first of all great post, I'm not sure why people are acting like this is a joke-post or you are trolling... its probably the "gay' in the subject line


Ja Rule is the most glaring example from the early 00's in that progression from thug/big bad n***** archetype to this rapping for the bitches style. Drake with his eyebrows and metrosexual style is another huge step in this evolution; there is a whole generation of teenagers influenced by that, whose whole conception of rapping is going to be as limited to that style as all the gangster-rap clones seen a generation before.



also the 'fantasy' aspect of gangster rap that you touched on hasn't gone anywhere with metro rap imo. Its just that the fantasy sold has now been revised to getting girls by being in touch with your feelings (this damn sure aint our fathers' Too Short). Thats why teens eat artists like Drake up, relationships are all you think about at that age. We had gangster rap to channel that sexual aggression - these kids have artists to gets the in touch with it lol.