"Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)", also known as "Gangsta", is a song by American recording artist

Lil' Mo Cynthia Karen Loving (born November 19, 1978), known professionally as Lil' Mo, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, television and radio personality. She is best known for her 2001 single " Superwoman Pt. II", featuring then-unknown rapper ...

. It was released as the third and final single from Mo's debut album, ''

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'' (2001). The song was produced and co-written by Darryl "Big Baby" McClary and Michael "Suga Mike" Allen from Mo's production team Flavahood, and features a notable sample of

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

's 1994 single, "

Gin and Juice "Gin and Juice" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on January 18, 1994, as the second single from his debut album, ''Doggystyle''. Lyrics The lyrics depict a party filled with sex, marijuana, and alcohol continuing i ...

Music video

Background

A music video for the single was directed by Chris Robinson and featured a cameo appearance by

Tom Lister, Jr. Tommy Deebo "Tiny" Lister Jr. (born Thomas Duane Lister Jr.; June 24, 1958 – December 10, 2020) was an American character actor and occasional professional wrestling, professional wrestler known for his roles as the neighborhood bully Deebo in ...

Originally, the video was slated to be a double-video shoot in conjunction with the cancelled accompanying single, "Supa Star", however, because Lil' Mo was assaulted during the closing of a San Francisco concert, plans were quickly changed to meet the deadline of mid-July 2001. In late-August 2001, the video premiered on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

Synopsis

The video opens with Lil' Mo and her girlfriends sitting in her living room while watching a television show called: ''Ghettoblanca'', which coincidentally happens to feature Mo as the leading female role. After the show ends, Mo and her girls freshen up and get their hair fixed in Mo's kitchen. They are later seen walking out of the house and observing the neighborhood, which is in the style of an urban California-like setting. For the remainder of the video, Mo is either seen riding in a pink hoopty with her girls or dancing while reprising her role in ''Ghettoblanca''.

Track listings and formats

CD single # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Album Version) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Instrumental) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (TV Track) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Acapella) 12-inch vinyl # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Amended Version) (featuring

) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Original Version) (featuring Snoop Dogg) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Album Version) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Acapella) # "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)" (Instrumental)

Chart performance

Prior to its physical release, the song began charting solely on urban airplay under its former title "Keep It Gangsta" in early August 2001. The song was later revised after its two-week stint on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...

chart to its single version title, "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)"."Billboard: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay". ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''. August 18, 2001: 24. Print.

References

{{authority control 2001 singles 2001 songs Lil' Mo songs Songs written by Lil' Mo Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director)