Slater - Can You Feel Me

Slater - Can You Feel Me

Curtis Slater is an artist that represents from the rampant boulevards of San Antonio, TX. A well renown figure in SA Town's underground rap scene, he is highly remembered for his rapturous flows and energetic performances. Can You Feel Me is his debut solo album and it was released in 2003 on Top Entertainment Inc. The record is excellently produced by Houston's very own, Sean "Blaze" Henderson who is also assisted by Key Jay. The mixing and mastering is provided by the magnificent, Ricé. The engineers do a solid job on the beats and the end result is quite pleasurable. The rhythms presented here are Southern in nature so one can easily expect the use of jazzy horns, conventional hooks and some twangy guitar work which is provided by Paul Olivarri. A few of the beats are sample ridden while the rest are all original in composition. The two most notable samples come from the Ohio Players' "Fire" and The Crusaders' "Street Life." Lyrics are also on par with the rhythmical structure that is given to the artist. Slater's rhyme scheme might be typical but he does carry the ability to take the listener by surprise with his bold tone and a quick change of pace. He can also attack with a decent vocabulary as well. Subject matter is kept versatile and various styles are provided for the listener to keep them hooked. Guest appearances are made by D'nae Slater, Danielle Hamilton, Chris Benson, Ghetto and Big Turk. The album closes out with a total of thirteen tracks and also includes a bonus Eighted & Chopped disc done by the masterful, Mike Moore of the infamous Beltway 8 Records. Overall it's a dope record that gives off a satisfying vibe and has the power to play on both ends of the musical spectrum. A feat that is not easily attained but rather achieved by giving attention to the smallest of details. That alone places this album in the category known simply as, a diamond in the rough.

Deadly Verses
Good Life ft. Danielle Hamilton


Can You Feel Me

VooDoo Mob - 210 Soldiers

VooDoo Mob - 210 Soldiers
VooDoo Mob is a collective that represents from the dark alleys of San Antonio, TX. The crew consists of Voodoo King, 666 and Magik Man. 210 Soldiers is their debut EP and it was released in 1997 on 210 Records. Production is solely provided by the Magik Man, who is the group's devoted in-house producer. The rhythms are presented in a very grim and gloomy style. They are derived through heavy bass lines which incorporate a steady usage of samples and are finally finished off with some dark synths. The bass heavy pattern meshes beautifully with the horrorcore sound. It's a smooth transition and one that definitely pays homage to the early Bass culture of San Antonio's diverse Rap scene. Lyrically, the EP is quite hard to judge due to the fact that the vocals are only laid on two of the tracks. The rest of the cuts are just plain instrumentals. The group does show a limited amount of promise on the microphone but their rhymes give off a very simple vibe. The lyrics seem like freestyles that are coming fresh off the domes rather than something that is a bit more concrete. There is hardly any direction in the songs and it seems as if the verses were just cut and pasted together. As mentioned above, there are only two cuts with vocals so this assessment maybe a bit harsh but one can only imagine what the group members could have accomplished with the rest of the tracks or possibly even a full fledged album. The EP closes out with a meager total of seven tracks and since this is a tape only release, some sound quality issues are to be somewhat expected. Overall it's a decent effort by the SA Town natives and one that is as obscure as finding a needle in a haystack. While the release does carry a strange and intriguing vibe, sadly there is just not enough substance or core matter to keep the listener coming back for more.

Album Notes
* Also worth checking out is Michael Mixerr's review on this tape.

Suthern Merchandise - Suthern Stress

Suthern Merchandise - Suthern Stress

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.

