Customer Reviews

We Can't Be Stopped

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Today we all know Bushwick Bill from his charistmatic late Friday night variety show that plays on Christian Broadcasting Network (Bushwick Bill's Gospel Hour - CBN, Friday 11:30pm Eastern). Many of his fans are completely unaware however that, before finding his calling in spreading the Gospel, in the 90s, Bill performed with the Geto Boys, perhaps the liveliest "Hip Hop" group of the era.

While the Geto Boys certainly were criticized for their excessive use of cuss works and racial epithets (come on guys, wouldn't "Trigger Happy African American" gotten the same point across) no one can disagree that they set the standard for all the performers who followed them. It is safe to say that, were it not for the Geto Boys there never would have been a "50 Cent."

In any case, as much as I love their first album, I think that "We Can't Be Stopped" is their strongest work. My kids all agree. It plays continuously in the minivan on the way to school, church, Walmart and the Saturday morning soccer games.

Now that the kids are "tuned in" and "turned on" to the Geto Boys, they are far more receptive to Bushwick Bill's evangelical message. We never miss the show. Our minister even TIVOs it and replays it for our Wednesday evening devotional. Before the church league softball game last week against the loathed Episcopalians, we even serenaded them with the complete verion of "Read My Nikes." It was great.

God Bless Bushwick Bill and the Geto Boys!

They were definitly pioneers. In my mind they were the only Ol Skool Gangsta Rappers that you could say were equal to NWA. I love "Mind playin Tricks" It has the best beat ever

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.

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.

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.

all i have to say about to ghetto boys is that i have love them from day one and any album that they make sounds good or should i say great to me.

this is a good disc.Scarface,Bushwick Bill&Willie D. set the stage right on cuts like Chuckie&Tricks.but the classic Jam Mind Playing tricks on me is timeless.Before No-Limit,Cash Money,Outkast,Goodie mob,&Many Others Down South they were The Ground Breakers.

A brilliant collection of classics, if not a consistent album... from the disturbing horror-rap of "Chuckie", to the titilating erotica of "The Other Level" (though feminists will understandably object to that one), to the radical political stance of "[screw] a War" to the hilarious over-the-top rage of "Homie Don't Play That", through to the tragic fatalism on "My Mind Playing Tricks On Me"..... Get it!!

The staple Geto Boys album. I bought this album the year it was released and admittedly songs like Tricks, WCBS, and Chuckie still put a smile on my face. The boys from the city Houston and my home state of Texas Score big. Catch their music in the movie Office Space.

Mind Playing Tricks On Me blew this album up and it is their most successful album to date. I wish they would have toured more with this because they would be way bigger right now. This is my 4th favorite Geto Boy album and it could easily be number one. The two lead singles off this album were "Mind Plaing Tricks" and "I Ain't Wit Being Broke". But songs like "Chuckie" and "F**k A War" or hood classics.

They had the controversial album over with Bushwick coming from surgery after his suicide attempt. And this honestly gives you an idea of how this album sounds...real gangsta and hard. Solo wise Willie D steals the show on this album with "Homie Don't Play That", "Not A Gentleman", and "Trophy". Scarface wrote one of his best solo songs ever with the song "Another N***a In The Morgue". This would be a good starter album for anyone new to The GB but I promise you won't stop here...Hotep.