Gangsta Gangsta
I like the depiction of the emergence of "Gangsta Rap" and culture in Sag Harbor in 1985. It is a sophisticated first hand account of how these trends came into prominence in the late 80s and 90s. Sag Harbor takes place just a few years before gangsta rap became popular in mainstream culture. You can see the convergence of these ideas in both the early rap references found throughout the book as well as the boys’ brief obsession with acting tough with pellet guns. The book is littered with allusions to early rap throughout. Reggie and Bobby are always practicing their Run DMC routine. Benji gets into an argument with Marcus over whether Afrika Bambaataa bit the sound of Kraftwerk. Benji makes reference to Ice Cube lyrics that he was reminded of (although not written yet at the time of the story). Benji talks about how he listens to rap songs that his brother buys. The early rap scene has definitely taken root in Benji and his friend’s lives as evidenced throughout the whole s...