As the beat and lyrics of the 1995 hit song “Gangsta’s Paradise” came together, Coolio knew he had struck gold. The unlikely meshing of gospel and rap, spine-chilling lyrics and clever ...

Hip-Hop Report * Ice-T's new collection captures his contributions, including his effort to portray the thug life realistically.

As rap music continues to evolve, we look forward to the future and appreciate the past. These are the greatest rap songs of all time.

Since then, hip-hop has spawned a mass of subgenres – gangsta rap, crunk and trap among them. Hundreds of hip-hop songs deserve recognition for their meaning and their beats.

This story is part of our new Hip-Hop: ’73 Till Infinity series, a celebration of the genre’s 50th anniversary.With the unfortunate death of beloved rapper Coolio, hip-hop lovers have been ...

When Coolio first heard the demo that became Gangsta's Paradise, he had the same reaction as the rest of us. "I was like, 'Damn, I really like this song.'" The Pennsylvania-born, Compton-raised ...

2. Read the lyrics to some of your favorite gangster rap songs. Take in what the song is saying without the beat, and ask yourself if you still think the message is healthy for the Black community. 3.

2pac Pac was one of the best at making hardcore gangsta rap songs while also being extremely vulnerable and emotional in his music.

Sir Brian May has revealed that Queen banned "gangster rap" artists from sampling their songs because they didnt want to promote violence.

In the middle of the gangsta-rap heyday, “Gangsta’s Paradise” brought gravitas to the grittiness of thug life.

Coolio, the Grammy-winning rapper best known for the 1995 single “Gangsta’s Paradise,” has died, his manager confirmed Wednesday. He was 59. “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend ...