I don't think either of those terms means what you think they mean.

Man, don't give the kid a hard time. He's been off the streets for awhile, but he back now. He still bangin'.

Translation: Okay, I'll let him prove himself before I take him out Old Yeller style.
 

Awright, dawg, I'll give the 'lil g a chance to be the new big G before I hafta bust a cap in his dome-piece.

Gah. Yeah, I should have said "gangstas" and "gang members," I suppose. Really wasn't thinking when I typed that and I wanted something more snappy. :sweatdrop

The hats thing isn't a big deal to me, I've just always thought that the whole "Wearing hats indoors is rude" was particularly silly, like saying that some words are inherently offensive regardless of intent or usage.

But those two words DO have a meaning associated by the kids imitating gangsters because they're cool (Posers) and the kids who actually ARE in gangs (gang-bangers) nowadays. Trust me on this.

Just because that isn't the definition we're accustomed to, doesn't mean they aren't words that have become associated with the "gang-bangers" of the modern high school. In the area I worked, little elementary students referred to themselves as 'gang-bangers'. These students had older siblings in gangs, who referred to themselves as 'gang-bangers', as well. It's a trend of the youth these days.

Gangbanger:

1. (slang) a member of a violent gang
2. (slang) a violent person
3. someone who gangbangs

Gangbang:

1. Sexual intercourse involving more than two persons, especially with a high proportion of men.
2. A street gang attacking random people on the streets and/or committing gang crimes.

Posers are well-to-do white kids who are pretending to be anything but white and well-to-do.

Gangbangers are people who participate in group rape.

Like seriously, gangbanging is the act of a gang (group) of people banging (fucking) somebody.

Re: Noncon who i'm too lazy to go back and quote, I don't get the hat thing either really, it's just one of those completely arbitrary things that every society seems to accumulate.

...I guess if I looked for a reason it would be that if you've got a baseball cap or other hat with a brim and you pull it down then a teacher or someone speaking might not be able to see your eyes to know that you're paying attention to them and it's just easier to go HATS OFF than go all YOUR HAT IS 5 DEGREES TOO LOW RAISE IT PLEASE SO I CAN SEE YOUR EYES.

Oh, good. I was afraid it was just a local thing. Like I said, the gangs around here aren't exactly big city. :sweatdrop