I released the first known gangsta rap album, Schoolly D. Some Spin journalist called the genre “gangsta rap” because he was interviewing these gang members in Baltimore and all they were listening to were my songs, like “P.S.K. What Does It Mean?,” so the journalist said, “This must be gangsta rap.” And that is how that all started.
Schoolly D tells Philadelphia Magazine how SPIN gave the genre its name
CHRIS SCHWARTZ: The importance of Schoolly D’s “P.S.K/Gucci Time” to the rap world cannot be overstated. The landmark 12” vinyl, widely acclaimed as the first ever gangster rap record, is among the most influential records in hip-hop history, and served as a career-launching inspiration for Ice-T, Eazy E and NWA, among many others.
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Not only did “P.S.K.” inspire an all-new rap genre, it was also the first completely independent project in hip-hop. And we’re not talking about an independent label—”P.S.K.”…
