The content was so over-the-top that Def American was forced to put a disclaimer label on the album noting that Warner Bros., the distributor and manufacturer of the album, found the content “violent, sexist, racist, and indecent.” Meanwhile, “Mind of a Lunatic” depicted wanton murder and necrophilia. The opening track “Fuck ’Em” probably set the landspeed record for the most references to the word “fuck” on a hip-hop track. It was a damn good album, but it was also, well, extreme. The group then reconfigured much of the Grip It! album, added a few new songs, and re-released Grip It! as the self-titled The Geto Boys album in 1990. They were then snatched up by Rick Rubin for Def American Records. The group first established a name for themselves beyond their native Houston with Grip It! On That Other Level, their sophomore album-and first with Scarface-released by Rap-A-Lot Records in 1989.
They also became well-known for making music that gravitated towards the extreme. The Houston-based group had many line-ups, but is best known for its configuration made up of Willie D, Bushwick Bill, DJ Akshen a.k.a. The Geto Boys were presumably the first gangsta rap group to wade into the uncharted waters of exploring the mental cost of the gangster lifestyle. The rapper does his or her dirt, and keeps on moving, unfazed by it all. Most of the time, the dirty deeds are framed as something done for both business and pleasure. Many of those same emcees that rap about drug dealing, stealing, fucking, and killing do so with a stoic nonchalance. You may take pleasure in murdering your enemies, but you can easily catch a bullet and end up just as dead.Įven less common is finding music that examines the psychological effects of being a gangster. You may make a fortune dealing drugs, but the cops will catch up with you eventually. Underpinning many of his songs was the notion of inevitable comeuppance. Ice-T was good at creating songs like this throughout his career. Occasionally, a rapper tries to balance the good with the bad. In many cases the gangsta rapper or group has grown up in extreme poverty, so spinning tales of living like an invulnerable superhero and getting away with committing all type of dirt is a release of sorts. The invincibility can be part of the appeal. He (or sometimes she) muscles out the competition, vanquishes their enemies, evades the police, and, if he (or she) is lucky, enjoys a little extracurricular companionship.
For the most part, the “gangsta” rapper spends an album musing upon drug dealing, stealing, fucking, and often killing with impunity. Generally speaking, gangsta rap isn’t really into consequences. Scarface Is Back, originally released October 1, 1991. Happy 30th Anniversary to Scarface’s debut solo album Mr.