About Gangsta Rat

In Gangsta Rat, a rat in a baseball cap appears next to a ghetto blaster, encapsulating trademarks of NYC ‘90s hip hop culture. IPOW tag features on the wall behind the rat, referencing Banksy’s main print publisher – Pictures on Walls.

Broader context

Rendered in Banksy’s iconic stencil, the rat impersonates the 90’s New York hip hop fashion. Wearing a New York Mets baseball cap, ear piercing, and a long chain, the creature features a series of attributes typically associated with the world of New York underground culture and hip hop music. Rats feature in Banksy’s works to give voice to the issues of class inequality and challenge social stereotypes, especially ones associated with the representation of the urban underclass by mainstream media.

What’s unique about Gangsta Rat

The print represents one of the many unique ways in which Banksy’s works turn the ambiguous rat character into a symbol of contemporary social tensions. Banksy reproduced Gangsta Rat in the form of murals in Farringdon (2004), Old Street (2006) and New York City during his painting residency Better Out Than In in 2013.