Now it was Bushwick Bill's turn to leave the group. returned to the fold for another Geto Boys release, The Resurrection, which showed the group in fine form. Scarface and Bill continued with new member Big Mike, releasing Till Death Do Us Part in 1993, but split late in 1994. was the only one completely separated from the band, citing artistic differences. Obviously, radio airplay was non-existent, but We Can't Be Stopped still went platinum in early 1992 - thanks to the Top Ten R&B single "Mind Playing Tricks on Me," one of the most effective inner-city vignettes in hip-hop history.īy 1993, all three members had begun solo careers, though Willie D. Inside the album, proceedings were among the most extreme in the history of recorded music. and Scarface wheeling Bill into an emergency room, with a prominent shot of the damaged eye. Before the release of the album, Bushwick Bill had lost an eye in a shooting incident with his girlfriend, and the cover featured Willie D. The fires were fanned in 1991 with the release of the group's second proper LP, We Can't Be Stopped. The Geto Boys' association with controversy was far from over, though rap groups were a hot topic for moral-minded politicians during the early '90s, and several leaders used the Geto Boys as an example to decry the state of modern music. By late 1990, Rubin had found another distributor, Giant Records, and the album was released - as The Geto Boys - that same year. He was ready to release it on his Def American label in 1990 when distributor Geffen balked at "Mind of a Lunatic," a track that described necrophilia with a murder victim. and the Jukebox quit, forcing Smith to add a dwarf-dancer-turned-rapper named Bushwick Bill (born Richard Shaw, Jamaica) and two Rap-A-Lot solo acts: Ackshen (aka Scarface born Brad Jordan, Houston) and Willie 'D' Dennis (born Houston).Īfter the Geto Boys' Grip It! On That Other Level caught the ear of hip-hop impresario Rick Rubin ( LL Cool J, Beastie Boys), Rubin remixed and re-recorded tracks from the album. Formed as the Ghetto Boys in Houston by rap entrepreneur James "Lil' J" Smith (and signed to his Rap-A-Lot label), the group originally consisted of Prince Johnny C., the Slim Jukebox, and DJ Ready Red. When the Geto Boys came together in 1986, though, it was with a completely different lineup. The Geto Boys enjoyed success in the 1990s with the groups classic lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D, earning several certified albums and hit singles, including 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me' which reached No. After releasing solo albums during the mid-'90s, the Geto Boys reunited in 1996 for their most praised album yet, The Resurrection. The Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) were an American hip hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas.The group was formed in 1986. Their follow-up, We Can't Be Stopped, eventually hit platinum, though the trio of Scarface, Willie D., and Bushwick Bill began to fracture by 1993. The controversy, which occurred two years earlier than similar censorship incidents involving Ice-T and 2 Live Crew, gave the Geto Boys a large amount of publicity. Blocked from distributing their 1990 major-label debut by Geffen - who insisted that a track dealing with necrophilia as well as murder was a step too far - the group was saved by producer Rick Rubin, who arranged another distributor for the album, released on his own Def American label. returned to the fold for another Geto Boys release, The resurrection, which showed the group in fine form.Though the controversial subject matter of gangsta rap wasn't much of a barrier to popular success during the '90s, the Geto Boys' recordings proved almost too extreme for widespread exposure.
After suggesting that Little Billy join the group as a rapper, Willie D wrote: “Size Ain’t Shit.” It was recorded three days later by Little Billy, who did such a good job rapping his first-ever rap, that he was added to the group, and, Little Billy becomes Bushwick Bill.īy 1993, all three members had begun solo careers, though Willie D.
With the release receiving very little attention, the group broke up shortly thereafter and a new line-up was put together with DJ Ready Red, and the inclusion of Ackshen and Willie ‘D’ Dennis (born in Houston), both aspiring solo artists. The group released their premiere album in 1988 entitled, Making Trouble. The first single the group released was “Car Freak” in 1986, which then followed with two LPs “You Ain’t Nothin’/I Run This” in 1987, and “Be Down” in 1988. Little Billy would later become Bushwick Bill. When Raheem and Sir Rap-A-Lot left, the group added DJ Ready Red, Prince Johnny C, and Little Bill. When the Geto Boys came together in 1986, formed as the Ghetto Boys, the group consisted first of Raheem, The Sire Jukebox, and Sir Rap-A-Lot.