Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
True Hardcore S**T, February 9, 2006
If you want good, angry, hard old school hip-hop, then The Geto boys should be right up your alley. Like other reviewers said, these guys are for real, and they probely laugh at guys like 50 and D-12. They have such an edge, that even though some of it is a bit sloppy at times, it is 100% from the heart, and its a great listen for hip-hop heads. If you see a midgets eye hanging out on the cover, that would be Bushwicks Bill eye that got a bullet in it from his girlfriend. When they were in the ER, they thought they should take a picture of it hanging out, and put it on their album cover. NEEDless to say, some record retailers banned the LP, and this even fueled the Geto Boys hate even stronger. This is one hard CD and not to be missed.
|
|
|
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nobody does it like the Geto Boys, February 22, 2005
This was the first full length album I heard from Houston's Geto Boys and it is still as hard edged today as it was 11 years ago when I first heard it. I recommend buying this album as it has the classic Geto Boys line up (Scarface, Bushwick Bill, and Willie D) and they tackle a broad range of topics on this album, making it interesting upon subsequent listenings.
Things kick off with "We can't be stopped" which is a funky up-beat track directed at Geffen Records, who refused to distrubte their earlier LP "Geto Boys". "Homie Don't Play that" is a solid song, and "Another Ni**er in the Mourge" sees Scarface flex with tales of murder and mayhem.
The comes "Chucky" the quintesential Buskwick Bill song and an absolute classic rap song by any standard. I have listened to this song countless times and it never gets old. This is immediately followed up with "Mind Playin' Tricks on me" the greatest Geto Boys song ever written, both funky and somewhat though provoking.
Side A closes with "I'm not a gentleman", what I consider to be a classi Willie D. solo rap about women and double-standards.
Side B opens with "Gotta let them nuts hang" a somewhat sequel to the song "Scarface" from the Geto Boys album. "F*ck a war" is as relevant today as it was for the first Gulf War, and "I ain't with being broke" is a strong statement about poverty. "Quickie" is an okay song and "Punk-B*tch" is an amusing interlude taken from one of their live shows. "The other level" is a laid back funky tribute, and "Trophy" closes the album by addressing the politics surrounding the American Music Awards.
Overall, this is a strong album, and I recommend buying it as an introduction to the Geto Boys, or hardcore rap.
|
|
|
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome...hardcore, startling rap music (4.5/5), December 9, 2006
The Geto Boys 1991 album "We Can't Be Stopped" is a great listen. It is one of the albums that pioneered both gangsta rap and southern rap. They were the first rap act to gain national attention from Texas, and the Houston trio of Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill also helped gangsta rap reach the mainstream. However, this album is often forgotten today, eclipsed by albums from their contemporaries like NWA. I think this album shows the Geto Boys at their controversial best. Later on in their careers the group would embrace a different sound, but this album is simple, in your face, angry hip hop. Over fourteen tracks, the Geto Boys challenge mainstream America, dealing with such topics as war, poverty, and ghetto hostilities. They create stunningly violent and crazy depictions of ghetto life and paranoia, and the way in which they voice their problems and concerns was never duplicated. All three MCs have distinctive and compelling characters. Scarface is a lyrical master, one of the greatest rappers of all time, a voice of the ghetto who has lived through everything. Willie D is a wild, angry man who often sounds crazy. Bushwick Bill is one mad midget, who is not afraid to lash out at government and power and is behind all of the group's horrorcore. Production is very simple, utilizing rough and raw drumbeats and bass and sparse instrumentals and sampling to create a focused musical sound. It has a gritty, underground feel. One of hip hop's finest songs, the legendary "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me," makes this album worth the purchase alone. This album is simply entertaining from start to finish. "We Can't Be Stopped" is a compelling, fun listen that I recommend to all rap fans.
After the introductory "Rebel Rap Family," the album begins with "We Can't Be Stopped," a song of which the title explains it all. Scarface, Willie, and Bushwick spit threatening and boastful lyrics depicting their personas and characters. "Homie Don't Play That" is great, just fun and entertaining gangsta rap. "Another N.... in the Morgue" tells of murder and crime in the city, more of the greatness Geto Boys executed that countless rappers would attempt to imitate over the years. "Chuckie" is one of the most effective songs, a disturbing story of a serial killing maniac in the ghettos of Houston. The crazy effect is enhanced by the laidback tone that the MCs use in their raps. The previously mentioned "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" is one of the most amazing songs you'll ever hear. Musically it is perfect, using a thoughtful, gorgeous sample from an Isaac Hayes song to make it totally their own. It perfectly matches their tales of ghetto paranoia, a terrified mindset brought on from years of living in poverty and violence. The song is effective and beautiful and will never get old. Bushwick Bill rips "I'm Not a Gentleman," where he talks about the way he treats women and goes about his business over a great beat. On "Gotta Let Your Nuts Hang," the boys rap in the second person perspective about dealings and criminology. "F... a War" is one of my favorites on the album. After a great intro, the Geto Boys condemn the Gulf War and urban youths joining the military, with a great rallying cry ("I ain't goin' to war for no s...-talkin' president!"). "Ain't With Being Broke" has an excellent funky beat and chorus, speaking simply of the downsides of being poor. "Quickie" is a song of conversations to women, talking about how they don't want any long term relationships, just quick pleasure. "The Other Level" follows in the same vein as "Quickie." "Trophy" is another of my favorites, ending the album on an excellent note. The song talks about how the best rap acts aren't recognized with Grammys and awards, only respect in the hood, and the Geto Boys demand a trophy, it's funny and angry like always.
Overall, "We Can't Be Stopped" is an awesome rap album, in my mind among the Geto Boys' very finest. It's amazingly consistent and always entertaining. Geto Boys are a rap group that every hip hop fan should know and this album is a great starting point. This album is one I highly recommend to every rap fan, it's one of the pioneering old-school works that is by now a standard, regardless of how overlooked it is today.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Geto Boys 
