Str8 Young Gangstaz

Among the many Christian gangsta rap artists that popped up in the late '90s, Str8 Young Gangstaz came out of South Central with a sound that was heavily reminiscent of Dr. Dre's early-'90s work for Death Row Records. Put together by rapper Big Tone for his G-Like Records, Str8 Young Gangstaz were born out of Tone's conversion to Christianity in the spring of 1991. It was in church that he met many of his future collaborators, who also came out of South Central looking for an alternative to the murder- and money-oriented lyrics of their nationally infamous rap scene. As his associates began to start groups in the area, Tone turned to rappers Low-Key and Duv Mac to help him spread his message. Purposefully aping Dre's production style in order to appeal to fans of the genre, Str8 Young Gangstaz released Tha Movement in the fall of 1999, followed by a string of appearances at Christian music festivals over the next few years.