Damn, It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta by The Geto Boys

Gangsta. The word immediately conjures images of AKs, low-riding Impalas cruising slowly and Ice Cube’s Jheri-curled visage snarling menacingly. However, on their 1992 album, Uncut Dope, the Geto Boys released Damn, It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta and helped clarify the definition of gangsta as seen through the eyes of hip hop insiders.

A mid tempo drum and piano instrumental opens the track and is soon followed by a placid vocal that declare, “Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.” The lyrics then go on to define what a gangsta is, including one surprising declaration of nonviolence – “A real gangsta-ass nigga never runs his fuckin’ mouth ‘cause real gangsta-ass niggas don’t start fights.” This lyric shatters the ideal that gangstas are all criminally-minded and intent on acts of violence. The song also espouses a philosophy of self-confidence by stating that, “Real gangsta-ass niggas don’t flex nuts ‘cause real gangsta-ass niggas know they got ‘em.” The song uses this lyric to admonish others about the folly of excess bravado and how a real man, or gangsta, in this case, doesn’t need brazen shows of machismo to prove his worth.

The second verse is one C. Delores Tucker may even have approved of. Maybe. The verse advocates a sense of community, charity, racial tolerance and spirituality. The verse starts off with the words, “Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta. Feeding the poor and helping out with their bills. Although, I was born in Jamaica, now I’m in the U.S. making deals.” The first stanza exhibits a parallel to Robin Hood in that while both figures [the gangsta and Robin Hood] are seen as troublemakers in the eyes of the law, the community sees them as local heroes of almost mythic proportions. The second stanza can be linked to the lore of the Italian American gangster – the foundation of the hip hop gangsta. Just as Don Corleone came to America to make his fortune in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Bushwick Bill came to New York in search of the American Dream and based on the song, it seems as if he found it. The final few stanzas are arguably the most interesting with Bushwick Bill rhyming, “Now gangsta-ass niggas come in all shapes and colors, some got killed in the past. But this gangsta here was a smart one, started living for the Lord and I’ll last.” Not only does Bill advocate racial tolerance, but he also rhymes about living a righteous life and connecting with a higher power – topics that are usually overlooked in gangsta rap.

The third verse of the song, featuring rhymes about gunplay and sexuality, fit more into the traditional stereotype of the gangsta image, but these lyrics seems to be a cheeky precursor to the final verse. The low, languid melodic instrumentals give way to a rapper impersonating former president, George Bush, Sr. He is introduced with, “And now, a word from the President,” as if addressing the nation officially in the rhyme. At this point, the song takes a highly political and controversial stance as “President Bush” announces just how good it feels to be a gangsta. He immediately reveals a duplicitous nature by stating, “Everything lookin’ good to the people of the world, but the Mafia family is my boss.” He continues this shocking statement by referencing the controversial war on drugs – “So every now and then, I owe a favor gettin' down like lettin' a big drug shipment through. And send 'em to the poor community, so we can bust you know who.”

Obviously, “you know who” refers to the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder and the minority groups targeted by the stringent drug laws and affected the most severely from the introduction of crack cocaine and heroin into urban areas. If the gangsta is an authority figure, the President is the ultimate gangsta. He threatens the audience that if other leaders upset him, he’ll “send a million troops to die at war.” Strangely prophetic words for the world we live in. He ends the rhyme and the song with a jab to the critics of hip hop by stating, “To all you Republicans, that helped me win, I sincerely like to thank you, ‘Cause now I got the world swingin' from my nuts and damn it feels good to be a gangsta.” Since most individuals who looked at hip hop from an outsider’s perspective and therefore, condemned the artform, championed a fairly conservative attitude – the lyrics are a jab at the fact that even though these dissenters are against gangsta rap, they’ve elected the biggest gangsta there is to run the nation. It’s an acerbic touch of humor which not only jams a thumb straight in the eye of conservative America, but ends the song on a memorable note.

Damn, It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta is unique in that it presents numerous aspects and definitions of the term ‘gangsta’. A gangsta is more than a gun-toting thug. A gangsta can be something as simple as a person with self-confidence. A gangsta can also be someone who struggles to capture his own piece of the American Dream and a gangsta can also be an absolutely corrupt politician. Just like with hip hop, there is no concrete definition, but rather a large, intangible entity whose meaning differs with each individual experience.