Rap Music

Gangsta rap is a subset of hip-hop music that originated in the 1990s when rapper Ice Cube and his former group, N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitudes) began attacking each other with music lyrics. This often-violent style of music, of "battling" with other artists became known as gangsta rapping.

The official definition provided by WordReference.com is as follows: "gangsta rap (noun) a style of rap music, usually characterized by lyrics about Black street gangs in the U.S. often with violent, nihilistic, and misogynistic themes".

While hip-hop is known to have originated in the East Coast (particularly, the Bronx, New York), the roots of gangsta rap are accredited to the West Cost (particularly, Compton, California). The focuses of many rap battles involve disputes between East Coast and West Coast artists. The artists most commonly associated with the East Coast vs. West Coast beef are Tupac (2Pac) Shakur from the West Coast and Notorious B.I.G (Biggie Smalls) from the East Coast.

2Pac	Biggie Smalls

Other Famous Beefs

* Busy Bee vs. Kool Moe Dee. * KRS-One vs. MC Shan * Ice Cube vs. NWA * Dr. Dre vs. Easy-E * Dogg Pound vs. Ruthless Records * Common vs. Westside Connection/Ice Cube * East Coast vs. West Coast * Tupac v. Biggie * Jay-Z vs. Nas * Jay-Z vs. 50 Cent * 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule/Black Child

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After the deaths of of 2Pac and Biggie Smalls in 1996 and 1997 respectively, the beef between East Coast and West Coast dissemenated. Up and coming rappers began representing their hometowns, instead of either Coast. Examples include:

Hometown	Artists
* Atlanta	OutKast, Jermaine Dupri
* California	Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre
* Chicago	Kanye West, Twista, R. Kelly
* Detroit	50 Cent, Eminem
* New Orleans	Master P, Juvenile
* New York	Jay Z, Nas
* St. Louis	Nelly, Chingy

 

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