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Gangsta Quotes

On gangsta rap, and the gap between image and reality.

These quotes sit right at the tension in gangsta rap, artists labeled by a genre they didn't choose, writing about a lifestyle some admit they don't actually live.

I'm not really gangsta. Not at all. I just write about them. It's fun to pretend, at least on paper. But in real life, not so much.

Quotes by Terence Winter

I've been called everything. Gangsta rap. I've been called conscious rap. You know, everything. Whoever feels like calling it whatever they want to call it, that's on them.

Quotes by Nas

Now I will bop my head to gangsta music - I'm not going to lie.

Quotes by Metta World Peace

I don't think any gay dude is gangsta, period.

Quotes by Method Man

About Quotes

Hey, you gotta love a gangsta girl. Even the suburban and preppy girls wanna be gangsta girls. That's the whole gimmick to it. Everybody wants to be a gangsta girl.

Quotes by Mannie Fresh

I'm usually bored with both gangsta rappers and underground ones, too.

Quotes by Madlib

I always saw two sides of life. I saw the dudes who would be the gangsta, big-time guys on the block, but would also be dedicated fathers. It was kind of weird to see that dual story that everybody has.

Quotes by Lupe Fiasco

I would suggest that teachers show their students concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify.

Quotes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

There's some dudes that did Gangsta Grillz tapes who probably weren't worthy of it - their label just put up the bread, or they did a favor.

Quotes by Freddie Gibbs

Always Quotes

I just want to put my stamp on all kinds of music. Everything I do is going to be gangsta rap, street-based, street-oriented.

Quotes by Freddie Gibbs

Part of my affinity with urban music comes from being on 'Kids Incorporated,' 'cos we used to sit around and listen to Chaka Khan and Prince, and I got influenced by all that. Then gangsta rap got started, and I...

Quotes by Fergie

Who gave it that title, gangsta rap? It's reality rap. It's about what's really going on.

Quotes by Eazy-E

When you are culture, you're forever young, like Snoop. When you're on that level, it's just contributing to the gangsta.

Quotes by D.R.A.M.

'Gangsta rap' is a derogatory label.

Quotes by Coolio

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these gangsta quotes actually discuss?
Mostly the label itself, artists talking about being called 'gangsta rap' or 'conscious rap' by others, regardless of what they intended to make.
Why do people search for gangsta quotes?
Usually for hip hop or music culture content, especially when looking for artists' own perspective on a genre that's often discussed only from the outside.
Is there a quote questioning what gangsta rap glorifies?
Yes, one suggests teachers show students concrete, real-world examples of the negative effects tied to what gangsta rap lyrics tend to celebrate, rather than debating the genre only in the abstract.
Do any quotes admit the persona isn't real?
One does directly, an artist saying they're not really gangsta and that writing about that world is closer to pretending on paper than describing real life, a theme that resurfaces in our Being quotes.
Is there a lighter take on gangsta music in these quotes?
Yes, one simply admits to bopping their head to gangsta music without any deeper claim about identity, treating it as normal listening rather than a statement.

One artist is blunt about it, not gangsta at all, just someone who writes about it because it's fun to pretend on paper. For more on that split, see our Being quotes.