13 Thrilling Gang or Gangsta Songs | Playlist 🎧

13 Thrilling Gang or Gangsta Songs features music courtesy of Coolio, Free Nationals, Ice Spice, Jack Harlow, Madonna, and Lil Pump.

When the word GANG comes to mind, the context can be negative.  Why? The first definition of a gang by Merriam-Webster is “a group of persons working to unlawful or antisocial ends.” So, crime… YIKES! Gangs have an extensive history, with the FBI estimating 33,000 criminally active gangs. That’s heavy and troubling! Still, Merriam-Webster also delivers a more innocent definition – “a group of persons having informal and usually close social relations.” The word GANGSTA can also have a negative connotation. However, ask many folks and they admire something about being gangsta – being badass.  This playlist, 13 Thrilling Gang or Gangsta Songs, embraces various aspects and meanings of both GANG and GANGSTA. It is NOT an endorsement of criminal behavior or poor life choices – take it for what it is. 13 Thrilling Gang or Gangsta Songs features music courtesy of Coolio, Free Nationals, Ice Spice, Jack Harlow, Madonna, and Lil Pump among others.  Without further ado, let’s dive into these compelling tunes, shall we?!

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1. Free Nationals, “Gangsta” (Ft. A$AP Rocky & Anderson .Paak) 

2. Jack Harlow, “Gang Gang Gang”  

3. Madonna, “Gang Bang” 

4. EST Gee, “Is Heaven for A Gangsta”  

5. Ice Spice & Lil Tjay, “Gangsta Boo” 

6. Polo G & Lil Wayne, “Gang Gang” 

7. ScHoolboy Q, “Gangsta”

8. Michael Jackson, “Blue Gangsta”  

9. Logic, “Gang Related” 

10. Kehlani, “Gangsta” 

11. Lil Pump, “Gucci Gang”

12. Eve, “Gangsta Lovin’” (Ft. Alicia Keys)

13. Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise”

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1. Free Nationals, “Gangsta” (Ft. A$AP Rocky & Anderson .Paak) 

“Gangsta” // APESHIT, LLC / EMPIRE // 2024

“Gangsta, gangsta, gangsta, gangsta, gangsta, gangsta.” Indeed, A$AP Rocky! And so, begins, “Gangsta,” the 2024 single by Free Nationals. The L.A.-based band is comprised of José (guitar), T. Nava (keys), Kelsey (bass), and Callum (drums).  They provide marvelous accompaniment for featured guests A$AP Rocky and Anderson .Paak. Following that gangsta intro, Paak, who produced the record, and has worked with the band often, sings the chorus: “You know, my daddy was a gangsta / And father before him was a damn thug / I’ma learn to escape up out these handcuffs / I ain’t going to court to see no damn judge.” G.A.F (gangsta as fuck)! He keeps it a buck, as does Rocky in the post-chorus and the following two verses. In the first verse, he asserts, “Fuck that ho when I need sex, give me throat when I need neck / Love her more when I’m erect, I reply when I see text.” Wow… His second verse is also sex-driven: “Pearls and stone in my new necklace, I got hoes for my erection.” He’s not wrong – rappers attain the women with ease. Free Nationals, A$AP Rocky, and Anderson .Paak bring the heat on “Gangsta.”  

 

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2. Jack Harlow, “Gang Gang Gang”  

Jackman. // Generation Now / Atlantic // 2023 

On “Gang Gang Gang,” the fifth track from Jackman., Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow highlights being disappointed by friends who make bad choices, specifically sexual assault. Essentially, the guys he mentioned were like brothers to him, yet he has to cut them loose. According to him, per the third verse, “Truthfully, it’s family ‘til it can’t be, gang ‘til it ain’t / Twins, but it depends, brothers until somethin’ is uncovered.” We want to believe our friends and loved ones are innocent until proven guilty but when the accusations are as damning as the ones Harlow mentions, shouldn’t the victims be who we really stand up for? Just food for thought.  The sound of “Gang Gang Gang” (produced by Rashad Thomas) separates itself from everything else on Jackman.  

  

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3. Madonna, “Gang Bang” 

MDNA // Boy Toy, Inc.  // 2012

“I thought it was you, and I loved you the most / But I was just keeping my enemies close.” Word! “Gang Bang” appears as the second track on MDNA, the 2012, 12th studio album by musical icon, Madonna. She produced the track alongside Demolition Crew and William Orbit.  “Gang Bang” features an enigmatic, foreboding, dance backdrop. The thudding beat is intense. Furthermore, the rhythmic nature of the synths is a big selling point. Madonna sings with poise for most of the song but is potent to the nth degree. Additionally, she is effective with her use of whispering (“Bang, bang, shot you dead / In the head”). As the song progresses, the production grows fuller and more dynamic. Notably, and unsurprisingly given the era, there is a dubstep, breakdown section. 

