to materialism regarding money, women and cars. Gangsta rap was hugely popular in
2214-406: A statement setting release to 2017, the album finally arrived on December 7, 2018. In 2014, Cube appeared on MC Ren 's remix " Rebel Music ", their first collaboration since the N.W.A reunion in 2000. In 2020, Cube joined rappers Snoop Dogg , E-40 , Too Short and formed the supergroup Mt. Westmore . The group's debut album was released on June 7, 2022. Throughout early 2024, Ice Cube
2337-597: A total pay of $ 32,000, and the contract that Heller presented in 1989 did not confirm that he was officially an N.W.A member. After leaving the group and its label in December, Cube sued Heller, and the lawsuit was later settled out of court. In response, N.W.A members attacked Cube on the 1990 EP 100 Miles and Runnin' , and on N.W.A's next and final album, Niggaz4Life , in 1991. In early 1990, Ice Cube recorded his debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted , in New York with iconic rap group Public Enemy 's production team,
2460-653: A tribute song, "Raider Nation". In 2009, Ice Cube performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos , and returned to perform at the 2011 festival. On September 28, 2010, his ninth solo album, I Am the West , arrived with, Cube says, a direction different from any one of his other albums. Its producers include West Coast veterans like DJ Quik , Dr. Dre , E-A-Ski , and, after nearly 20 years, again Cube's onetime C.I.A groupmate Sir Jinx . Offering
2583-502: A verse for a remix of the Insane Clown Posse song " Chris Benoit ", from ICP's The Mighty Death Pop! album, appearing on the album Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium . In September 2012, during Pepsi 's NFL Anthems campaign, Cube released his second Raiders anthem "Come and Get It". In November 2012, Cube released more details on his forthcoming, tenth studio album, Everythang's Corrupt . Releasing its title track near
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#17330846167252706-1439: Is a grandfather. Gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap , initially called reality rap , is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture and values typical of urban gangs, reality of the world and street hustlers . Emerging in the late 1980s, gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles, later expanding in California with artists such as N.W.A and Tupac Shakur . In 1992, via record producer and rapper Dr. Dre , rapper Snoop Dogg , and their G-funk sound, gangster rap broadened to mainstream popularity. Gangsta rap has been recurrently accused of promoting disorderly conduct and broad criminality, especially assault, homicide, and drug dealing, as well as misogyny , homophobia , promiscuity, and materialism. Gangsta rap's defenders have variously characterized it as artistic depictions but not literal endorsements of real life in American ghettos, or suggested that some lyrics voice rage against social oppression or police brutality , and have often accused critics of hypocrisy and racial bias. Still, gangsta rap has been assailed even by some black public figures, including Spike Lee , pastor Calvin Butts and activist C. Delores Tucker . Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D
2829-452: Is a music scene, similar to the early underground gangsta rap scene, that emerged in north-eastern Mexico and southern Texas . Its lyrical content, popular among Latino youth, is violent and focuses on the power of drug cartels and the gruesomeness of the Mexican drug war . Narco-rap emerged in the urban areas of Tamaulipas , a Mexican state currently subject to a turf war between Los Zetas and
2952-414: Is a target. Snoop (Doggy Dogg) has gone four times platinum and makes more money than the president. They don't like that, so you hear "ban this, ban that". We attack people's emotions. It's a real live show that brings out the inside in people. Like I said, intense. It is widely speculated that the ensuing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records resulted in
3075-522: Is generally considered the first "gangsta rapper", significantly influencing the more popular early gangsta rap originator, Ice-T . Ice-T was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1958. As a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles where he rose to prominence in the West Coast hip hop scene . An early case of using "gangsta" as an adjective and a compliment came in his 1984 single Body Rock . In 1986, Ice-T released " 6 in
3198-1009: Is part of the new generation of rappers that is influenced by G-funk. Vince Staples ' conscious rap album Summertime '06 (2015) reflects the "challenges of racism, injustice, and violent fallouts in his childhood neighborhood". T.I, Rick Ross , Future, and Gucci Mane released new rap style "trap" CDs. Charlie Row Campo released "Stop Studio Gangstas" album. Other Afroamerican and Chicano gangsta rappers who gained small success or big success include XXXTentacion , Kendrick Lamar , Ms Krazie, Knight Owl , Chino Grande, Lil Rob , Mr. Criminal, Mr. Capone-E , Mr. Sancho, ShooterGang Kony, Mozzy , YNW Melly , Pusha T , Nsanity, Jeezy (Young Jeezy), YG , Nipsey Hussle , Migos , Freddie Gibbs , Meek Mill , A$ AP Mob , Jay Rock , ScHoolboy Q , 21 Savage , Kodak Black 6ix9ine , Blueface , NBA Youngboy , NLE Choppa , Pop Smoke , Young Dolph and BlocBoy JB . Gangsta rap's pioneers have met success in other forms of pop culture as well. In 2016, N.W.A
3321-441: Is set to tour across Canada as part of his Straight Into Canada tour. Man Down , Ice Cube's eleventh album and his first new album in six years, will be released on November 22, 2024. The album was preceded by the singles "It's My Ego", "Ego Maniacs (featuring Busta Rhymes and Killer Mike )" and "So Sensitive". Since 1991, Ice Cube has acted in nearly 40 films, several of which are highly regarded. Some of them, such as
3444-613: Is still most associated with the style. DJ Screw is credited with the creation of and early experimentation with the genre. DJ Screw began making mixtapes of the slowed-down music in the early 1990s and began the Screwed Up Click . This provided a significant outlet for MCs in the South-Houston area, and helped local rappers such as Willie D, Big Moe , Lil' Flip , E.S.G. , UGK , Lil' Keke , South Park Mexican , and Z-Ro gain regional and sometimes national prominence. Narco-rap
3567-417: Is what drove them to crime; none made reference to music. Ice Cube famously satirized the blame placed on gangsta rap for social ills in his song " Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It ". Many gangsta rappers maintain they are playing a "role" in their music like an actor in a play or film, and do not encourage the behavior in their music. Moreover, English scholar Ronald A.T. Judy has argued that gangsta rap reflects
3690-663: The Kill at Will EP (1991) and The Predator (1992) all contributed significantly to the development of gangsta rap. N.W.A's second album, Efil4zaggin (1991) (released after Ice Cube's departure from the group), broke ground as the first gangsta rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts. Aside from N.W.A and Ice-T, Too Short (from Oakland ), Kid Frost and the South Gate –based Latino group Cypress Hill were pioneering West Coast rappers with gangsta rap songs and themes. Above
3813-463: The Gulf Cartel . Narco-rappers sing about the life of mobsters and the reality of the cities under the cartel's rule. Some of the key players of the genre are Cano y Blunt , DemenT and Big Los. Before the late 1990s, gangsta rap, while a huge-selling genre, had been regarded as well outside of the pop mainstream, committed to representing the experience of the inner-city and not "selling out" to
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3936-494: The MTV Video Music Awards , claimed that "gangsta rap was dead". While Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Entertainment fared better than its West Coast rival, it eventually began to lose popularity and support by the end of the decade, due to its pursuit of a more mainstream sound, as well as challenges from Atlanta and New Orleans–based labels, especially, Master P 's No Limit stable of popular rappers. Houston first came on to
4059-583: The Nation of Islam (NOI). He converted to Islam , though he denied membership in the NOI, whose ideology against white people and especially Jews led to its categorization as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center . However, he readily adopted the group's ideology of black nationalism , a concept familiar to the hip hop community. He nevertheless has claimed to listen to his own conscience as
4182-670: The Sicilian Mafia , the Italian-American Mafia , African-American organized crime , and Latin American organized crime or drug cartels ) or has subject matter that would relate to the mafia. Though a significant amount of mafioso rap was grittier and more street-oriented, focusing on street-level organized crime, other mafioso rap artists frequently focused on lavish, self-indulgent, materialistic , and luxurious subject matter associated with crime bosses and high-level mobsters, such as expensive drugs, cars, and champagne . Though
4305-473: The sales race between Kanye West's Graduation and 50 Cent 's Curtis , both released on September 11, 2007, as a turning point for hip hop. Kanye West emerged the victor, selling nearly a million copies in the first week alone, proving that innovative rap music could be just as commercially viable as gangsta rap, if not more so. Cyhi the Prynce called it the "biggest shift in our culture" and that it led to
4428-467: The third entry in the Barbershop series . And in 2017, Cube starred with Charlie Day in the comedy Fist Fight . In October 2021, Ice Cube was set to star in the comedy film Oh Hell No (now titled Stepdude ) alongside Jack Black , but left the project after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19 . The project would have paid him $ 9 million. In late 2005, Ice Cube and R. J. Cutler co-created
4551-451: The 1970s and 1980s were the staples of this sound, which was showcased primarily in Sean "Puffy" Combs 's latter-day production work for The Notorious B.I.G. (" Mo Money, Mo Problems "), Mase (" Feels So Good ") and non-Bad Boy artists such as Jay-Z (" Can I Get A... ") and Nas (" Street Dreams "), which he sampled from 2Pac's song (All Eyez On Me). Also achieving similar levels of success with
4674-569: The 1987 album Paid in Full . The hip hop group Beastie Boys also influenced the gangsta rap genre with their 1986 album Licensed to Ill , with an early reference to being a "gangster" mentioned in the song "Slow Ride". In 1986, the Los Angeles–based group C.I.A. (consisting of Ice Cube, K-Dee, Sir Jinx ) rapped over the Beastie Boys ' tracks for songs such as "My Posse" and "Ill-Legal", and
4797-992: The 1992 thriller Trespass and the 1999 war comedy Three Kings , highlight action. Yet most are comedies, including a few adult-oriented ones, like the Friday franchise , whereas most of these are family-friendly, like the Barbershop franchise . John Singleton 's seminal film Boyz n the Hood , released in July 1991, debuted the actor Ice Cube playing Doughboy, a persona that Cube played convincingly. Later, Cube starred with Ice-T and Bill Paxton in Walter Hill 's 1992 thriller film Trespass , and in Charles Burnett's 1995 film The Glass Shield . Meanwhile, Cube declined to costar with Janet Jackson in Singleton's 1993 romance Poetic Justice ,
4920-473: The 1999 war comedy Three Kings , family comedies like the Barbershop series , and buddy cop comedies 21 Jump Street , 22 Jump Street , and Ride Along . He was an executive producer of many of these films, as well as of the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton . O'Shea Jackson was born in Los Angeles on June 15, 1969, to hospital clerk and custodian Doris and machinist and UCLA groundskeeper Hosea Jackson. He has an older brother, and they had
5043-402: The 2012 elections, he added, "You know, this record is for the political heads." But the album's release was delayed. On February 10, 2014, iTunes brought another single from it, " Sic Them Youngins on 'Em ", and a music video followed the next day. Despite a couple of more song releases, the album's release was delayed even beyond Cube's work on the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton . After
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5166-475: The Beastie Boys' influence can be seen significantly in N.W.A's early albums. The Beastie Boys had started out as a hardcore punk band, but after introduction to producer Rick Rubin and the exit of Kate Schellenbach they became a hip hop group. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the Beastie Boys' 1986 album Licensed to Ill is "filled with enough references to guns, drugs and empty sex (including
