“Your mom’s in my business, she’s in my business
Can’t you see girl that your mom’s trying to end this?” – K-Solo in “Your Mom’s in My Business”

The anthem of frustrated courters everywhere, K-Solo rapped from experience when he produced the hit track “Your Mom’s in My Business” in 1990.

K-Solo, from the streets of Central Islip, New York, came to be known for his collaborations with rappers such as Redman and Das EFX and his association with Death Row East. However, smooth and non-explicit lyrics mixed with a fairly simple bass line combined to make “Your Mom’s in My Business” an instant radio hit.

The song was also painfully relatable in its storytelling of an overzealous mother and recognizable from its sampling of “Before I Let Go” by Maze and Frankie Beverly.

Today, this song ranks as one of K-Solo’s most famous hits and succeeded greatly in expanding his audience and reach across the national hip hop scene.

“Call me the rap assassinator
Rhymes rugged and built like Schwarzenegger”- Raekwon in “Protect Ya Neck”

Arguably considered the most prolific group to come out of the New York City rap scene, the Wu-Tang Clan is known for its expert rhymes and hard lyrics.

Consisting of members RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard (deceased), Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna (joined 2007), the group has its origins in underground rap gatherings in Staten Island.

From Staten Island to the nationwide scene, Wu-Tang succeeded in revitalizing the East Coast rap scene by producing numerous hits.

One of their best hits ever, “Protect Ya Neck,” sold 10,000 copies upon release and is regarded as one of the best songs in all of old school hip hop.

The song featured verses by Inspectah Deck and Raekwon which are highly considered to be their best written ever.

Following its release, the Wu-Tang Clan continued to release hit after hit and are even still an active touring group today.

Proudly representing Inglewood, California, Mack 10 is probably either my first or second favorite musical artist. Lately, with all of the stresses of life, its easy to lose sight of your end goal and give up hope. Thankfully, the Chickenhawk helps me to rise above my hardest challenges when times get tough.

Here are three Mack 10 songs that are sure to get you through some absolutely horrible times:

Every morning before I go to school, I like to wake up by listening to Mack’s bumping single “Livin’ Just to Ball” straight off the “Hustla’s Handbook” album. If there was ever a track to get you up at 5 AM, its this one on full blast.

After school, I tend to feel really tired and stressed, especially on a Monday or a Tuesday when crud really starts to pile up. In his song “Money’s Just a Touch Away,” Mack 10 reminds me to pick my head up because ultimately, what I am working for is just within reach, the same way he had to persevere when he wasn’t making it in the rap game.

When all else fails in getting me out of a funk, I turn to my favorite song ever. Mack 10’s “Chickenhawk,” off his first and self titled “Mack 10” album, never fails in toughening me up and preparing me for the troubles that lie ahead. Just like Mack, I become the Chickenhawk looking for my prey.

Its violent, graphic, and terribly real, but thats what makes Mack 10 and all of old school hip hop so great.

“All along it was the Geto, nothing but the Geto
Taking short steps one foot at a time and keep my head low” – Bushwick Bill in “Still”

Arguably the most prolific rappers to come out of Texas, the Geto Boys combined genius lyricism and musical mixing to form legendary songs.

Following a short hiatus for three years, their release of the “Resurrection” album marked the beginning of the golden age of Texas hip hop. The tracks were regarded as the best of the Geto Boys due to their hard hitting lyrics and loud messages.

One of the most famous tracks off the “Resurrection” album, “Still,” made it to the top of the rap and R and B charts in the United States and reached worldwide acclaim through its diffusion on MTV and other hip hop channels.

(I couldn’t find a music video so here’s the song with puppies.)

“Still” was made to prove that the Geto Boys were still hardcore rappers who could hold their own amongst the new emerging artists that had emerged during their absence. There’s no moral message here, only explicit lyrics and a show of absolute dominance.

“They wanna ban us on Capitol Hill
Cause it’s “Die muthafuckas, die muthafuckas!” still” – Willie D in “Still”

Today, the Geto Boys continue to make their mark on hip hop by continuing to tour with other old school artists.

“You need to quit bangin’ under false pretense,                                                                ‘Cause if don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense”- DJ Quik in Dollaz+Sense

Recently, substantial media attention has been directed towards the Eminem versus Machine Gun Kelly beef that has so far consisted of two diss tracks. While Eminem and MGK’s rivalry is definitely notable, it pales in comparison to the violent and lesser known DJ Quik and MC Eiht war that took place over the course of 20+ years.