The lyrics throughout “Gang Bang” are hellish, embracing the murder ballad through and through. The chorus is dark yet infectious with Madge singing, “Bang bang, shot you dead, shot my lover in the head / Bang bang, shot you dead and I have no regrets.” The most memorable section of “Gang Bang” not named the chorus is the bridge:   

“And I’m going straight to hell 

And I got a lot of friends there 

And if I see that bitch in hell  

I’m gonna shoot him in the head again  

‘Cause I want to see him die 

Over, and over, and over, and over  

And over, and over, and over, and over 

Now drive, bitch!”  

Madonna is one of a kind – an understatement.  No, MDNA isn’t her most memorable album, especially considering her output early on in her career, but “Gang Bang” is a surefire winner.  

Appears in 🔻:  

• Madonna, Gang Bang: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 No. 29 (2024) 

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4. EST Gee, “Is Heaven for A Gangsta”  

I Never Felt Nun // CMG / Interscope //  2022   

“Do God accept survivors whose involvement made ‘em ruthless? / Is there Heaven for a shooter?” Louisville, KY-bred rapper, EST Gee spits towards the conclusion of the banger, “Is Heaven For A Gangsta.” “Is Heaven For A Gangsta” graces his debut studio album, I Never Felt Nun, which debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.  On “Heaven,” EST Gee goes on to ask, “Is there Heaven for a mover? / For the ones who really do it? / Or was born in hell and all this shit just an illusion?”  Thought-provoking stuff for sure. As to be expected, “Is Heaven For A Gangsta” isn’t lighthearted listening.  It’s anchored by malicious, minor-key production, where the sub-bass roars.  EST Gee’s flow is agile but hardnosed as fuck considering he depicts the gangsta lifestyle. “The streets convinced me that they really just want all of us dead,” he asserts in the first verse, continuing, “Even before I jumped off the porch, I was right on the edge.” It’s safe to say that the life of a G isn’t for the faint of heart, hence why EST Gee mentions the word survivors and seems skeptical if there is heaven for people like him.    

Appears in 🔻:  

• Keep it G: 5ive Songs No. 67 (2022) 

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5. Ice Spice & Lil Tjay, “Gangsta Boo” 

Like..? (Deluxe) // Dolo Entertainment, Inc. / UMG Recordings, Inc. // 2023 

On her expanded, 2023 EP, Like..? (Deluxe), Bronx rapper Ice Spice (Isis Gaston) expresses her desire for a “Gangsta Boo.” This gangsta boo is “one of the dangerous kind.”  Of course, attaining a gangsta boo is easy given how awesome she is. “All on my body, I’m the bestest / Diamonds keep dancin’ on my necklace / Bitches stay mad just like the rest is.”  Furthermore, Gaston is quick to point out those jealous bitches – “His bitches mad that he gettin’ me wetter / Damn, I ain’t felt this way in forever.” It is ample trash talk on her end. Lil Tjay guests in the second verse, feeling himself and embracing being gangsta (“I don’t think you should play with me / ‘Cause you gon’ end up like the last opp”). “Gangsta Boo” is hard-nosed and unapologetic – GANGSTA if you will!  

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6. Polo G & Lil Wayne, “Gang Gang” 

Hall of Fame // Columbia // 2021

On “GANG GANG”, melodic rapper Polo G collaborates with Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne.  The resulting banger encompasses gang activity (No shit, Sherlock!) and D-R-I-P. Angelo Ferraro produced the track, providing a colorful backdrop for both rappers to spit upon tunefully. Polo G takes first blood, dropping a chorus that endears itself as the song progresses.  His Weezy reference – “Runnin’ from the jakes, block hot like I’m Wayne” – is fire.  Polo also raps the first verse, feeling himself, bragging about the finer things in life (“Gucci slides, Versace robes, palm trees, exotic hoes”), and gang activity.  Wayne enters and eats the beat da fucc up. There are gun sounds produced by his voice, references to Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Rick Pitino, and John Calipari, as well as drip, gang, and drugs (“I’ll pour my heart out before my lean, baby, no R&B”).   He concludes the song, performing the chorus, and drops an outro asserting, “Call me Capalotty.” Polo G and Lil Wayne, on the same track? A winning formula for sure.  

