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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Born Marcellus McCarver, Celly Cel grew up in Vallejo, CA, just north of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. His drawling hardcore gangster lyrics and G-funk productions first appeared in 1994 on Heat 4 Yo Azz, but Celly had been making demos and honing his skills as far back as 1990. Released on E-40's Sick Wid It label, Heat 4 Yo Azz... [+] Read More

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More than any other rapper, Dr. Dre was responsible for moving away from the avant-noise and political stance of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions as well as the party vibes of old-school rap. Instead, Dre pioneered gangsta rap and his own variation of the sound, G-funk. BDP's early albums were hardcore but cautionary tales of the... [+] Read More

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When the West Coast first rose atop the rap industry in the mid-'90s, Mack 10 emerged as one of the coast's most promising talents alongside his longtime associate Ice Cube. The two Los Angeles rappers co-wrote "Foe Life," Mack 10's 1995 breakthrough hit, and united a year later with WC to form the trio Westside Connection, a West Coast gangsta... [+] Read More

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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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Throughout the '90s and into the next decade, E-40 led a generation of Cali Bay Area rappers and attracted a large cult following of listeners that spread from the West Coast to the South. His uncanny rhyme delivery set him apart from the mainstream, as he coined his own lexicon of street-speak and experimented with overdubbed vocals. Moreover,... [+] Read More

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HoodRAT Mafia iz a two-man krew from yarmouth, NS... Made up of MC PIMP Naztee and R&B singer Sho*Shott... We got 6 songz completed rite now and plan on droppin' an album before tha summer hitz... We got 3 new songz in tha midst of completion rite now and we hope 2 drop 'em in on tha site real soon... We're experimentin' wit a few new soundz &... [+] Read More

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Master P created a hip-hop empire without registering on any mainstream radar. For several years, he operated solely in the rap underground, eventually surfacing in the mid-'90s as a recording artist and producer who knew exactly what his audience wanted. And what they wanted was gangsta rap. With his independent label No Limit, Master P gave... [+] Read More

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MC Ren had a much less-celebrated solo career than most of his former bandmates in N.W.A., despite enjoying some commercial success. Born Lorenzo Patterson on June 14, 1969, Ren was recruited to join N.W.A. in 1988 while still attending high school. He was a strong presence on the group's landmark Straight Outta Compton later that year, and also... [+] Read More

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Though Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and 2Pac may have stolen the spotlight, tha Dogg Pound played an important role in the success of Suge Knight's Death Row empire before the duo moved on to solo careers. Dogg Pound members Daz Dillinger and Kurupt aided in the success of the both Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992) and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle (1993) before... [+] Read More

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Born in Los Angeles, but an Oakland resident by the age of 14, Too Short was the first West Coast rap star, recording three albums on his own before he made his major-label debut with 1988's gold album Born to Mack; his next four all went platinum. Anticipating much of the later gangsta phenomenon, he restricted his lyrical themes to tales of... [+] Read More

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A long-time staple of the gangsta rap scene, WC began his career with the groups Low Profile and the Maad Circle before forming Westside Connection with Ice Cube and Mack 10. His solo debut, The Shadiest One, followed in 1998, landing in the pop Top 20 in its first week of release. "Better Days" and "Just Clownin'" were moderate R&B hits, and... [+] Read More

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Antoine Carraby went on to become the least vocal but longest-lasting member of the controversial rap group known as N.W.A. Calling himself DJ Yella (from the Tom Tom Club's "Mr. Yellow"), he was the sole member of the group to stay loyal to Eazy-E while the other members threw around accusations of missing money and bad business deals.... [+] Read More

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