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

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Etymology

Origin of gangsta rap

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gangsta rap

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

Her tastes were eclectic - picking Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus as her favourite piece on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs - but also later speaking of her liking for gangsta rap.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025

With the surprise success of her hard-boiled debut album, Boss--the moniker adopted by Detroit native Lichelle Laws--emerges as the first woman to seriously challenge male rappers in the raunchy, anything-goes world of gangsta rap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024

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

The majority of consumers of gangsta rap are white, suburban teenagers.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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