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7. ScHoolboy Q, “Gangsta”  

Oxymoron // Top Dawg / Interscope // 2014 

“I got my drink in my cup, I got my Backwood, no Swishers /And bitch, I’m faded, fucking faded, yeah, I’m famous.” Woo! From the opening tip of his 2014 album, Oxymoron, ScHoolboy Q is a total G. It starts with the intro of “Gangsta,” where the rapper enlists his daughter for the assist.  She asserts: “Hello… Hello? Fuck rap, my daddy a gangsta.” Holy $hi†! “Gangsta, gangsta-gangsta, gangsta!” If the fact that Q isn’t gangsta wasn’t firmly planted via his daughter’s potty-mouthed intro, Q ensures he repeats it continuously in the hook.  While merely stating a description of himself as gangsta wouldn’t make him a ‘G’, he backs up things with brash rhymes.  You saw Exhibit A at the top of this blurb.  Beyond those rhymes, he continues to spit tough, hard-nosed $hi† over incredible production work courtesy of Nez & Rio.  ScHoolboy Q also asserts that he’s a pimp – he gets it in, easily (“I been checking ass all on the curb, nigga / You could tell that she fucking with a Figg nigga”). Without a doubt, just like his daughter asserts, Q a GANGSTA.    

  

Appears in 🔻:  

• Keep it G: 5ive Songs No. 67 (2022) 

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8. Michael Jackson, “Blue Gangsta”  

Xscape // MJJ Productions, Inc. // 2014

“What you gonna do / You ain’t no friend of mine / The blue gangsta”. No track on Xscape, the 2014 posthumous album by Michael Jackson, may have more swagger than “Blue Gangsta.” The slick cut commences incredibly mysteriously before settling into mean-sounding contemporary R&B. Timbaland delivers some of his most inspired production work, updating the original version of this record that MJ record while alive.  Both versions appear on the deluxe edition of Xscape but sound vastly different from one another.     

The concluding funky brass hit is an incredibly thoughtful production choice.  Besides a killer groove and superb palette of sounds, vocally, Michael Jackson sounds quite impressive.  This is the expectation, of course – it’s THE King of Pop! He particularly sounds awesome in his biting, gritty upper register.  His personality and feistiness truly shine here as well. “Blue Gangsta” is a record where you envision Jackson ‘eating up’ when he originally recorded it.  It’s one of the records you ask yourself, why wasn’t it released before 2014?   

  

Appears in 🔻:  

• Keep it G: 5ive Songs No. 67 (2022) 

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9. Logic, “Gang Related” 

Under Pressure // Def Jam // 2014 

“Tales from my hood, not a sight like this / Where they up to no good on a night like this.” Where Grammy-nominated rapper Logic was raised is a dangerous, dangerous place.  In the first verse of the aggressive song, “Gang Related,” he adds, “And they murder motherfuckers just ‘cause / Type of shit I see, you probably wonder where I was / I was in the crib, just sittin’ on the rug / Baseheads comin’ through lookin’ for the plug.” Holy smokes!  Throughout this gritty track, Logic spits electrifying, agile rhymes. He is transparent about his rough upbringing and how he feared for his life. Much of “Gang Related” is the rapper spitting from his brother’s perspective, who is entrenched in crime and violence. Keeping it a buck, he mentions his brother’s hustling ways: “Sellin’ crack to my own pops / Pushin’ this weight on my own block / If I sell a brick, I can buy a house / If they find the key they might lock me up.” “Gang Related” is brief, but one of the best moments from the rapper’s fabulous, 2014 debut album, Under Pressure. It was produced by his go-to producer, 6ix, who samples “Carrot Man” (Sepalcure), “Mad Crew” (KRS-One), and an ABC News story about a Gaithersburg shooting.   

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10. Kehlani, “Gangsta” 

SweetSavageSexy // Atlantic // 2017

“I need a gangsta / To love me better / Than all the others do.” Um, sure, Kehlani, if that’s how you see it! She continues singing in the chorus of “Gangsta,” “To always forgive me / Ride or die with me / That’s just what gangsters do.” “Gangsta” concludes the Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter’s debut studio album, SweetSavageSexy, released in January 2017. Originally, “Gangsta” appeared on the soundtrack to the 2016 film, Suicide Squad (Suicide Squad: The Album).   

“I’m fucked up, I’m black and blue  

I’m built for it, all the abuse  

I got secrets, that nobody, nobody, nobody knows…” 

Um, wow – that’s a lot. In the second verse, she asserts, “You got me hooked up on the feeling / You got me hanging from the ceiling / Got me up so high I’m barely breathing.” Oh, my! Generally speaking, Kehlani is enamored by a “G” on this edgy, slick joint. Kehlani is honest about how she feels, admits her issues, and most importantly, for our ears, she flaunts her awesome set of pipes.  Those G’s though – they hit different, yo!   