5289-527: The Berlin underground-hip-hop scene an opportunity to establish themselves with their lyrics representing a certain hardship acquired through the criminal lifestyle which had previously been popularized. Recognizable names from the underground scene are Bass Sultan Hengzt, Fler , MC Bogy or MOK . Another notable rapper and pioneer of gangsta-rap in Germany is Azad. Although he came from the rural Frankfurt am Main , he
5412-430: The Billboard 100, or soul chart in spite of not being associated with Death Row. Ray Luv released G single "Last Nite" in 1995. Mafioso rap is a hardcore hip hop subgenre founded by Kool G Rap in the late 1980s. East Coast mafioso rap was partially the counterpart of West Coast G-funk rap. Mafioso rap is characterized by references to famous mobsters and mafiosi , racketeering and organized crime (particularly
5535-528: The Bomb Squad . Arriving in May 1990, it was an instant hit, further swelling rap's mainstream integration. Controversial nonetheless, it drew accusations of misogyny and racism. The album introduces Ice Cube's affirmation of black nationalism and ideology of black struggle. Cube appointed Yo-Yo , a female rapper and guest on the album, to be the head of his record label, and helped produce her debut album, Make Way for
5658-453: The French and US-based gangsta rap and battle rap . Although there is a certain correlation between street-rap and gangsta-rap, gangsta-rap is not considered as a derivative genre since it is only partially related to street-rap and has contextually little to do with the other subgenre. Pioneers of the subgenre gangsta-rap, who have been active since the 1990s, are Kool Savas and Azad . Within
5781-609: The Funky Homosapien 's debut album I Wish My Brother George Was Here , on Da Lench Mob 's debut Guerillas in tha Mist , which he also produced, and on the Kool G Rap and DJ Polo song " Two to the Head ". In 1993, he worked on Kam 's debut album, and collaborated with Ice-T on the track "Last Wordz" on 2Pac 's album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. . Cube's fourth album, Lethal Injection , came out in late 1993. Here, Cube borrowed from
5904-522: The Good Life offered workshops for aspiring MCs, poets and musicians to hone their craft. On Thursday nights from 8-10pm, artists were allowed to perform one song. Some would perform written songs, and some would freestyle . When a performance was not up to par, the audience would call out "Please pass the mic!" and the emcee would end the performance promptly. In addition, there was a strict policy against cursing . B. Hall once explained, "Young people needed
6027-515: The GoodLife Open Mics apex were hosted by a cast of highly influential lyricists/masters of ceremony including Chu Black, J-Smoov of Dark Leaf, TrenSeta, Big Al, Quiet Storm, Menace Clan's Jammin D and a host of others. The final Good Life Open Mic show was held in September 1997 and was hosted by local Good Life emcee called Ink Rezin. The Good Life Health Food Centre closed in 1999. Regulars of
6150-436: The Hood , a 1991 drama named after a 1987 rap song that Ice Cube wrote. He also co-wrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film Friday , which spawned a successful franchise and reshaped his public image into a bankable movie star. He made his directorial debut with the 1998 film The Players Club , and also produced and curated the film's accompanying soundtrack . As of 2020, he has appeared in about 40 films, including
6273-603: The Korn ", and joined them on their Family Values Tour 1998 . In November 1998, Cube released his long-awaited fifth solo album War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc) . The delayed sixth album, Volume 2 , arrived in 2000. These albums feature the Westside Connection and a reunion with his old N.W.A members Dr. Dre and MC Ren. Cube also received a return favor from Korn, as they appeared on his song "Fuck Dying" from Vol. 1 . Many fans maintained that these two albums, especially
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#17330846167256396-457: The Law also played an important role in the gangsta rap movement, as their 1990 debut album Livin' Like Hustlers . Ice-T released one of the seminal albums of the genre, OG: Original Gangster in 1991. It also contained a song by his new thrash metal group Body Count , who released a self-titled album in 1992. Particular controversy surrounded one of its songs " Cop Killer ". The rock song
6519-621: The Life Side, "a vision of where we need to go". The track " No Vaseline " scathingly retorts insults directed at him by N.W.A's 1990 EP and 1991 album , which call him a traitor. Besides calling for hanging Eazy-E as a "house nigga", the track blames N.W.A's manager Jerry Heller for exploiting the group, mentions that he is a Jew, and calls for his murder. Ice Cube contended that he mentioned Heller's ethnicity merely incidentally, not to premise attack, but as news media mention nonwhite assailants' races. The track "Black Korea", also deemed racist,
6642-547: The Mornin' ", which is regarded as the second gangsta rap song. Ice-T had been MCing since the early 1980s, but first turned to gangsta rap themes after being influenced by Schoolly D's self-titled debut album , and especially the song " P.S.K. What Does It Mean? " (1985), which is regarded as the first gangsta rap song. Schoolly D had "Am I Black Enough For You" album in 1989. In an interview with PROPS magazine, Ice-T said: In 2011, Ice-T repeated in his autobiography that Schoolly D
6765-545: The Motherlode . Also in 1990, Cube followed up with an EP — Kill At Will —critically acclaimed, and rap's first EP certified Platinum . His second album Death Certificate was released in 1991. The album thought to as more focused, yet even more controversial, triggering accusations of anti-white, antisemitic, and misogynist content. The album was split into two themes: the Death Side, "a vision of where we are today", and
6888-614: The Movies , a compilation album of Ice Cube songs on soundtracks. Cube's eighth studio album, Raw Footage , arrived on August 19, 2008, yielding the singles " Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It " and " Do Ya Thang ". Also in 2008, Cube helped on Tech N9ne 's song " Blackboy ", and was featured on The Game 's song " State of Emergency ". As a fan of the NFL football team the Raiders, Cube released in October 2009
7011-586: The R&;B/hip-hop and pop charts. Singles include " It Was a Good Day " and " Check Yo Self ", songs having a "two-part" music video. Generally drawing critical praise, the album is his most successful commercially, over three million copies sold in the US. After this album, Cube's rap audience severely diminished, and never regained the prominence of his first three albums. During this time, Cube began to have numerous features on other artists' songs. In 1992, Cube appeared on Del
7134-532: The Rapper, Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, Fat Joe and 21 Savage in an amicus curiae brief arguing that Knox's song should be seen as a political statement and thus is protected speech. The Supreme Court declined review in April 2019. The gangsta-rap movement in Germany derived its roots from the 1990s; since 2003–2004, it has become a successful subgenre of German hip hop. Contextually and musically, it borrows its influences from
7257-826: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened the door for more Hip-Hop inductions, as they were followed up by the 2012 induction of Beastie Boys , and the 2013 induction of Public Enemy . The explicit nature of gangsta rap's lyrics has made it heavily controversial. There is also debate about the causation between gangsta rap and violent behavior. A study by the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Berkeley, Calif., finds young people who listen to rap and hip-hop are more likely to abuse alcohol and commit violent acts. The study did not find
7380-579: The Shocker ( Charge It 2 Da Game , 1998) and C-Murder ( Life or Death , 1998). No Limit released Mia X , Mr. Serv-On and TRU albums also. Cash Money Records , also based out of New Orleans, had enormous commercial success with Juvenile, B.G., Hot Boys, beginning in the late 1990s with a similar gangsta rap style like No Limit. Memphis collective Hypnotize Minds , led by Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat , have taken gangsta rap to some of its darker extremes. Led by in-house producers DJ Paul and Juicy J ,
7503-786: The United States attacked Iraq in 1990, an "intelligent" war comedy critically acclaimed. In 2002, Cube starred in Kevin Bray 's All About the Benjamins , and in Tim Story 's comedy film Barbershop . In 2004, Cube played in Barbershop 2 and Torque . The next year, he replaced Vin Diesel in the second installment of the XXX film series , XXX: State of the Union , as the main protagonist, which he reprises
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#17330846167257626-570: The character in the third installment and reunited with Diesel 12 years later, XXX: Return of Xander Cage . He also appeared in the family comedy Are We There Yet? , which premised his role in its 2007 sequel Are We Done Yet? . In 2012, Cube appeared in 21 Jump Street . He also appeared in its sequel, 22 Jump Street , in 2014. That year, and then to return in 2016, he played alongside comedian Kevin Hart in two more Tim Story films, Ride Along and Ride Along 2 . Also in 2016, Cube returned for
7749-500: The continuous success of Sido and Bushido came a wave of rappers who were trying, with the help of major-labels, to establish themselves and be recognized by the populace. Eventually came Massiv, who was signed with Sony BMG, and was crowned by his label to be the German 50 Cent . This artist did not reach the success of 50 Cent. Further artists such as Baba Saad or Kollegah have since then established themselves as relatively successful in
7872-467: The deaths of Death Row Records ' 2Pac and Bad Boy Records ' the Notorious B.I.G.. Even before the murders, Death Row had begun to unravel, as co-founder Dr. Dre had left earlier in 1996; in the aftermath of 2Pac's death, label owner Suge Knight was sentenced to prison for a parole violation, and Death Row proceeded to sink quickly as most of its remaining artists, including Snoop Dogg , left. Dr. Dre, at
7995-552: The distribution, nor was there any intent for the usage of the music as a "product for purposes of recovery under a products liability theory". Judge Rainey concluded the suit by ruling the Davidsons' argument that the music was unprotected speech under the First Amendment was irrelevant. Politicians such as C. Delores Tucker have cited concerns with sexually explicit and misogynistic lyrics featured in hip-hop tracks. Tucker claimed
8118-535: The establishment of "gangsta rap" as a cohesive genre, were influential in the formation of gangsta rap, often producing early aggressive hardcore hip hop songs and being among the first rappers to dress in gang-like street clothing. The seminal Long Island–based group Public Enemy featured aggressive, politically charged lyrics, which had an especially strong influence on gangsta rappers such as Ice Cube . The duo Eric B. & Rakim would further influence gangsta rap with aggressive, street-oriented raps, especially on
8241-466: The existence of street gangs. Those who are supportive or at least less critical of gangsta rap hold that crime on the street level is for the most part a reaction to poverty and that gangsta rap reflects the reality of lower class life. Many believe that the blaming of crime on gangsta rap is a form of unwarranted moral panic ; The World Development Report 2011 , for instance, confirmed that most street gang members maintain that poverty and unemployment
8364-443: The experience of blackness at the end of political economy, when capital is no longer wholly produced by human labor but in a globalized system of commodities. In this economy, gangsta rap traffics blackness as a commodifiable effect of "being a nigga". In other words, gangsta rap defines the experience of blackness, in which he locates in gangsta rap's deployment of the word "nigga", in this new global economic system as "adaptation to
8487-658: The explicit lyrics used in hip-hop songs were threatening to the African-American community. Tucker, who once was the highest-ranking African American woman in the Pennsylvania state government, focused on rap music in 1993, labeling it as "pornographic filth" and claiming it was offensive and demeaning to black women. Tucker stated, "You can't listen to all that language and filth without it affecting you." Tucker also handed out leaflets containing lyrics from rap music and urged people to read them aloud. She picketed stores that sold
