Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name
Kool G Rap (or simply
G Rap, and originally
Kool Genius of Rap) is an American
rapper from the
Corona neighborhood of
Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the
Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time, and a pioneer of
mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and
multisyllabic rhyming. On his album
The Giancana Story, he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana" (after the mobster
Sam Giancana), but on other occasions he has stated that it stands for "Genius".