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

She added: “It’s exciting, it kicks you in the butt. Good gangsta rap makes me feel like I just parachuted out of a plane.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2024

If gangsta rap is L.A.’s most famous musical export of the last three decades, it has come with a Mephistophelian curse.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 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

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

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander