The Geto Boys (album)

The Geto Boys
The parental warning on physical copies reads "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."
Remix album by
Geto Boys
ReleasedJanuary 17, 1990 (1990-01-17)
GenreHardcore hip hop
Length54:56
LabelDef American/Warner Bros.
ProducerRick Rubin (exec.)
James H. Smith (exec.)
Clifford Blodget (exec.)
DJ Ready Red
Doug King
John Bido
Johnny C.
Geto Boys chronology
Grip It! On That Other Level
(1989) 		The Geto Boys
(1990) 		We Can't Be Stopped
(1991)

The Geto Boys is a remix album by the Geto Boys released in 1990. The album contains one track from the group's debut album Making Trouble (1988), ten from its previous album Grip It! On That Other Level (1989), and two new songs. All tracks on the album were re-recorded, remixed and revamped by producer Rick Rubin with his protégé Brendan O'Brien. The cover of the album resembles The Beatles' album Let It Be, and the songs attracted much controversy upon the album's release.

Of the twelve songs from Grip it! only "Seek and Destroy" and "No Sellout" were excluded from this album.

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, and CD manufacturer Sony DADC, which manufactured Geffen's releases, refused to have any part in the release.[2][3] After Geffen terminated its manufacturing and distributing deal with Def American, Rick Rubin arranged alternative distribution with Warner Bros. Records, which agreed to distribute the album as intended and all subsequent Def American releases with product manufacturing by WEA Manufacturing.[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. "Do It Like a G.O." was released as a single with a music video but did not chart.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Robert ChristgauB−[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[6]
Rolling Stone[8]
The Source[9]

In a 3.5-mic 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...."[9] 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."[5]

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."[7] 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."[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Akshen, Li'l J, and Willie D

No.TitleLength
1."Fuck 'Em"4:02
2."Size Ain't Shit"3:41
3."Mind of a Lunatic"5:10
4."Gangsta of Love"5:24
5."Trigga Happy Nigga"3:47
6."Life in the Fast Lane"3:27
7."Assassins"5:08
8."Do It Like a G.O."4:25
9."Read These Nikes"3:37
10."Talkin' Loud Ain't Sayin Nothin'"3:35
11."Scarface"4:54
12."Let a Ho Be a Ho"3:42
13."City Under Siege"4:29
Total length:54:56

Personnel

The following people contributed to The Geto Boys:[10]

Geto Boys

Production

  • Prince Johnny C – producer (Geto Boys member)
  • John Bido – producer
  • Clifford Blodget – engineer, executive producer
  • DJ Ready Red – producer
  • Doug King – producer
  • Sylvia Massy – engineer
  • Brendan O'Brien – remixing
  • Ready Red – producer
  • Billy Roberts – photography
  • Rick Rubin – production supervisor
  • James H. Smith – executive producer
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering

Charts

Chart (1990) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 171[11]
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums (Billboard) 67

References

  1. ^ Hochman, Steve. Maybe They Should Issue Stickers For Everyone's Ears. Los Angeles Times. 22 July 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  2. ^ Pareles. John. Distributor Withdraws Rap Album Over Lyrics. The New York Times. 28 August 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  3. ^ Bogdanov, Woodstra & Erlewine 2001, p. 478
  4. ^ Hochman, Steve. Geffen Cancels Distribution Pact With Controversial Def American. Los Angeles Times. 18 September 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  5. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "The Geto Boys - Geto Boys". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  6. ^ a b Sandow, Greg (12 October 1990). "The Geto Boys Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 June 2011
  7. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: Album: The Geto Boys: The Geto Boys". Consumer Guide. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  8. ^ Light, Alan (15 November 1990). "Geto Boys: The Geto Boys : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  9. ^ a b (Summer 1990) "Classic review : Grip It On That Other Level in The Source (1990)". The Source.
  10. ^ The Geto Boys - Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2011
  11. ^ "Geto Boys". Billboard.

Sources