While the definitive point of origin is unclear, most attribute the start of the beef to Tree Top Piru Blood DJ Quik’s line in “Real Doe,” a track off one of his first mixtapes.

“Cause they know that Quik will never quit, I’m not an N.W.A, I ain’t there, I’m on my way to the top of the tree, for C.M.W to see” – DJ Quik in “Real Doe” 

C.M.W., aka Compton’s Most Wanted, was the name of MC Eiht’s group which was Tragniew Park Compton Crip affiliated. In response, MC Eiht mentioned Quik in multiple tracks of their album “Its a Compton Thang” by C.M.W.

The real killing blow came when DJ Quik released Dollaz + Sense, a diss track specifically aimed at MC Eiht which held nothing back.

Over the years, the beef has since been squashed with the help of Snoop Dogg and Daz who acted as liaisons between the two. While mostly unknown, MC Eiht and DJ Quik’s will go down in history as one of the most vicious and longest rivals in rap history.

“I’m living paycheck to paycheck, tryna pay the rent
Crackers thinking I’m a slave forever, they got me bent”                                                     -K-Rino in “The Game Goes On”

Considered some of the most underrated rappers ever, K-Rino and Z-ro proved to be the top dogs of the Houston rap scene during the 90’s.

Signed to Big-Tyme Records, the duo recorded solo and collaborative tracks in the distinctive Texas Hip Hop style. Along with the ever-popular Geto Boys, K-Rino, Z-ro, and the rest of Big-Tyme records paved the way for other Texas rappers to get their start.

One of the duo’s biggest hits, “The Game Goes On” described criminal life in South Park, Houston. The song detailed how a person in poverty and with no way out of the ghetto could easily turn to drug peddling in order to make money just to eat.

“Yes, indeedy, guess you can say the needy got greedy
But I was tired of hearing my children scream, “Daddy, please feed me!”                             – Z-ro in “The Game Goes On”

As the song progresses, K-Rino and Z-ro talk about how they themselves had to turn to increasingly more violent methods of moneymaking in order to sustain themselves and their family. From being hungry to making fast cash, “The Game Goes On” provides an explanation for why everyone was armed in South Park Houston.

As time passed, K-Rino and Z-ro faded from popularity within the national hip hop/r&b world. However, the two will forever remain prolific artists who paved the way for the Houston rap scene.

“Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me mirror, what is wrong?
Can it be my De La Clothes, or is it just my De La Soul?” – Trugoy the Dove in “Me Myself and I”

A staple from the late 80’s to the early 90’s in the music world, De La Soul was unlike any other rap group at the time and broke away from the main hip hop movement.

Members Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo felt that hip hop was becoming stale and generic following the numerous successes of artists such as Run D.M.C. and Eric B. and Rakim. To them, the new music being made all sounded the same and everyone was trying to copy one another.

Their top hit track, “Me Myself and I,” was featured on their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising and rose to the top of the U.S. R and B charts.

“Me Myself and I” addressed critics’ impression of the group as hippies and made distinctions between De La Soul and other rap groups such as The Jungle Brothers and Eric B. and Rakim. De La Soul wanted to show that they were not like other rappers and that there message was unique.

“Write is wrong when hype is written
On the Soul, De La that is
Style is surely our own thing
Not the false disguise of show-biz”                                                                                             – Trugoy in “Me Myself and I”

The advent of De La Soul in 1989 is very significant in hip hop history because it showed how the genre was ever changing. Just during the year prior, N.W.A. had begun their conquest of the rap genre and influenced the likes of other gangsta rap musicians such as 2pac, DJ Quik, and MC Eiht.

De La Soul went against the violent lyrics of what was “in” at the time and showed that alternative hip hop was still a viable genre.

“See a Slob’s brain dread while I’m dippin’
And I’mma hit the fool up
With two C’s cause I’m steady crippin'”- Sin Loc in “Steady Dippin'”

Following the release of the Bangin’ on Wax album, the talk around the streets was that the Bloods had beaten the Crips in terms of music quality and lyrical genius. Infuriated by these claims, the Nationwide Rip Ridaz Crips released the only single under the Bloods and Crips agreement, called “Steady Dippin.'”

The track was a description of Crip life much in the same way “Piru Love” was a Piru Blood anthem made by Avenue Piru Members. On the blue side however, Steady Dippin’ featured artists from numerous Crip sets. For instance, Miss C-Note and Domino are Rollin’ 20’s Long Beach Crips while Sin Loc is a Neighborhood Compton Crip.