8610-469: The first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song " Fuck tha Police " earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director, Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement 's resentment of the song. Due to the influence of Ice-T, N.W.A, and Ice Cube 's early solo career, gangsta rap is often somewhat erroneously credited as being a mostly West Coast phenomenon, despite the contributions of East Coast acts like Boogie Down Productions in shaping
8733-479: The first of its genre to sell 100,000 copies. Following that album Sido released another two named Ich and Ich und meine Maske which both had over 100,000 sold copies and emphasized the success of his first album. Following the success of Sido and his albums, Bushido became the next artist to emerge from the German gangsta-rap scene. He established himself a career and became the most important representative of German gangsta-rap of his time. Aggro Berlin ,
8856-655: The first week. Lil Jon and Scott Storch produced the lead single, " Why We Thugs ". In October, Ice Cube was honored at VH1's Annual Hip Hop Honors, and performed it and also the track "Go to Church". Cube soon toured globally in the Straight Outta Compton Tour—accompanied by rapper WC from the Westside Connection—playing in America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Amid Cube's many features and brief collaborations, September 2007 brought In
8979-543: The force of commodification". For Judy, nigga (and gangsta rap) becomes an epistemologically authentic category for describing the condition of being black in the modern "realm of things". Despite this, many who hold that gangsta rap is not responsible for social ills are critical of the way many gangsta rappers intentionally exaggerate their criminal pasts for the sake of street credibility . Rick Ross and Slim Jesus among others have been heavily criticized for this. In 1992, then-U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle blasted
9102-477: The founding fathers of German gangsta-rap, Charnell, the little-known rapper and martial-arts artist, thematized growing up in the midst of a social renaissance. Gangsta-rap in other countries, that resembled the music of the Rödelheim Hartreim Projekt in Germany, was commercially successful in the 2000s. Germany at the time, however, had few rappers active in this subgenre; allowing certain artists in
9225-459: The genre and despite Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D being generally regarded as the first gangsta rapper. In the early 1990s, former N.W.A member Ice Cube would further influence gangsta rap with his hardcore, socio-political solo albums, which suggested the potential of gangsta rap as a political medium to give voice to inner-city youth. Ice Cube's early solo albums and EPs, including AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991),
9348-417: The genre died down for several years, it re-emerged in 1995 when Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon released his critically acclaimed solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... That year also saw the release of Doe or Die by AZ and the release of the album 4,5,6 by subgenre originator Kool G Rap. His album featured other mafioso rap artists, including MF Grimm , Nas , and B-1. These three albums brought
9471-837: The genre to mainstream recognition, and inspired other East Coast rappers, such as Jay-Z , Notorious B.I.G. , Nas , and Diddy to adopt the same themes with their albums Reasonable Doubt , Life After Death , It Was Written , and No Way Out , respectively. East Coast gangsta rap was popular by the late 1990s, and there were more modern mafioso rap albums such as Ghostface Killah 's Fishscale , Jay-Z 's American Gangster , Raekwon 's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II , Lil Wayne 's Tha Carter II , and Rick Ross 's Deeper Than Rap . Many rappers, such as Conejo, Mr Criminal, T.I. , Fabolous , Jadakiss , Jim Jones , and Cassidy have maintained popularity with lyrics about African-American organized crime or "hustling". Lil' Kim 's mafioso album La Bella Mafia , released in 2003,
9594-435: The genre, they implemented an incredibly explicit, broken and aggressive text, that originally still had much influence from English text elements. This style of rap, after the turn of the century, was implemented by the majority of gangsta-rappers in Germany and is, therefore, a very well respected form on the approach of German gangsta-rap. On the other hand, Savas distanced himself from these vulgar and explicit texts. One of
9717-478: The group by the start of 1990. During 1990, his debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted , found him also leading a featured rap group, Da Lench Mob . Meanwhile, he helped develop the rapper Yo Yo . With friend Sir Jinx , Ice Cube formed the rap group C.I.A. , and performed at parties hosted by Dr. Dre . Since 1984, Dre was a member of a popular DJ crew, the World Class Wreckin' Cru , which by 1985
9840-579: The intent to commit a crime, is necessary to convict someone of a crime for using threatening words in a rap song. In a notable case, rapper Jamal Knox, performing as "Mayhem Mal", wrote a gangsta rap song named "F*** the Police" shortly after he was arrested for gun and drug charges in Pittsburgh. The song's lyrics specifically named the two arresting officers, and included explicit violent threats including "Let's kill these cops cuz they don't do us no good". One of
9963-507: The label became known for its pulsating, menacing beats and uncompromisingly thuggish lyrics. However, in the mid-2000s, the group began attaining more mainstream popularity, eventually culminating in the Three 6 Mafia winning an Academy Award for the song " It's Hard out Here for a Pimp " from Hustle & Flow . The chopped and screwed genre was developed in Houston , Texas, the location which
10086-404: The label those two artists were both represented by, stated that this version of rap was the second, more aggressive evolution of German hip-hop. Bushido's albums Carlo Cokxxx Nutten with Fler and Bushido's debut album Vom Bordstein bis zur Skyline had relatively little success although the prominent topics on his album reflected directly with the themes that made Sido popular. Following
10209-459: The label. Ice-T suggested that the furor over the song was an overreaction, telling journalist Chuck Philips "... they've done movies about nurse killers and teacher killers and student killers. Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don't hear anybody complaining about that." In the same interview, Ice-T suggested to Philips that the misunderstanding of "Cop Killer",
