The Geto Boys (album)
| The Geto Boys | ||||
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| Studio album by Geto Boys | ||||
| Released | October 17, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–1990 | |||
| Genre | Hardcore hip hop Southern rap Horrorcore |
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| Length | 54:56 | |||
| Label | Def American/Warner Bros. Records 24306 Rap-a-Lot Records (rerelease) |
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| Producer | DJ Ready Red Doug King John Bido Johnny C Rick Rubin |
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| Geto Boys chronology | ||||
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The Geto Boys is the self-titled album by the Geto Boys, which was released in 1990. The album contained 11 revamped tracks from its previous albums Grip It! On That Other Level and Making Trouble and three new songs. The cover of the album resembles the Beatles album Let It Be and faced much controversy over its release.
Contents |
[edit] Controversy and Release
The original Def American pressing is the only WEA-distributed album with the following warning in addition to the standard explicit-lyrics sticker:
| “ | Def American Recordings is opposed to censorship. Our manufacturer and distributor, however, do not condone or endorse the content of this recording, which they find violent, sexist, racist and indecent.[1] | ” |
Due to the controversial nature of the lyrics, especially in the songs "Mind of a Lunatic" and "Assassins," the album's originally intended distributor, Geffen Records, refused to have any part in the release.[2][3] After Geffen terminated its manufacturing and distributing deal with Def American, Rick Rubin found different distribution with Warner Bros. Records, which agreed to distribute the album and all following Def American releases.[4] Marketing for the album was handled by Warner Bros. sister label Giant Records.[citation needed]
Subsequent pressings on Rap-a-Lot and various distributors do not contain the secondary warning and an alternate version of "Gangster of Love" that uses a sample from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Sweet Home Alabama" instead of the Steve Miller Band’s "The Joker."[citation needed] "Do It Like a G.O." was released as a single with a music video but didn't chart.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Akshen, Lil J, Willie D.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fuck ’Em" | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Size Ain’t Shit" | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Mind of a Lunatic" | 5:04 |
| 4. | "Gangsta of Love" | 5:12 |
| 5. | "Trigga-Happy Nigga" | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Life in the Fast Lane" | 3:25 |
| 7. | "Assassins" | 5:06 |
| 8. | "Do it Like a G.O." | 4:25 |
| 9. | "Read These Nikes" | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Talkin’ Loud, Ain’t Saying Nothin’" | 3:55 |
| 11. | "Scarface" | 4:55 |
| 12. | "Let a Ho be a Ho" | 3:40 |
| 13. | "City under Siege" | 4:27 |
[edit] Personnel
The following people contributed to The Geto Boys:[5]
[edit] Geto Boys
- DJ Ready Red
- Scarface
- Bushwick Bill
- Willie D
[edit] Additional personnel
- John Bido - Producer
- Clifford Blodget - Engineer, Executive Producer
- DJ Ready Red - Producer
- Doug King - Producer
- Sylvia Massy - Engineer
- Brendan O'Brien - Remixing
- Prince Johnny C - Producer
- Ready Red - Producer
- Billy Roberts - Photography
- Rick Rubin - Production Supervisor
- James H. Smith - Executive Producer
- Howie Weinberg - Mastering
[edit] Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B-) link |
| Robert Christgau | (B-) link |
| The Source |  link |
In a 3.5-mike out of 5 review, The Source wrote positively of Rick Rubin's contribution to the album, writing, "The group's fuck-everybody attitude and simple straight-forward music is a perfect match for Rubin...."[6] Andy Kellman of Allmusic also praised Rick Rubin's contribution, writing, "The album is expertly sequenced, and some songs seem to have twice the impact of their original incarnations."[7]
Robert Christgau, on the other hand, criticized the album, comparing it negatively to slasher films. Christgau ended the review, writing, "I'm impressed by [its] pungent beats and vernacular. I'm glad they put Reagan in bed with Noriega. I'm sorta touched when one of them thinks to thank the first girl to lick his asshole. I admire their enunciation on 'Fuck ’Em.' But fuck ’em."[8] In another mixed review, Entertainment Weekly's Greg Sandow ridiculed the album's glorification of violence, writing, "The catalog starts to seem silly. Stealing from the poor? On their next album, the Geto Boys might just as well do a song about tearing wings off flies."[9]
[edit] Album chart positions
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 171[10] |
| US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums (Billboard) | 67[10] |
[edit] References
- ^ Hochman, Steve. Maybe They Should Issue Stickers For Everyone's Ears. Los Angeles Times. 22 July 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2011
- ^ Pareles. John. Distributor Withdraws Rap Album Over Lyrics. New York Times. 28 August 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2011
- ^ Bogdanov;Woodstra;Erlewine 2001, p. 478
- ^ Hochman, Steve. Geffen Cancels Distribution Pact With Controversial Def American. Los Angeles Times. 18 September 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2011
- ^ The Geto Boys - Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2011
- ^ (Summer 1990) Original Album Review. The Source.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. The Geto Boys. Allmusic. Retrieved 17 June 2011
- ^ Christgau, Robert. Robert Christgau: Album: The Geto Boys: The Geto Boys. Consumer Guide. Retrieved 17 June 2011
- ^ Sandow, Greg. The Geto Boys Review. EW.com. 12 October 1990. Retrieved 18 June 2011
- ^ a b The Geto Boys - Charts. Allmusic. Retrieved 20 June 2011
[edit] Further Reading
- Bogdanov; Woodstra; Erlewine, eds. (2001). All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide To Popular Music (4 ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 9780879306274.
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