Song Link

The song starts with Do or Die describing his life protecting Crip territory from Bloods and one-time (a term for police). He explains that anybody not paying attention was destined for death.

“Always ready for some set trippin’
That’s why I’m dippin’ and dappin’, crippin’ and dippin’ never catch me slippin'”- Do or Die in “Steady Dippin'”

Miss C-Note also describes her role in the Rolling 20’s as a Criplette, or someone who would lure rivals to a secure location be eliminated or kill them herself.

“Hit a ‘Ru nigga cause I gots somethin to prove?
Take him to a motel and pull a muthafuckin’ jack move
Me become a slob oooh, never!
C’Note: a muthafuckin’ Crip forever..” – Miss C-Note in “Steady Dippin'”

Following the success of the Bloods and Crips, the group would disband, forming the music groups Nationwide Rip Ridaz Crips and the Damu Ridaz Bloods.

Unfortunately, many of the rappers heard on the Bangin on Wax’ tapes are now deceased or incarcerated mostly as a result of street violence. Today their voices are forever immortalized as some of the realest and greatest old school hip hop artists of all time.

Crips

Bloods

Source: Wikipedia 

“Crabs ain’t naythin’ but gumbo ingredients”- O.Y.G. Redrum 781 in “Piru Love”

Probably the most widely recognized street gang rivalry known to date, the Crips and Bloods are notorious for their hate towards each other and extremely violent methods of murder. It seems like an impossibility that members from the two gangs would ever collaborate on anything, but it happened.

Many riders on the streets of Los Angeles were angry that groups like N.W.A. were profiting off of the gang life in the mainstream through rap. Thanks to the efforts of a truce between Blood O.Y.G. Redrum781 and Crip Tweety Bird Loc, members from both the Crips and Bloods came together to create one of the hardest hip hop albums to date, “Bangin’ On Wax,” in order to show their side of gang life.

“Don’t say Cuz cause Blood, this is Piru all the time” – Bloody Mary in “Piru Love” (‘Cuz’ was a term used by the Crips to identify eachother)

Arguably the most prolific Blood track on the album, “Piru Love” is a shoutout to all of the Piru Blood sets and describes the various methods of killing Crips. It sampled its bass line from “Computer Love” by the funk group Zapp and interestingly, its hook was sung by Crip Fo’ Clips Eclipse.

Song Link

The term “Piru” refers to the oldest set of Bloods which takes its name from Piru Street in Compton, CA. Additionally as stated in the song, Piru could also be perceived as a metaphor for a dead Crip.

“Piru is Crip in reverse but the C’s on its back,
Your egg shell-lobster lie-ass face is gonna crack”- Bloody Mary in “Piru Love”

In Blood language, “Crab” is used as a derogatory term for a Crip. Many of the lyrics in “Piru Love” and other Blood songs reference the killing or cooking of crabs, meaning the annihilation of all Crips.

Following the creation of “Piru Love,” the Crips would retaliate by creating a hit track of their own which was equally well produced and violent.

To Be Continued….

“How you gon’ say I can’t play with the big boys, and all the big boys play with all my Tonka toys” -Point Blank in “My Mind Went Blank)

Recently, the memory of a forgotten legend has been recirculating among modern rap circles. DJ Screw may have passed away eighteen years ago, but his legacy has been cemented forever in hip hop music.

Most people nowadays know of DJ Screw from Travis Scott’s recent hit album, Astroworld, which featured a song paying homage to the late emcee. His memory also resurfaced when rapper Mac Miller passed away in a similar manner to DJ Screw through an overdose on Codeine, a key ingredient of DJ Screw’s infamous “purple drank.”

Back in Houston during the late 80’s and 90’s, Screw was essential to developing the Texas hip hop scene. His distinct style of slowing down songs, known professionally as chopping and screwing, became its own genre and even spawned a subculture known as Screwhead.

One of his best songs, “My Mind Went Blank,” featured Houston rapper Point Blank and debuted in 1995, becoming an instant hit throughout the national underground hip hop scene.

Song Link

Unscrewed Version Song Link

As per the Screwhead style, the song was incredibly slowed down with Point Blank talking about the struggles of the gangsta life and demanding respect from those who would try to kill him.

“But you ain’t know me ’til I got bank
So that explains, when you approach me
My mind went blank” -Point Blank in “My Mind Went Blank”

Outside of the East and West coasts, Texas was relatively unknown in terms of its hip hop potential. DJ Screw and Point Blank helped change that, showing that Houston artists could hang with the likes of Compton’s Most Wanted and the Junior M.A.F.I.A.