Customer Reviews

Usual Suspects

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first decided to buy this album I was a little skeptical...are these boys capable of layin' it down 'ala Scarface or is this just a case of "wanna-be-Geto-Boyz"...I was surprised to hear how smooth the beats were on this album...looks like Scarface and the other Geto Boyz have a little competition brewing in Houston by way of the Fifth Ward Boys...very fresh and new unlike a lot of the music that we hear today that's basically a lot of sampled and over sampled retreads...take a listen to the track titled, "I know"...it's reminiscent of a smooth Marvin Gaye ballad...pick up this album and U will not be disappointed...long live the dirty south...

If you're a true rap-a-lot fan, you have to have this CD. I'm not from 5th Ward, but I definitely represent these boys. I have all of there CD's and they keep getting better and better. It's like having 3 of the tightest rappers on one CD, bringing different flows, but on the same level. Keep it comin' Boyz.

These dudes keep deliverin with their albums, and this one is no different. 1997's Usual Suspects is fully heated with that Rap-A-Lot O.G. flava that made 1995's Rated G and 1994's Gangsta Funk classics (I still have not heard Ghetto Dope yet, but plan on checkin' it though). This album is rich with awesome, smooth funky beats mixing southern-fried twang and G-Funk melody, with polished hook vocals on many. Production goes to the Boyz themselves, Mike Dean, and Scarface. I like the menacing "Gangsta Sh--" with Spice 1 and Mr. Slim with neat heavy bass and sporadic twangs. This album is gangsta mixed in with some social commentary, some uplifting messages, and some hustler tales. I love the slick and smooth Suave House vibin' "F--- Strugglin'" with Eightball and MJG and the Boyz kickin some hustla game. "Live Your Life" is thumpin with some deep guitar twang and airy keyboards and sexy female hook vocals. This joint is a coming of age tale for them growin up in the 5th Ward, and the other theme of the song is evident in the title. Mike Dean's beat here is awesome. Scarface's beat on the socially conscious "I Know" is hella chill and beautiful. They keep it real in the hood here and rap about how not to let others get you down. The hook channels Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" but is optimistic about better times coming. "Mama's Praying" is serious nature and is basically self-explanatory. Mama is praying for the survival and better life for her children. The beat is soulful and twangy. The Boyz take a harsher turn on "Got II Be Down II Die" where they "let the devil know [they're] comin.'" The beat is slower but menacing and has that background crackling sound many producers use for an old-school vibe. The you hear a screwed voice saying "I may be scared of jason, but I'm not scared to die" that gives off an eerie vibe. Then we got somethin for the playas and riders, the chill "Somethin' To Ride To" which is cool and mellow featuring Chicago's Rap-A-Lot trio Do Or Die and Rap-A-Lot RnB artist Johnny P's cool hook vocals. 5th Ward Boyz adapt their rapping style very well to match Do Or Die's rapid-fire delivery. All in all, this album is as good as any other 5th Ward Boyz album that I have heard so far(again, I have not yet heard 1992's Ghetto Dope). To me, this album is a classic underappreciated banger from H-Town. any Scarface or Geto Boys fan who doesn't already have this one will dig it.