Appears in 🔻:  

• Keep it G: 5ive Songs No. 67 (2022) 

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11. Lil Pump, “Gucci Gang” 

Lil Pump // The Lights Global / Warner // 2017 

“Gucci gang, Gucci gang, Gucci gang, Gucci gang (Gucci gang) / Gucci gang, Gucci gang, Gucci gang, (Gucci gang) / Spend three racks on a new chain (Yeah) / My bitch love do cocaine, ooh (ooh).” WOO! On “Gucci Gang,” the song to beat on his 2017, self-titled album, Lil Pump flexes hard. There is little substance, but the flex and entertainment value are undeniable. The subject matter encompasses clichés: bitches (“I fuck a bitch, I forgot her name / I can’t buy a bitch no wedding ring”), material things (“Bought some Red Bottoms, cost hella G’s”), and drugs (“My lean cost more than your rent”).  Yeah, it’s ‘low-hanging fruit,’ but something is endearing about his unapologetic, ‘bad boy’ behavior, or rather, the V-I-B-E. “Gucci Gang” was produced by Gnealz and Bighead. A megahit on the pop charts (reached no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100), it was certified multiplatinum by the RIAA.  

 

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12. Eve, “Gangsta Lovin’” (Ft. Alicia Keys) 

Eve-Olution // Ruff Ryders // 2002 

“Yo! / Need you to understand me, daddy, I ain’t your average / Baby girl, doin’ it all, I’m well established.” WOO! Say that, Eve! In the early 2000s, the rapper/actress was on a hot streak.  Following her gargantuan, Grammy-winning hit with “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” (featuring Gwen Stefani), she secured another top-10 hit with “Gangsta Lovin’”. “Gangsta Luvin’” trades Stefani for a young Alicia Keys fresh off the success of Songs in A Minor.  Like “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” “Gangsta Luvin’” reached no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.  On this sleek, 7 Aurelius / Irv Gotti-produced gem, the rapper wants to get with him (“Them other dudes is ok, but I’m feelin’ you / Want you in the best way, what you gon’ do about it?”). In the third verse, she raps, “Numbers exchange, now it’s in place / Shouldn’t of took you so long in the first place / I’m just playin’ cutie, yeah, give me a call / No it’s cool you ain’t got to see me to my car.” Keys, who sounds particularly sultry, drops the chorus (“I just wanna rock you, all night long / Oh-oh”) as well as the bridge (“It’s that gangsta lovin’ (Gangsta) that’s just got me buggin’”) and outro. Notably, the lit “Gangsta Lovin’” samples vocals/lyrics from “Don’t Stop the Music” by Yarbrough & Peoples.

 

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13. Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise”   

Gangsta’s Paradise // Tommy Boy // 1995   

“They’ve been spendin’ most their lives livin’ in the gangsta’s paradise / We keep spendin’ most our lives livin’ in the gangsta’s paradise.” The late, great Coolio (Artis Leon Ivey, Jr.) was an integral part of hip-hop/rap in the 1990s, with his biggest hit being the no. 1, Grammy-winning single, “Gangsta’s Paradise”. “Gangsta’s Paradise” famously appeared in the film and soundtrack for Dangerous Minds and reappeared on his 1995 album, Gangsta’s Paradise. L.V. sang the chorus, which interpolates a 1970s Stevie Wonder joint, “Pastime Paradise”. Per Rolling Stone, getting Wonder to sign off on the use of “Pastime Paradise” was no easy feat.  After Coolio’s wife stepped in, and convinced Wonder’s brother to meet with Coolio, and Coolio agreed to remove profanity, and give Wonder writing credit (which yielded ample profit for him), it was cleared.

  

With a timeless chorus and epic production, the last and most important piece of the puzzle is Coolio.  He slays in his rhymes with an ultra-compelling flow.  Following the intro, Coolio famously raps, “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / I take a look at my life and realize there’s nothin’ left.” From there, “It’s on like Donkey Kong” for Coolio. “But I ain’t never crossed a man that didn’t deserve it / Me be treated like a punk, you know that’s unheard of,” he spits, continuing, “You better watch how you talkin’ and where you walkin’ / Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk.” Oh, snap! In the second, there’s the gem, “I’m 23 now, but will I live to see 24? / The way things is goin’, I don’t know.” There’s also the third verse, where Coolio rhymes, “They say I gotta learn, but nobody’s here to teach me / If they can’t understand it, how can they reach me?” He has a day-um point! Finally, can’t neglect to mention the refrain, which sometimes prefaces the chorus and concludes the record: “Tell me why are we, so blind to see / That the ones we hurt are you and me?” “Gangsta’s Paradise” is the type of classic record that you could author an entire book about and still wouldn’t have completely analyzed it.  It’s the definition of timeless.

 Appears in 🔻:   

• Coolio, Gangsta’s Paradise: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 No. 24 (2022)   
• Keep it G: 5ive Songs No. 67 (2022)
• Incredible Songs: 1990s, Vol. 2 (2023)

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13 Thrilling Gang or Gangsta Songs (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; APESHIT, LLC, Atlantic, Boy Toy, Inc., CMG, Columbia, Def Jam, Dolo Entertainment, Inc., EMPIRE, Generation Now, Interscope, The Lights Global, MJJ Productions, Inc., Ruff Ryders, Tommy Boy, Top Dawg, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner; Khoa Võ from Pexels]

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