90s Don era

[OHSNAP!]

Who started the mafioso gimmick in hiphop? Kool G Rap?

Became popular in the mid-90s:
Biggie
Raekwon
2Pac
Nas & The Firm (AZ, Foxy, Nature)
Jay-Ż
Fat Joe
Master P & TRU (C-Murder, Silkk)
Who else?

I mean some classic songs and albums came out, but why did so many have to hop on the bandwagon?

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

Scarface came out in 1983 but became popular in the late 80's.
Goodfellas came out in 1990.
New Jack City came out in 1991

NWA popularized gangster rap in 1988. and from there the street shyt took off.

The hip hop sound in new York changed in 1992.

 

[Don Jesus]

Someone did it before Kool G Rap but it was someone obscure. Maybe @Art Barr would know. But i think its major start was with Kool G Rap, but then made a comback after the extra rugged NY 1992 to 1994 rap era with Raekwon "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Then AZ "Doe or Die" afterwards. Then Hov "Reasonable Doubt", Nas "It Was Written", and lastly "Life After Death" by Big and The Firm album. After The Firm flopped, mafioso rap kind of got turned into jiggy rap and then the rest is history.

Even Snoop was on that shyt lightweight with the direction of Tha Doggfather album
and even the album cover and name being modeled after The Godfather. Pac too of course as you said "Makaveli The Don".

Biggie, Jay and Charli Baltimore's "Commission" album was probably going to be out in 1998, and was probably going to be the evil twin to The Firm album...

Mafioso Rap was dope in retrospect....until it got sucked into the Jiggy Rap era....AZ did it the best if you ask me

Rick Ross resurrected it indeed with the Trilla album and onwards. Deeper Than Rap, Teflon Don and God Forgives I Don't have strong mafioso rap influences.

 

[The God Poster]

IDK who started it but I do know Jay did it the best

 

[HiredGun]

What if I told you the Boss of Bosses Carlo Gambino was a rat and he was snitching on the Real Don Frank Matthews...the real black mob bosses looked at the mafia like clowns back in the day.

 

[WaveGang]

They saying Pacino Luciano, getting they Italians mixed up - 2pac

 

[Gentility]

I always thought it was Kool G. Rap.

 

[Apollo Kid]

I always thought it was Kool G. Rap.

Roots of Evil was underrated.

 

[ThaRealness]

Rae mastered it.

 

[ISO]

Kool G Rap and Mobstyle popularized it on the East Coast

 

[tuckgod]

 

[infamousred]

G rap started it with wanted dead or alive.

 

[I love Latina women]

many others did it but not like frank white