Suthern Merchandise, also known as the Suthern Merchandise Family, is a collective from the illicit streets of San Antonio, TX. Although membership has varied throughout their active years, the core congregation has remained unchanged. The main group consists of Ricé, PFK, Black Satin, K-9, Big B, Lady Lunatic, 2 Face and Big Jay. This is their debut compilation album and it was released in the early part of 1997 on Suthern Merchandise Records. The excellent southern fried production is provided by none other than the skillful producer, Ricé. His classic approach and superb craftsmanship is brought upon every track. The beats are laced with numerous instruments and are free of samples. They contain deep bass lines with solid drums which are then intricately mixed with twangy guitar licks and topped off with some smooth synthesizers. This recipe is used during the whole of the album and it certainly gives of a satisfying vibe. The lyrics are also on point. The members take full advantage of the rhythms and present their end of the deal with utmost precision. Their rhymes are delivered sharply and explicitly. The pace is not at a brisk level but still moves along at a very decent rate. All members are quite accomplished on the microphone but the ones that standout the most are K-9 and Black Satin. Also worth taking a note of are the sublime backup vocals and superior chorus hooks which are meshed into most of the tracks. The album closes out with a total a of twelve genuine cuts and they are all equally enjoyable. As a group, Suthern Merchandise dropped one more album towards the end of the year 1997 known as, "Still In Da Game." All in all, this record exemplifies the masterful artistry which dwells in the lower levels of San Antonio's massive underground music scene. It shows a lot of promise as well as an admirable amount of talent from the parties involved. Although this was a very limited release with a restricted number of pressings, the record still has the uncanny ability to keep up with any mainstream release from the South.
Deadly Verses
Suthern Merchandise ft. K-9
Album Notes
* Suthern Merchandise disbanded in the year 2002.
* K-9 would later change his alias to K-9ine.
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