 :I disagree.  The original usage of the term was probably exclusively West Coast, but that is no longer the case.  Allmusic says Biggie was gangsta rap, for example, MTV.com calls Jay-Z a gangsta rapper, Nas, Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent are also called gangsta rappers, this page calls G funk an offshoot of East Coast gangsta rap, this page talks about New York gangsta rap and Chuck D has called both Jay-Z and Ja Rule gangsta rappers. There is, perhaps, a difference in usage, but I don't think the term is exclusive to the West Coast.  :Interestingly, this article is a #3 google hit, which is pretty sweet, and a good reason to focus on it! I wonder if we could improve it to featured level soon... 