2Pac became the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle exacted on urban black America. At the outset of his career, it didn't appear that he would emerge as one of the definitive rappers of the '90s -- he started out as a second-string rapper and dancer for Digital Underground, joining only after they had... [+] Read More

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Originally composed of six Samoan-descended brothers from Los Angeles, the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. offered a distinctly authentic brand of gangsta rap. Sons of a Baptist minister, the brothers Devoux -- lead rapper Paul aka Ganxsta Ridd, bandleader Ted aka the Godfather, Donald aka Don L, Roscoe aka Rosco, Danny aka O.M.B., and David aka E.K.A. --... [+] Read More

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Though N.W.A got most of the recognition, Compton's Most Wanted also did much to popularize and proliferate early-'90s West Coast gangsta rap. Led by future solo artist MC Eiht and legendary West Coast electro producer the Unknown DJ, this Compton, CA, group (also known as CMW) reveled in themes involving primarily guns, women, gangs, and drugs,... [+] Read More

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An ardently political rap trio from the West Coast, Da Lench Mob earned notice for their breakout debut Guerillas in tha Mist. Formed by Shorty, J-Dee, and T Bone, the group debuted in 1990 on Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album. With Cube as executive producer, Da Lench Mob released Guerillas in tha Mist in 1992. Led by an incendiary video... [+] Read More

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Das EFX's wildly playful, rapid-fire stuttering -- dense with rhymes and nonsense words -- was one of the most distinctive and influential lyrical styles in early-'90s hip-hop. While the duo completely rewrote the MC rule book, they themselves were increasingly pegged as a one-dimensional novelty the longer their career progressed, despite... [+] Read More

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Maxwell Dixon, better known as Grand Puba, is best-known for fronting Brand Nubian for the group's first album -- and the excellent full-blown reunion album, 1998's Foundation -- but he actually made his commercial debut with the Masters of Ceremony, a group who released a 1988 album (Dynamite) on 4th & Broadway. Puba went solo with 1992's Reel... [+] Read More

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"Jump Around," an impossibly infectious and catchy single, instantly elevated House of Pain from an unknown white hip-hop group to near-stars when it became a massive crossover hit in 1992. It made the band and it also broke the band, consigning them to the level of one-hit wonders. House of Pain continued to release records after their... [+] Read More

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Ice Cube was the first member of the seminal Californian rap group N.W.A. to leave, and he quickly established himself as one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists. From the outset of his career, he courted controversy, since his rhymes were profane and political. As a solo artist, his politics and social commentary sharpened... [+] Read More

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N.W.A, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap, are in many ways the most notorious group in the history of rap. Emerging in the late '80s, when Public Enemy had rewritten the rules of hardcore rap by proving that it could be intelligent, revolutionary, and socially aware, N.W.A capitalized on PE's sonic breakthroughs... [+] Read More

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Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Building from Run-D.M.C.'s street-oriented beats and Boogie Down Productions' proto-gangsta rhyming, Public Enemy pioneered a variation of hardcore rap that was musically and... [+] Read More

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