10332-417: The mainstream during the mid-2000s, propelled by 50 Cent 's influential Get Rich or Die Tryin' album, which contained "catchy" and melodic music that helped its success on pop charts, while rapping about themes of guns and wealth. By the late 2000s, alternative hip hop had secured its place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap. Industry observers view
10455-425: The misclassification of it as a rap song (rather than a rock song), and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: "The Supreme Court says it's OK for a white man to burn a cross in public. But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer." Ice-T's next album, Home Invasion , was postponed as a result of the controversy, and was finally released in 1993. While it contained gangsta elements, it
10578-512: The multi-platinum double album All Eyez on Me . Not long afterward, his murder brought gangsta rap into the national headlines and propelled his posthumous The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album (released under the alias "Makaveli") to the top of the charts. Lill 1/2 Dead released gangsta album. Warren G and Nate Dogg were other musicians at the forefront of G-funk. Successful G-funk influenced artists also included Spice 1 , MC Lyte and MC Ren , all of them reaching decent positions on
10701-730: The music and handed out petitions. She then proceeded to buy stock in Time Warner , Sony and other companies for the sole purpose to protest rap music at shareholders meetings. In 1994, Tucker protested when the NAACP nominated rapper Tupac Shakur for one of its image awards as Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture from his role in Poetic Justice . Some rappers labeled her "narrow-minded", and some ridiculed her in their lyrics, notably Shakur, who mentions her multiple times in his diamond certified 1996 album All Eyez On Me . Shakur mentions Tucker in
10824-539: The national scene in the late 1980s with the violent and disturbing stories told by the Geto Boys (hit single "Mind Playing Tricks On Me"), with member Scarface achieving major solo success in the mid-1990s. After the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. and the media attention surrounding them, gangsta rap became an even greater commercial force. However, most of the industry's major labels were in turmoil, bankrupt, or creatively stagnant, and new labels representing
10947-485: The officers, believing to be threatened, subsequently left the force. Knox was convicted of making terroristic threats and of witness intimidation in a bench trial, and the conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania , which held that the song's lyrics amounted to a true threat. Knox petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to hear the case, and academics joined rappers Killer Mike, Chance
11070-480: The only single released, was a radio hit. After a rift between Cube and Mack 10 about Cube's film work minimizing the group's touring, the Westside Connection disbanded in 2005. In 2004, Cube featured on the song " Real Nigga Roll Call " by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz , the then leaders of rap's crunk subgenre. In 2006, Cube released his seventh solo album, Laugh Now, Cry Later , selling 144,000 units in
11193-539: The open mic night later founded Project Blowed , a hip-hop workshop. Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube , is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A 's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap 's widespread popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He
11316-889: The open-mic, while artists such as The Pharcyde , Biz Markie , Fat Joe , Skee-Lo , and Kurupt occasionally performed there. Good Life regulars Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee came together to form Jurassic 5 . Other Good Life regulars included Xzibit , Monie Love , Chu Black, Dark Leaf, TrenSeta, Big Al, Quiet Storm, Menace Clan , Lenny Kravitz , Common , Snoop Dogg , will.i.am , Macy Gray , Freestyle Fellowship , The Righteous Family , Ahmad, Pigeon John , Abstract Rude , Aceyalone , Chillin Villain Empire, Rifleman Ellay Khule, Volume 10 , Medusa, OMD, 2Mex The Visionaries , Spoon Iodine , Ganjah K , Fat Jack, The Nonce , The Pharcyde , Biz Markie , Fat Joe , Skee-Lo , Brand Nubian , Kurupt , N.W.A , Jurassic 5 , Big Pun and Chi-Ali Core years that one would consider
11439-459: The pop charts. However, the rise of Bad Boy Records, propelled by the massive crossover success of Bad Boy head Sean "Puffy" Combs 's 1997 ensemble album, No Way Out , on the heels of the media attention generated by the murders of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. , signaled a major stylistic change in gangsta rap (or as it is referred to on the East Coast, hardcore rap), as it morphed into
11562-469: The pop-oriented rap styles of MC Hammer , the Fresh Prince and Tone Lōc . The album established the dominance of West Coast gangsta rap and Dre's new post-N.W.A label, Death Row Records (owned by Dr. Dre along with Marion "Suge" Knight ), as Dre's album showcased a stable of promising new Death Row rappers. The album also popularized the subgenre of G-funk, a slow, drawled form of hip hop that dominated
11685-417: The pornographic deployment of a Wiffleball bat in " Paul Revere ") to qualify as a gangsta-rap cornerstone." The first blockbuster gangsta rap album was N.W.A 's Straight Outta Compton , released in 1988. Straight Outta Compton established West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and establish Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip hop's long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked
11808-534: The rap charts for some time. Extensively sampling P-Funk bands, especially Parliament and Funkadelic , G-funk was multi-layered, yet simple and easy to dance to. The simple message of its lyrics, that life's problems could be overcome by guns, alcohol and marijuana, endeared it to a teenage audience. The single " Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang " became a crossover big hit, with its humorous, House Party -influenced video becoming an MTV staple despite that network's historic orientation towards rock music. Another success
