South Central Cartel is a hip hop group from South Los Angeles, California. As one of the first West Coast gangsta collectives to follow N.W.A's lead, South Central Cartel first appeared with their debut album South Central Madness in 1991, before releasing a succession of albums throughout the remainder of the decade. Their 1994 album 'N Gatz We Truss generated a sizable amount of attention in the hip hop scene, and Def Jam Recordings signed the group. This signing resulted in the release of their most commercially successful album, All Day Everyday, in 1997.

Group leaders Havoc & Prodeje additionally released a string of albums as a duo on another label, helping garner a small yet healthy cult audience. Despite their lack of mainstream success, the group is a considered a pioneer of the gangsta rap subgenre.

The groups singer L.V. (which stands for "Large Variety") is best known for his collaboration with rapper Coolio on the single "Gangsta's Paradise" and has been featured on multiple soundtracks since then. He has released five solo albums and usually sings all the choruses.