Gangsta rap

Gangsta rap or gangster rap is a subgenre of hip hop music with themes and lyrics based on the "thug" or "gangsta" lifestyle. The genre evolved from hardcore hip hop into a distinct form, pioneered in the mid-1980s by rappers such as Schoolly D and Ice-T, and was popularized in the later part of the 1980s by groups like N.W.A. After the national attention that Ice-T and N.W.A attracted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of hip hop. Many (if not most) gangsta rap artists openly boast of their associations with various active street gangs as part of their artistic image, with the Bloods and Crips being the most commonly represented. Gangsta rap is closely related to other indigenous gang and crime-oriented forms of music, such as the narcocorrido genre of northern Mexico.

Thug Life

Thug Life was an American hip-hop group that consisted of Tupac Shakur, Big Syke, Stretch, Mopreme Shakur, The Rated R, Macadoshis, and Kato. They released one album, 1994's Thug Life: Volume 1, before disbanding after Tupac died on September 13, 1996.

History

Makaveli and Randy "Stretch" Walker formed Thug Life. In 1992, Tupac met Tyruss “Little Psycho” Himes. They recorded a song also titled "Thug Life" and soon Little Psycho joined the group, under the name Syke. Later Macadoshis and The Rated R joined the group. They signed with Interscope Records and recorded an LP titled Thug Life Volume 1. Tupac’s stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, later joined the group.

Thug Life: Volume 1

On September 26, 1994, Thug Life Volume 1 was released.

The first single and video was "Pour Out A Little Liquor" which was a Tupac solo song. Additional singles, "Cradle To The Grave", "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" and "It Don’t Stop" followed.

Tupac performed "Out on Bail" at the 1994 Source Awards. The album was originally released on Shakur's label Out Da Gutta. Tupac's mother's label, Amaru Entertainment, has since gained the rights to the album.

Thug Life (film)

Thug Life is a 2001 film written, produced, and directed by Greg Carter.

A young man trying to grow up straight in a crime-ridden neighborhood finds himself on the run after a friend accidentally lures him into a trap in this hard-edged urban drama. Boo (Thomas Miles) grew up in a rough section of Houston, TX, where many see crime as their only way out. Boo is determined to leave the street life behind and build an honest career for himself as a plumber, but his longtime friend Mecca (Gregory O. Stewart) talks Boo into helping him out as he tries to sell a stolen vehicle. Things don't go as planned, and when shots ring out, Boo and Mecca discover they've been framed for the murder of a gang leader and have to get out of Houston at once if they are to stand any chance of surviving the night. Thug Life also features noted hip-hop and reggae artists Vybz Kartel, Willie D., The Lady of Rage, and Napoleon.

Film Cast