The first "gangsta rap" song


Being the rap historian that I am, I think the biggest debate I have heard is what is the first "gangsta rap" song. I think this is as hotly debated as the question "what is the first rap hit?" The official first gangsta rap record is alot stickier though, because it all depends on where you're from.

If you're from New York, the first gangsta rap record is BDP's "9 MM Goes Bang". This record is a historical one, sandwiched between the dominance of RUN DMC and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, and the transition of KRS-One to "Edutainment". With the death of Scott La Rock, KRS-One saw the power of his rhyme. However, for the NYC hip hop scene the record stands as one which would transform hip hop from fun party music to "hardcore" hip hop.

If you're from Philly, the first gangsta rap record is Schooly D's "Saturday Night". Schooly D stands out as one of the first rappers to take his reality as a member of a Philly street gang and turn it into something big. Though it was a little less extreme than the AK-47 fantasies of NWA, it was the first time a rapper would get on record and glorify violence, drugs and gangs.

If you're from the South, it would have to have been all about "Triggaman". Also called the "Drag Rap", this record didnt make much noise at all in New York. I think even when I was listening to hip hop shows I only heard it like once. However, somebody was listening to it, and it would evolve into "crunk" in Atlanta and "bounce" in New Orleans. People up North didn't really get it, and it wasn't really sounding like anything else coming out of New York. So influential is this record, aspects of it can be heard in most "Dirty South" and Bay Area (North Cali) raps to this day.

Then there is the infamous West Coast. At the time gangsta rap was just an idea, LA was gang central back in like 87-88. What the first gangsta rap record coming out of Cali is debatable. There were plenty of local hits coming out in such a short span of time. In my opinion, the first one that put it all together and had the most mass appeal was Ice T's "6 N the Morning". Dark, menancing and brutal, Ice T took things out of the local skate rinks and put it out there to scare middle America. It was a masterpiece of theatrical, exageratted and vivid storytelling.

Like I said, this can be open to debate. Its funny when you think about it, but if these records hadn't been made, then there would be no Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, no Death Row records, no Dr Dre or NWA, no Tupac Shakur legacy, none of that. To anybody reading this, holler at me; whats your top 10 gangsta rap songs?