this word should not have a separate entry besides perhaps a notice that it really is just a dialectical pronunciation of ganster, its spelling popularized by hip-hop music. It is not a hip-hop pronunciation, but a dialectical one. -Kevin Brousseau
The spelling "gangsta" is AAVE dialectical because it is just a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word "gangster", a key feature in African American Vernacular English. While non-rhoticity is not unique to AAVE, the spelling "gangsta" was popularized out of African American hip-hop/rap, as many rap songs use eye dialect in their lyrics or titles to reflect their dialectical pronunciation. One example is "Neva" by Megan Thee Stallion; "neva" is not slang, its dialect. It's not specialized jargon associated with a particular group, many African Americans who generally speak using traditionally non-rhotic African American English pronunciations with say that. 23.28.55.91 05:11, 20 December 2020 (UTC)