Original Gangstas

The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap

By: Ben Westhoff

Narrated by: J.D. Jackson

"Raw, authoritative, and unflinching ... An elaborately detailed, darkly surprising, definitive history of the LA gangsta rap era."—Kirkus, starred review

A monumental, revealing narrative history about the legendary group of artists at the forefront of West Coast hip-hop: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur.

Amid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality, a group of unlikely voices cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles: N.W.A. Led by a drug dealer, a glammed-up producer, and a high school kid, N.W.A. gave voice to disenfranchised African Americans across the country. And they quickly redefined pop culture across the world.

Their names remain as popular as ever: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Dre soon joined forces with Suge Knight to create the combustible Death Row Records, which in turn transformed Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur into superstars.

Ben Westhoff explores how this group of artists shifted the balance of hip-hop from New York to Los Angeles. He shows how N.W.A.'s shocking success lead to rivalries between members, record labels, and eventually a war between East Coast and West Coast factions. In the process, hip-hop burst into mainstream America at a time of immense social change, and became the most dominant musical movement of the last thirty years. At gangsta rap's peak, two of its biggest names—Tupac and Biggie Smalls—were murdered, leaving the surviving artists to forge peace before the genre annihilated itself.

Featuring extensive investigative reporting, interviews with the principal players, and dozens of never-before-told stories, Original Gangstas is a groundbreaking addition to the history of popular music.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Ben Westhoff (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"I trust Ben Westhoff. I trust him to report a story and I trust him to tell a story, and that's exactly what he's done here in Original Gangstas. He's taken what's always felt like an almost impossibly knotted string of storylines and plot points in gangsta rap, the most turbulent version of the most popular music on the planet, and turned them into an airtight and unflinching book. Original Gangstas is as resolute as the people and ideas it sets out to profile, and that is no small feat."—Shea Serrano, New York Times bestselling author of The Rap Year Book

"Scrupulously researched with many incisive revelations, this may be the best book ever written about the hip hop world."—S. Leigh Savidge, Academy Award nominee and co-writer of Straight Outta Compton

"A provocative, multifaceted portrait of essential rap pioneers who ushered the hip-hop music scene to greatness.... As raw, authoritative, and unflinching as the music his narrative chronicles, Westhoff comprehensively uncovers the factual roots of the gangsta rap movement and admirably credits those whose footprints paved the way for the younger rappers emerging today.... An elaborately detailed, darkly surprising, definitive history of the LA gangsta rap era."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Best rap history book on Audible

Original Gangstas is a great book and the best choice on this platform for hip hop history. I’ve read ones I’ve liked more that aren’t on Audible, such as, Have Gun Will Travel, as well as documentaries like Welcome to Death Row, or Murder Rap, if you’re interest is in the Biggie and Pac killings. That being said this book delivers on what it promises, the history of west coast rap, from the birth to the downfall, everything is covered. The NWA portion was sluggish at times though. Legit book!

Epic.

I absolutely love this! I was just telling a friend about this and how Shakespearean this whole tale is. If This Were to be presented as a lost work, people would absolutely clamor to the storyline and characters. Sadly, many who would enjoy such a tale, will dismiss this based off of cultural biases where the stigma of gangster rap is concerned. I would strongly recommend that anyone who enjoys a fantastic Tale of Triumph and tragedy give this book it's due and your undivided attention.

GREAT

5 STARS I really enjoyed this book. I'll definitely listen to it again in the future.

Well researched and compelling

This book provides a well researched and compelling look at gangster rap on the west coast as it came about in the mid to late 80s up to mid to late 90s. This book really excels at cutting through the media narrative about who these people are and tells the straight facts. A lot of people in the gangster rap scene are artists who have very little or none legitimate claim to being gangsters, criminals, and gang members but often have to embody that persona for their music.

You get to learn about the real lives and people behind the music in both a sympathetic but also critical way. The writer doesn't moralize about the genre at length but largely provides an unbiased prospective and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. If this genre of music in an interest of you I would highly recommend this book.

I love this!

this is a very good documentary in backstory of the West coast rap. I highly recommend this to anybody who's into the Hip Hop culture.

"Did you know that 2pac..."

It was great and compelling and objective and well researched.

But most of all I loved how many fun facts I picked up about 2pac. R.I.P.

This is gangsta

I loved listening to this while I worked I learned a lot about all of the ogs in the rap game.

Dense, fun book about Rap History.

To start off, I am not a huge fan of rap. Never have, Never been. I was actually requested this by the Last Podcast on the Left. It does a very good job of helping you understand what was going on with the rap scene before, during and after Gangsta Rap. It also gives every artist it can (including Shug) some form of humanity. Come for the stories of Bigge and Pac, stay for the conspiracy theories.

great book, check out fentanyl inc

this is a great book and captured my attention like a movie. ben wrote fentanyl, inc. READ IT TOO

Would listen again.

really cool hearing the back story on this group. All have done some bad things but, I really gained a whole new respect for Eazy E. already recommended to a friend.