gangsta rap

American  

[gang-stuh rap] / ˈgæŋ stə ˌræp /

Also gangster rap

noun

1. a type of rap music whose lyrics feature violence, sexual exploits, and the like.

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gangsta rap British  

/ ˈɡæŋstə /

noun

1. a style of rap music, usually characterized by lyrics about Black street gangs in the US, often with violent, nihilistic, and misogynistic themes

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Other Word Forms

• gangsta rapper noun

Etymology

Origin of gangsta rap

First recorded in 1985–90; see origin at gangsta ( def. ), rap music ( def. )

Example Sentences

When no one is around, the doleful ex-judge listens to Italian gangsta rap, and sometimes even raps along with it, suggesting he isn’t quite the stereotype others assume him to be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

The gangsta rap legend has released 21 studio albums and received 20 Grammy nominations.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2024

Snoop, who purchased infamous gangsta rap brand Death Row Records in 2022, was also a member of the esports group FaZe Clan’s board of directors until earlier this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2023

Wearing a shiesty has become synonymous with the subgenre of drill rap, which takes cues from the antagonistic gangsta rap genre.

From Washington Times • Oct. 10, 2023

Most Americans only come to “know” about the people cycling in and out of prisons through fictional police dramas, music videos, gangsta rap, and “true” accounts of ghetto experience on the evening news.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander