James Gandolfini dead at 51: How Tony Soprano was hip-hop

OPINION - While the 51-year-old Gandolfini was admired for his many film and television roles across many different demographics, he was extremely revered in the hip-hop community for his performance as Tony Soprano...

This a sad day in not just the television industry, but the hip-hop music landscape as well. James Gandolfini, the award-winning actor best known for his role in HBO’s riveting drama The Sopranos, died last night while on vacation in Rome from a sudden stroke.

While the 51-year-old Gandolfini was admired for his many film and television roles across many different demographics, he was extremely revered in the hip-hop community for his performance as Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss who balanced his criminal organization all the while trying to keep his family under control.

News of his death brought forth many condolences from mainstays in the rap game through social media networks, with the likes of mega-producer Jermaine Dupri, Hot 97 Radio Host Peter Rosenberg, rapper Action Bronson, and entrepreneur Russell Simmons, among others, all paying respects.

It’s often times like this where the sudden death of such a polarizing character offers us a chance to reflect on the impact that they’ve had on our culture.

A mobster for the millenial generation

I feel it is a fair comparison to call The Sopranos series The Godfather movie trilogy for the new millennials. So many hip-hop fans weren’t old enough to fully appreciate movies like The Godfather and Scarface, but The Sopranos gave us a different, more current perspective to the mafia lifestyle.

The comparisons between the rap game and the mob culture has been no secret over the years, from artists by the names of Scarface, Elliot Ness, and Capone to songs with titles like “Tony Montana” and “The Roc Boys.”

It’s simple; rappers often cite mob bosses as their inspiration for industry power and dominance. And it’s that inspiration that drew these artists to Gandolfini’s character. They related to his constant battle of balancing the image of the powerful mob boss of the biggest organized crime family in New Jersey with the quiet family man with a wife and two children. They related to how one man can have literally a man’s life in his hands in one aspect, but have to deal with his son’s drug habits or his daughter’s sex life back at home.

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