Gun violence in America has long been a hot-button issue, with politicians and other civil servants speaking drawing lines in the sand. Mass shootings in places like Newtown, Connecticut and Aurora, Colorado may consistently push the issue back to the forefront, but in the world of hip-hop, gun violence is by no means a new topic.

Scott La Rock, Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Freaky Tah, Jam-Master Jay, Magnolia Shorty, Bankroll Fresh and others have been killed in cold blood. And the plague of violence has been touched upon frequently over the years, with records like "Self Destruction" by the Stop The Violence Movement, the West Coast All-Stars' "We're All In The Same Gang," and initiatives aimed at curbing gun violence. And via the music of acts like Schoolly D, Kool G Rap, N.W.A. and others, it can't be denied that there have also been hip-hop artists whose music reveled in violent imagery and lifestyles. The streets have been inextricably linked to what so many rappers experience and perpetuate.

Violence has affected the culture in a myriad of ways--and far too often it's been too close for comfort. There are many too many hip-hop artists who may not have become casualties, but still bear the scars. Here are 25 rap artists that have been shot and lived to tell their stories.

On "The Look" in 2013
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