gangstas
Urban organized outlaws
Gangstas is the plural of gangsta, a hip-hop spelling of gangster that emerged from rap culture in the 1980s.
The spelling reflects African American Vernacular English pronunciation and signals street authenticity rather than old-school organized crime: Real gangstas don't snitch.
Gangsta rap glorifies or narrates the violent realities of gang life.
Attached head covering
- ghettoSegregated urban quarter
- blockSolid mass, or impede
- cornerMeeting point of edges
- projectsOrganized efforts toward goals
trap house · stoop · bodega · alley · turf · territory · hustle · grind
Organized crime members
- thugsViolent criminals
- outlawsFugitives from justice
- hoodlumsYoung criminal troublemakers
- felonsSerious crime offenders
mafiosi · racketeers · convicts · lawbreakers · delinquents · bandits · smugglers · traffickers
Slang for close friends
- posseArmed group pursuing fugitives
- squadSmall working group
- brotherhoodKinship among men
- cliqueExclusive social group
entourage · associates · comrades · homeboys · bloods · set · gang members · affiliates
Large patterned kerchiefs
- gold chainsLinked yellow metal jewelry
- tattoosPermanent skin markings
- saggingBending downward weakly
- tinted windowsDyed vehicle glass
hand signs · colors · bling · grills · do-rags · fitted caps · jerseys · swagger
Hip-hop vocalists
- MCsShow hosts, briefly
- TupacDeceased hip-hop icon
- N.W.AInfluential gangsta rap collective
- Ice-TRapper and actor
50 Cent · West Coast · East Coast · trap · drill · thug life · diss tracks · beef
hood
Attached head covering
projects · trap house · stoop · bodega · alley · turf · territory · hustle · grind · survival
mobsters
Organized crime members
felons · mafiosi · racketeers · convicts · lawbreakers · delinquents · bandits · smugglers · traffickers · enforcers
homies
Slang for close friends
- posseArmed group pursuing fugitives
- squadSmall working group
- brotherhoodKinship among men
clique · entourage · associates · comrades · homeboys · bloods · set · gang members · affiliates · lieutenants
bandanas
Large patterned kerchiefs
- gold chainsLinked yellow metal jewelry
- tattoosPermanent skin markings
- saggingBending downward weakly
tinted windows · hand signs · colors · bling · grills · do-rags · fitted caps · jerseys · swagger · mean mug
rappers
Hip-hop vocalists
Ice-T · 50 Cent · West Coast · East Coast · trap · drill · thug life · diss tracks · beef · storytelling
gangstascops
Informal term for police
police officers · squares · law enforcement · authorities · judges
gangstasprotectors
Those who guard others
guardians · defenders · first responders · neighborhood watch · peacekeepers
- gangster rapHip-hop depicting street crime
- gangsta rapUrban struggle set to beats
- gangsta leanTilted driving posture
- gangster eraPeriod of organized crime dominance