Editing Gangsta rap (section)

===Southern and Midwestern gangsta rap===
[[Houston]] first came on to the national scene in the late 1980s with the violent and disturbing stories told by the [[Geto Boys]] (hit single "Mind Playing Tricks On Me"), with member [[Scarface (rapper)|Scarface]] achieving major solo success in the mid-1990s. After the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. and the media attention surrounding them, gangsta rap became an even greater commercial force. However, most of the industry's major labels were in turmoil, bankrupt, or creatively stagnant, and new labels representing the rap scenes in new locations sprang up.

Master P's No Limit Records label, based out of New Orleans, became quite popular in the late 1990s, though critical success was very scarce, with the exceptions of some later additions like [[Mystikal]] (''[[Ghetto Fabulous (album)|Ghetto Fabulous]]'', 1998). No Limit had begun its rise to national popularity with Master P's ''[[The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me!]]'' (1994), and had major hits with [[Silkk the Shocker]] (''[[Charge It 2 Da Game]]'', 1998) and [[C Miller|C-Murder]] (''[[Life or Death (C-Murder album)|Life or Death]]'', 1998). No Limit released [[Mia X]], Mr. Serv-On and TRU albums also. [[Cash Money Records]], also based out of New Orleans, had enormous commercial success with Juvenile, B.G., Hot Boys, beginning in the late 1990s with a similar gangsta rap style like No Limit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview with BRYAN "BIRDMAN" WILLIAMS, co-owner of Cash Money Records – Feb 6, 2012|url=http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_Birdman.html|work=HitQuarters| access-date=10 May 2023 |author=Jan Blumentrath}}</ref>

[[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] collective [[Hypnotize Minds]], led by [[Three 6 Mafia]] and [[Project Pat]], have taken gangsta rap to some of its darker extremes. Led by in-house producers [[DJ Paul]] and [[Juicy J]], the label became known for its pulsating, menacing beats and uncompromisingly thuggish lyrics. However, in the mid-2000s, the group began attaining more mainstream popularity, eventually culminating in the [[Three 6 Mafia]] winning an [[Academy Award]] for the song "[[It's Hard out Here for a Pimp]]" from ''[[Hustle & Flow]]''.

The [[chopped and screwed]] genre was developed in [[Houston]], Texas, the location which is still most associated with the style. [[DJ Screw]] is credited with the creation of and early experimentation with the genre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2013/03/10-chopped-and-screwed-songs-that-never-get-old/ |title=10 CHOPPED AND SCREWED SONGS THAT NEVER GET OLD |last=Cheng |first=Briana |publisher=Pigeons and Planes |access-date=2016-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205122601/http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2013/03/10-chopped-and-screwed-songs-that-never-get-old/ |archive-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> DJ Screw began making [[mixtape]]s of the slowed-down music in the early 1990s and began the [[Screwed Up Click]]. This provided a significant outlet for MCs in the South-Houston area, and helped local rappers such as Willie D, [[Big Moe]], [[Lil' Flip]], [[E.S.G. (rapper)|E.S.G.]], [[UGK]], [[Lil' Keke]], [[South Park Mexican]], and [[Z-Ro]] gain regional and sometimes national prominence.