BHC - Crime Pays

BHC - Crime Pays

BHC, which stands for Big House Click, is a group that represents from the rough streets of San Antonio, TX. It consists of Mr. Lo, Tear Drop and the female rapper and singer known as Bo-Legg. Although she did not participate in this release due to family reasons and concerns. BHC's first album known as "Openin' Doors" was released in 1997 and it definitely caught the city by surprise. The content was so commendable that all the local radio stations as well as the local clubs were immediately hooked. Crime Pays is their highly anticipated second album and it was released in 1999 on Big House Productions. The production is done by the ever masterful Nathan "Happy" Perez who is assisted by L. Holmes. Together, they drop an assortment of finely crafted beats. Multiple instruments are put to use by Happy P which in turn brings his marvelous production pattern to life. Lyrically the album also excels and both members are qualified lyricists. Their sharp word play and southern dialect is a treat to listen to. Mr. Lo seems to be the more dominant member while Tear Drop appears for a couple of tracks. Guest appearances are courtesy of Lil' Keke, C-Loc, Jayne Doe, Daddy Roe, Kempster and Rocc Lewis. Overall this is an underrated release which managed to slip through the cracks. Even though it does not come close to their first album, "Openin' Doors," it is still passable in its' own right. While this type of  moderation could be justified by the missing member, Bo-Legg or even the untimely passing of Tear Drop. Whatever the case may be, the record is marked as the final recording by the famed group and is also one that possesses a remarkable value even to this day. Rest in peace to the talented and always creative, Tear Drop.

Deadly Verses
Ride 2 Nite ft. Lil' Keke



Album Notes
* Big thanks to my homie GangstaRapBrasil for providing this one.

Kyle Lee - Kings Of Texas Vol.2

Kyle Lee - Kings Of Texas Vol.2

Kyle Lee is a rapper from the southside of San Antonio, TX. Kings Of  Texas are a series of mixtapes that are presented by 3rd Degree Entertainment. Volume 2 was released in 2007 and it was mixed by DJ Luis. The production credits are not worth noting on account of this being a mixtape and all the beats are borrowed from different artists/producers. Lyrically the tape fares well but not much can be said due to the tracks being short and having only one verse from the primary artist. This is a two disc set with a plethora of rappers featuring from all over Texas. All in all its a contemporary mix and one that carries a good amount of content especially catered for the fans of "Swang & Bang." That very sound that emerged from the streets of Houston and spread like wild fire throughout the great state of Texas.

Poetic Vandals - Tha Quickest Tongues Down South

Poetic Vandals - Tha Quickest Tongues Down South

Poetic Vandals is a group that hails from the malicious streets of San Antonio, TX. The group is known to be well over sixteen members deep since some members of The Underground Committee are also affiliated. The Vandals consists of J-Roc, Hollow Point, Nightmare, Teflon, Qwik, R-1, Twink, BDG, Lil' J, Drops, Huggz, Apollo, SK and the female emcee known as Lil Tiff. Tha Quickest Tongues Down South is their debut album and it was released in 2002 on Payway Records. Production is mainly provided by BDG while Apollo chips in on a couple of tracks. The beats are all derived electronically and the use of any real instrumentation is slim to none. This could be the very reason why the beats sound a little bland and only a few tracks really standout. Lyrically the album is far more superior and certainly lives up to the title. The clear focus of all the members is to deliver sharp rhymes at a blitzing rate. Their styles are unique and their word play is quite commendable. They certainly waste no time and start demolishing the tracks laid out in front of them. Also the backup vocals are on point and are provided by Lil Tiff. All in all its a valiant effort by the Alamo City natives and had it not been for the sub-par production, this record would have easily raised the eyebrows of major label executives. As a group they went on to release one more album in the year 2004. Although there are rumors floating around for a Vandals reunion in the very near future. Also, rest in peace to The SwiftONE better known as Lil' J.

