Bumble B.H.E. - Pain

Bumble B.H.E. - Pain

William Jackson, better known as Bumble B.H.E., was a socially active artist from the savage streets of Dallas, TX. He is often remembered for his controversial lyrics and equally provocative civil views which were the main cause of distress upon the media, politicians and even the African American community in the early nineties. Bumble B.H.E. first started off with the famed group, Nemesis but would soon leave them over creative differences. The differences being about the overall sound and the message the group as a whole was portraying. Pain is his debut solo album and it was released in 1992 on 380 Recordings while also being distributed through the larger and well established, Ichiban Records. The production in its' entirety is handled by the talented group of producers known as, The Bump Godz. The Bump Godz consists of Brother Black, DJ Zero, I.C.E., Suave-X and Bumble B.H.E., himself. Although the rhythms are all electronically derived and most are sample ridden, there are tracks where the producers incorporate live instruments such as horns and various types of guitars. The beats are of a simple nature and are generally presented in an uptempo fashion. This set up remains constant throughout the album and really does set the tone for the entire project. Lyrically, the artist is pretty blunt upon the microphone. Both his tone and persona come off as quite aggressive and he seems to get his point across with ease. His rhymes follow no dictated pattern which results in a very candid and honest approach. Guest appearances are made by Mad Wisdom and Gretta Epps. The record closes out with a total of thirteen tracks with each one being more ruthless than the next. The core content is of a harsh yet truthful nature as one can sense from the album's title and the intrusive caption printed on the cover. Overall the album does carry its' own charm but it can also get a bit redundant at times with its' brutal content. Nonetheless, the message it conveys is of an imperative nature especially when considering the turmoils and unrest which still plagues the African American communities to this very day.

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Pain


If This Gets Out (It'll Cause World Wide Panic)

Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days in the Life Of...

Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days in the Life Of...

Arrested Development is a collective that was founded in the sprawling city of Atlanta, GA. It consists of Speech, DJ Headliner, Baba Oje, JJ Boogie, Rasa Don, Za', Montsho Eshe, One Love, Aerle Taree and Dionne Farris. Speech formed the group in the late eighties, when he met DJ Headliner at the Art Institute Of Atlanta. Now, at the time of their meeting, Speech already had a group called the Disciples Of Lyrical Rebellion. Together, they gradually recruited a couple of vocalists as well as some musicians and renamed the group to Arrested Development. Each member brings their own distinct and provocative style to the table. For instance, Baba Oje is the spiritual elder of the group and provides valuable insight and guidance while Montosho Eshe is a vocalists, dancer and fashion coordinator. JJ Boogie and Za' are both guitarists while Rasa Don is a percussionist. 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days in the Life Of... is their debut album and it was released in 1992 on Chrysalis Records. Production is mainly handled by Speech and Headliner, whom then delegate and coordinate who and what to use on a given track. The record is full of live instrumentation and it is definitely a treat to listen to. The beats are all assembled from the ground up and extra attention is given to detail. A couple of tracks are inspired by samples but the rest are all original as can be. The end result is a very crisp and upbeat selection of rhythms that fit the group's style perfectly. The album is also quite strong lyrically. Speech and his fellow vocalists are far from anything ordinary. Their tones, delivery and styles are incorporated with intricate precision into their songs. Again, Speech handles the bulk of the duties on the microphone and displays his lyrical prowess on just about every track. The subject matter is what quickly sets this album apart from others. The group touches on various subjects such as religion, peace, race, unity and the ever lasting struggle for equality. All of this is embedded into their songs and delivered musically with a clear and positive message. The album rounds out at an impressive total of sixteen choice cuts that are all equally enjoyable. Upon release, the record was met with high praise and instantaneous success. This also led to the group winning two prestigious Grammy Awards. The success was short lived though, the group's follow up album was considered a failure while creative and financial disputes erupted within. This eventually led to the breakup in the year 1996 with most members going their separate ways. Speech would then explore the solo route for a few years before reuniting them in the year 2000. By that time it was a little too late and the collective would not experience the same level of success as they did back in 1992 because Southern Rap was headed in a whole new direction. In the end, the group was admired for their passion and originality. They ended up paving the way for many other socially conscious artists while also raising awareness of the situation at hand.

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People Everyday


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Album Notes
* The album's title is the actual length of time it took the group to get a recording contract.
* DJ Headliner did not participate in the reunion.

Too Much Trouble - Bringing Hell On Earth

Too Much Trouble - Bringing Hell On Earth

Too Much Trouble is a group that represents from the notorious streets of 5th Ward in Houston, TX. Billed as "The Baby Geto Boys," the group was quickly put together by James Smith to pretty much cash in on all the success and attention the original Geto Boys were receiving. Their style, demeanor and personalities were almost a mirror image of the Geto Boys. The group consists of Ghetto MC, also known as the Band Aid Bandit, Drunk D, who is also known as Nickel Nut, Bar-None and DJ Bad News Black. Bringing Hell On Earth is their debut album and it was released in 1992 on Rap-A-Lot Records. The production is provided by Big Boss, John Bido, Crazy C, DJ Bad News Black and Johnny C. Only excellence can be expected with the names mentioned above and that is exactly what is delivered. Although the beats are quite sample heavy and are all electronically derived, they are still a treat to listen to. Lyrically, the album has it's moments. The members are passable on the microphone and aren't the least bit shy either. Their aggressive rhymes are blunt and straight to the point. Word play is kept to a minimum but when it is used, it is very vile and rough. Features are courtesy of the Geto Boys, Big Mello and DJ Ready Red. Overall the record has its fair shares of ups and downs. There are times when the chemistry of the members and their provocative styles fit perfectly and then there are times where it all seems very dull and redundant. In the end, Too Much Trouble could not hold a candle to what the Geto Boys were accomplishing, neither lyrically nor musically. Which is why "The Baby Geto Boys" moniker was soon dropped all together and the group struggled to find their identity. It also didn't help their cause when some members lost focus while others got a little complacent after this initial release. Reduced to just two members later on, Drunk D and Ghetto MC dropped two more albums as Too Much Trouble and soon parted ways as well. On June 14, 2013, Ghetto MC passed away with kidney failure. Rest in peace to the unforgiving and always relentless, Band Aid Bandit.

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Point Blank - Prone To Bad Dreams

Point Blank - Prone To Bad Dreams

Point Blank is originally a rapper from Chicago, IL but later moved to Houston, TX in 1990 and eventually joined the South Park Coalition (S.P.C.). Since then he has been one of the hardest rappers in the click. He is known for his raw and uncut delivery. He is also the founder of the group Wreckless Klan. This was his debut album and it was released in 1992 on Bigtyme Recordz. Production on this dope album was done by Point Blank himself along with Pimp C of UGK, K-Rino, Triple 6 and Egypt E. Featuring on the album is UGK, .38, Klondike Kat, Ganksta NIP, 3-2, The Terrorists and K.O. Blank is a very good artist and has dropped some albums that are considered classics in the South but he has never received any recognition or fame. He is considered by many to be the underground's best kept secret.