Gangsta rap was spawned in the mid 80's, when hip-hop was still on the come-up and police brutality was running rampant. Hardcore gangsta rap gave artists like Ice-T a platform to bring attention to the wrong doings of law enforcement, which in turn brought empowerment to the people.
Gangsta rappers gave a first-person perspective into the lives of thugs, felons, gang members, pimps and crack dealers, and while some may think the rappers themselves are glorifying this lifestyle, you could argue the same about Scorsese's 'Godfather' films.
The most influential and engaging gangsta rap serves as an audio-documentary on the problems of the inner city; one could call it film noir with a beat.
We present to you the top 100 gangsta tracks of all time:
