The thing I hate about "gangsta" rap is that it glorifies the gun. It makes people see the gun as a symbol of power, even a sex symbol. This isn't the way we should see guns. They are instruments of death and destruction.... Take K'naan (for those of you who know who he is, I couldn't even remember his name until I looked it up) he's from somalia so he sees life for what it is. This is from the track "what's hardcore" "“If I rhymed about home and got descriptive/I’d make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit.�

Getting back on topic... My fav lyricist is Aesop Rock or K'naan

nas-i gave you power...a gun reference you would DEFINITELY appreciate is the basis of the song, not gangsta rap, pretty anti actually

Yeah but what you have to remember about gangsta rap is that in the time it came out, there was not the huge awareness of what goes on in American ghettos. We have much more awareness today, mostly thanks to the popularity of gangsta rap in the early to mid 90's.

Back then when people made real gangsta rap, it was about the reality of poverty in America, and the reality is that when people are reduced to nothing yet still live only a few miles from prosperity, they will do anything to get to live on the other side of the tracks. If that involves drug dealing, they will deal drugs. If that involves shooting people, they will shoot people. It's an "every man for himself" mentality that's almost like a urbanized version of nature, where everyone is just out for their own survival. It wasn't that the artists condoned killing people or selling poisen to their own neighbors, they were raising awareness that those actions are often the easiest way for a poor person in the ghetto to improve their own life, and that's why we have so much crime these days.

If you live in a place where other people want to see you dead, than a gun isn't such a bad thing to have.

Fair enough, I hear what you're saying. Guns are necessary to a point! It's the attitude towards them I'm talkin about. There isn't anythin glorius about leavin someone dead in a pool of their own blood.

No one has mentioned Immortal Technique?

Yes.

I listen to Black Metal, but 'Dance With The Devil' has to rank as some of THE most evil shit I done ever heard in my life!

I'd have to go with Ice-T around his O.G. Original Gangster period.

Immortal has a few great songs, but is not the best lyricist or even one of the best lyricists in hip hop. He's good, but there are guys miles ahead of him.

Nas or Canibus. Can't really decide

Guns are REALLY necessary to the rap/gangstas...because most of them can't handle working problems out verbally or intellectually and they are normally incapable or too afraid to fight...the odd thing is the gun makes them seem tough but it is cowardly...one pull of the trigger and it is over...cowardly. Most of them are shallow and scared people.