Opinion has been widely mixed about the merits of Philadelphia rapper %Jesse B. Weaver, Jr. aka Schoolly D. Long before the debate about gangsta rap lyrics became an easy way to get national newsprint, there was outrage over Schoolly D's explicit and undiluted narratives on inner city strife. Saturday Night in 1987 and Smoke Some Kill in 1988 had city officials openly endorsing removal of the albums from record stores. He has continued in the same vein with 1993's Am I Black Enough for You and 1996's Gangster's Story. Schoolly D's rather lackluster rapping style and repetitive material doesn't place him in the forefront of hip-hop creators, but he does merit mention (or blame, depending on your perspective) for being an early gangsta proponent.
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