@Hunter Bell

Created with FreeYourMusic.com where you can transfer playlists to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and others

Created with FreeYourMusic.com where you can transfer playlists to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and others

This playlist was created by https://www.tunemymusic.com that lets you transfer your playlist to Apple from any music platform such as Spotify, YouTube, Deezer etc.

This playlist was created by https://www.tunemymusic.com that lets you transfer your playlist to Apple from any music platform such as Spotify, YouTube, Deezer etc.

This playlist was created by https://www.tunemymusic.com that lets you transfer your playlist to Apple from any music platform such as Spotify, YouTube, Deezer etc.

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

The grit and lyricism that shaped rap in the ’80s and ’90s sounds as exciting now as it did then—arguably even more so when you consider how crossover-friendly rap has become. Here’s a playlist of tracks that capture the essence of rap after it evolved past the simplicity of its early to-the-beat-y’all days while retaining a rawness that still feels revolutionary. Our editors update picks here now and then, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Blurring the lines between documentary and action movie, between bleak realities and empowering fantasy, the unflinching narratives of gangsta rap remain among hip-hop’s most influential, popular, and controversial strains. Inspired by Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D’s groundbreaking, monolithic 1985 12-inch "P.S.K.-What Does It Mean?" California rappers like Ice-T, N.W.A., and Too $hort started making records better suited for car stereos than pop radio—gleefully explicit, focused on violent realism, and speaking frankly to systemic problems. In the ’90s, artists like Dr. Dre and 2Pac helped turn gangsta rap from underground sensation into a <I>Billboard</I>-dominating cultural force. Ice Cube preferred the term “reality rap,” and indeed gangsta rap provided a window into what was happening on the street corners of Houston, Memphis, Austin, Cleveland, New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, and beyond. Today, gangsta rap is part of hip-hop’s understructure, a key element in the luxury rap of Rick Ross and the Pulitzer-winning panoramas of Kendrick Lamar.

He forged one of the most distinctive rap styles in the game, but DMX couldn't have honed his trademark growling sound without drawing upon the work of his hip-hop ancestors. Onyx's combination of grisly flow, hard-hitting beats, and aggressive aura created a blueprint for the Ruff Ryder to study, while his gruff East Coast street cuts are also inspired by Wu-Tang Clan's uncompromising mix of gritty imagery and knuckle-duster drums.

The Game has never been shy about lifting ideas from the hip-hop legends he admires. His gruff depictions of L.A. are inspired by uncompromising street-rap cuts like N.W.A.'s “Straight Outta Compton” and 2Pac's talkbox-heavy West Coast anthem “California Love,” both of which feature his mentor Dr. Dre behind the boards. The rough, tough syllables of New York's Kool G Rap, meanwhile, set an important precedent to Game's own gravelly delivery.

N.W.A.'s career proves that gangsta rap contained multitudes. Master P's "Ghetto D" adopts their raw, unapologetic realism, its Eric B. & Rakim interpolation an uncut cinema verité over cracking snares. 50 Cent's "Heat" drew power from the group's larger-than-life aggression and bulletproof demeanour. And on "The Recipe," Kendrick Lamar delves into N.W.A.'s blueprints to reveal an unshakeable sunbeam of pride.