11931-418: The rap scenes in new locations sprang up. Master P's No Limit Records label, based out of New Orleans, became quite popular in the late 1990s, though critical success was very scarce, with the exceptions of some later additions like Mystikal ( Ghetto Fabulous , 1998). No Limit had begun its rise to national popularity with Master P's The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me! (1994), and had major hits with Silkk
12054-510: The recording industry for producing rap music he believed led to violence. Quayle called on Time Warner Inc. subsidiary, Interscope Records , to withdraw Tupac Shakur 's 1991 debut album 2Pacalypse Now from stores. Quayle stated, "There is absolutely no reason for a record like this to be published—It has no place in our society." Quayle's motivation came in light of the murder of a Texas state trooper Bill Davidson, who had been shot by Ronald Ray Howard after he had been pulled over. Howard
12177-524: The second, were lesser in quality to his earlier work. In 2000, Cube also joined Dr. Dre, Eminem , and Snoop Dogg for the Up in Smoke Tour . In 2002, Cube appeared on British DJ Paul Oakenfold 's solo debut album, Bunkka , on the track "Get Em Up". Released in 2003, Westside Connection's second album, Terrorist Threats , fared well critically, but saw lesser sales. "Gangsta Nation" (featuring Nate Dogg ),
12300-505: The single "I Rep That West", the album debuted at #22 on the Billboard 200 and sold 22,000 copies in its first week. Also in 2010, Cube signed up-and-coming recording artist named 7Tre The Ghost, deemed likely to be either skipped or given the cookie-cutter treatment by most record companies. In 2011, Cube featured on Daz Dillinger 's song "Iz You Ready to Die" and on DJ Quik 's song "Boogie Till You Conk Out". In 2012, Ice Cube recorded
12423-492: The six-part documentary series Black. White. , carried by cable network FX . Ice Cube and basketball star LeBron James paired up to pitch a one-hour special to ABC based on James's life. On May 11, 2010, ESPN aired Cube's directed documentary Straight Outta L.A. , examining the interplay of Los Angeles sociopolitics, hip hop, and the Raiders during the 1980s into the 1990s. Ice Cube's Are We There Yet? series premiered on TBS on June 2, 2010. It revolves around
12546-428: The song " Boyz-n-the-Hood "), as well as the Beastie Boys on their seminal hardcore hip hop-inspired album Licensed to Ill (1986). Boogie Down Productions released their first single, "Say No Brother (Crack Attack Don't Do It)", in 1986. It was followed by " South Bronx /P is Free" and "9mm Goes Bang" in the same year. The latter is the most gangsta-themed song of the three; in it, KRS-One boasts about shooting
12669-399: The sound of new rappers like Drake . Although he designed it as a melancholic pop album rather than a rap album, West's subsequent release 808s & Heartbreak would have a significant effect on hip hop music. While his decision to sing about love, loneliness, and heartache for the entirety of the album was at first heavily criticized by music audiences and the album was predicted to be
12792-519: The then-popular G-funk popularized by Dr. Dre . Although not received well by critics, the album brought successful singles, including " Really Doe ", " Bop Gun (One Nation) ", " You Know How We Do It ", and "What Can I Do?" After this album, Ice Cube effectively lost his rap audience. Following Lethal Injection , Cube focused on films and producing albums of other rappers, including Da Lench Mob, Mack 10 , Mr. Short Khop , and Kausion . In 1994, Cube teamed with onetime N.W.A groupmate Dr. Dre , who
12915-412: The tracks "Wonda Why They Call U Bitch" and " How Do U Want It ", where Shakur raps "Delores Tucker, you's a motherfucker/Instead of trying to help a nigga you destroy a brother." Tucker filed a $ 10 million lawsuit against Shakur's estate for the comments made in both songs. In her lawsuit, she claimed that the comments were slanderous, caused her emotional distress and invaded her personal privacy. The case
13038-541: The way for New York City to take back dominance from the West Coast. In an interview for The Independent in 1994, the Wu-Tang Clan's GZA commented on the term "gangsta rap" and its association with his group's music and hip hop at the time: Our music is not "gangsta rap". There's no such thing. The label was created by the media to limit what we can say. We just deliver the truth in a brutal fashion. The young black male
13161-456: The world." Ice Cube has been married to Kimberly Woodruff since April 26, 1992. They have four children together; their oldest son O'Shea Jackson Jr. (born 1991) portrayed him in the film Straight Outta Compton . When asked about the balance between his music and parenting in 2005, Cube discussed teaching his children to question the value of violence depicted in all media, not just song lyrics. Through his son O'Shea Jackson Jr. Ice Cube
13284-526: Was Ice Cube 's Predator album, released at about the same time as The Chronic in 1992. It sold over 2 million copies and was No. 1 in the charts, propelled by the hit single " It Was a Good Day ", despite the fact that Ice Cube was not a Death Row artist. One of the genre's biggest crossover stars was Dre's protégé Snoop Doggy Dogg ( Doggystyle ), whose exuberant, party-oriented themes made songs such as " Gin and Juice " club anthems and top hits nationwide. In 1996, 2Pac signed with Death Row and released
13407-521: Was a big reason this subgenre became popular in Germany. In his lyrical text, he thematized the rigid and rough lifestyle of living in the northwest district of Frankfurt. At the beginning of 2003, the process of commercialization of this subgenre began. Contrary to popular belief, a variable of the German gangsta-rap became popular before the actual subgenre itself did. When Sido , a notoriously known rapper from Berlin, released his album Maske which thematized gangs, drugs and violence, this album became
13530-517: Was a commercial success, receiving platinum certification. Meanwhile, rappers from New York City, such as Wu-Tang Clan , Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik , Onyx , Big L , Mobb Deep , Nas , the Notorious B.I.G. , DMX and the Lox , among others, pioneered a grittier sound known as hardcore hip hop . In 1994, both Nas and the Notorious B.I.G. released their debut albums Illmatic (April 19) and Ready to Die (September 13) respectively, which paved