Deadly Verses

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P.K.O. - Don't F**k W/Texas

P.K.O. - Don't F**k W/Texas

P.K.O., which stands for pounds, keys, and ounces, is a group from San Antonio, TX. It was formed during the late eighties by Pony J, Magic Mark, and K-Sam. They ended up recruiting two more members by the names of DJ AK and Earl The Pearl. This was the original lineup that debuted in 1989 on Yo! Records with their full length album, Don't F**k W/Texas. Production is done impeccably by DJ Snake of the Nemesis fame along with the help of Magic Mark and DJ AK manning the turntables. With DJ Snake handling the bulk of the duties, he made sure the tracks contain solid yet soothing bass lines as well as some hard but edgy drums. Although the beats are somewhat sample assisted, they still somehow a carry a genuine vibe. Lyrics can only be described as harsh and are certainly controversial. Each member attacks the microphone with reckless abandon. Their rhymes are brutal and they maintain that theme throughout the record. This album not only paved the way for the group but also gave them a sense of direction. Even though they had constant changes in their membership throughout their long career, the core unit remained the same with K-Sam, Magic Mark, and Pony J, who would later change his alias to Nino. Overall it is a pretty hardcore album and one that bashes a lot of people in politics and even people in the music industry back then. The record's controversial nature did not bring any radio play or mainstream success but it did give the group a very strong and loyal fan base in the underground.

Deadly Verses

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P.K.O. - Tha Good, Tha Bad, Tha Mafia

P.K.O. - Tha Good, Tha Bad, Tha Mafia
P.K.O. is a group from San Antonio, TX. Their name stands for Pounds, Keys and Ounces. It originally started off with Pony J and Magic Mark. Later on the group added more members like K-Sam and Kottonmouth. This is their fourth album and it was released in 1994 on Youngsta Records. Production was handled by Magic Mark, K-Mac, Dave Rosenblad and Mike E.D. The beats carry that southern funk sound and they certainly compliment the lyrics well. Both members deliver with utter energy and their rhymes are straight out of explicit territory. The energy is kicked off from the first track and maintains the same level of intensity to the last one. Featuring on the album is Ron C and C-Lo. All in all the album displays various mastery of skills and it does not fall short. It was also considered as an important step in the groups' commencement.

Deadly Verses
Nino (Rox II Riches 2)

Mojoe - Dirty Genes

Mojo - Dirty Genes

Mojoe is a rap duo from San Antonio, TX. The meaning behind their name is that they are more than just the average joe. The group consists of rappers Tre and Easy Lee. This is their second studio album and it was released in 2008 on Straight Line Entertainment. All the production is done live and its handled by the Mojoe Family Band. That includes the likes of Cooley High and Funky Genius. They provide the group with smooth soul and funk influenced tracks derived directly from live instruments. The two rappers grace the tracks with their poetic rhyme schemes and original flows. They both hold the ability to catch a beat and they can easily go back to back. Guest appearances are made by Bavu Blakes, Money Waters, Lil' Ken, Rob Bass and Roger Blevins. The groups' trademark is their savvy unorthodox style which is incredibly difficult to emulate. Even though the album contains nothing but top quality music and lyrics, the duo still does not get the attention they deserve.

Lil' Sin - Who Got Yo Back

Lil' Sin - Who Got Yo Back

Lil' Sin is a rapper from San Antonio, TX. He has been around since the mid 90's and he happens to be a very solid artist. He has collaborated with many legends from Texas and is well respected for his work. He debuted in 1996 with the record, "Frustrated By Death." This is his second album and it was released in 1998 on BLVD Records. Production on the album is handled by Pimp C of UGK, John Bido, Mike B., Suga Bear, Ant Banks, Finesse 1 and Ricé. The beats are top quality and are a display of true Texas funk. Smooth tracks are laced with genuine hooks and dope samples. Lil' Sin spits hard and his flow is on point. The rhymes contain decent amounts of word play and the content is straight gangsta. Featuring on the album is UGK, Mr. Joshay, King 13, Lil' Acid and Denise. Overall the record jams from start to finish and it helped establish him as an artist. Lil' Sin also goes by a new alias, Young Namar.

Deadly Verses
Who Got Yo Back