13653-446: Was also known for their violent lyrics, threatening to attack abusive police which stirred controversy. After a monetary dispute over the group's management by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller , Cube left N.W.A in late 1989, teaming with New York artists and launching a solo rap career. Ice Cube has also had an active film career since the early 1990s. He entered cinema by playing Doughboy in director John Singleton 's feature debut Boyz n
13776-618: Was also performing and recording electro rap. Dre had Cube help write the Wreckin Cru's hit song "Cabbage Patch". Dre also joined Cube on a side project, a duo called Stereo Crew, which made a 12-inch record, "She's a Skag", released on Epic Records in 1986. In 1987, C.I.A. released the Dr. Dre -produced single " My Posse ". Meanwhile, the Wreckin' Cru's home base was the Eve After Dark nightclub, about
13899-492: Was also thought as foreseeing the 1992 Los Angeles riots . While controversial, Death Certificate broadened his audience; he toured with Lollapalooza in 1992. Cube's third album, The Predator , was released in November 1992. Referring to the 1992 Los Angeles riots , the song " Wicked " opens, "April 29 was power to the people, and we might just see a sequel." The Predator was the first album ever to debut at No. 1 on both
14022-470: Was driving a stolen vehicle while songs from 2Pacalypse Now were playing on the tape deck when he was stopped by the officer. The family of Davidson filed a civil suit against Shakur and Interscope Records, claiming the record's violent lyrics incite "imminent lawless action". District Judge John D. Rainey held that Shakur and the record companies did not have the duty to prevent distributing his music when they could not reasonably foresee violence arising from
14145-735: Was eventually dismissed. Shakur was not the only rap artist to mention her in his songs, as Jay-Z , Eminem , Lil' Kim , the Game and Lil Wayne have all previously criticized Tucker for her opposition of the genre. Gangsta rap has also raised questions of whether it is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution , since lyrics may express violence and may be considered true threats . The Supreme Court ruled in Elonis v. United States (2015) that mens rea ,
14268-929: Was forming Ruthless Records and the musical team N.W.A , based in Compton, California . Himself from South Central Los Angeles , Cube would be N.W.A's only core member not born in Compton. Upon the success of the song " Boyz-n-the-Hood "—written by Cube, produced by Dre, and rapped by Eazy-E, helping establish gangsta rap in California—Eazy focused on developing N.W.A, which soon gained MC Ren . Cube wrote some of Dre's and nearly all of Eazy's lyrics on N.W.A's official debut album, Straight Outta Compton , released in August 1988. Yet by late 1989, Cube questioned his compensation and N.W.A's management by Jerry Heller . Cube also wrote most of Eazy-E's debut album Eazy-Duz-It . He received
14391-504: Was his inspiration for gangsta rap. Ice-T continued to release gangsta albums for the remainder of the 1980s: Rhyme Pays in 1987, Power in 1988 and The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say in 1989. Ice-T's lyrics also contained strong political commentary, and often played the line between glorifying the gangsta lifestyle and criticizing it as a no-win situation . Schoolly D's works would heavily influence not only Ice-T, but also Eazy-E and N.W.A (most notably in
14514-558: Was his most political album to date. After a proposed censoring of the Home Invasion album cover art, he left Warner Bros. Records . Ice-T's subsequent releases went back to straightforward gangsta rap, but were not as popular as his earlier releases. In 1992, former N.W.A member Dr. Dre released The Chronic (1992) include " Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang ", a massive seller (eventually going triple platinum) which showed that explicit gangsta rap could hold as much mass commercial appeal as
14637-519: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016. A native of Los Angeles, Ice Cube formed his first rap group called C.I.A. in 1986. In 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre , he formed the gangsta rap group N.W.A. As its lead rapper, he wrote some of Dre's and most of Eazy's lyrics on Straight Outta Compton , a landmark album that shaped West Coast hip hop 's early identity and helped differentiate it from East Coast rap . N.W.A
14760-556: Was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . They were followed up by the late Tupac Shakur in 2017 who was inducted as the first solo hip hop act, under his first year of eligibility as a nominee. Other Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hip-Hop Acts include the 2007 induction of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five , who are considered pioneers of expanding the sound of Hip-Hop from disco inspired partying, to street reality that inspired social change. The 2009 induction of Run-DMC to
14883-531: Was intended to speak from the viewpoint of a police target seeking revenge on racist, brutal cops. Ice-T's rock song gained controversy, with observers ranging from President George H.W Bush and his Vice President Dan Quayle , the National Rifle Association of America , police organizations across the nation to various police advocacy groups. Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T's upcoming album Home Invasion and dropped Ice-T from
15006-492: Was then leading rap's G-funk subgenre, for the first time since Cube had left the group, and which had disbanded upon Dre's 1991 departure. The result was the Cube and Dre song " Natural Born Killaz ", on the Murder Was The Case soundtrack, released by Dre's then-new label, Death Row Records . In 1995, Cube joined Mack 10 and WC in forming a side trio, the Westside Connection . Feeling neglected by East Coast media,
15129-503: Was unsatisfied with contemporary hip hop, was being inspired by indie-rockers like Grizzly Bear , and asserted his belief that the indie rock movement would play an important role in the continued evolution of hip-hop. In the 2010s, a new form of gangsta rap known as drill emerged from the Midwest, gaining popularity via rappers such as Lil Durk , Chief Keef , Lil Reese , King Von , Polo G and G Herbo . West Coast rapper Vince Staples
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