Geto Boys
| Geto Boys | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Ghetto Boys |
| Origin | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, southern hip hop, hardcore hip hop, gangsta rap, g funk, horrorcore |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Rap-a-Lot/Asylum/Elektra, Rap-a-Lot/Noo Trybe/Virgin/EMI, Def American/Warner |
| Members |
Bushwick Bill Willie D |
| Past members | Raheem Sir Rap-a-Lot The Slim Jukebox DJ Ready Red Prince Johnny C Big Mike Scarface |
Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) is a rap group from Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas, currently consisting of Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys have earned notoriety for their lyrics covering controversial topics such as misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia.
About.com ranked them No. 10 on its list of the 25 Best Rap Groups of All-Time, describing them as "southern rap pioneers who paved the way for future southern hip-hop acts."
The original "Ghetto Boys" consisted first of Raheem, The Sire Jukebox, and Sir Rap-A-Lot. When Raheem and Sir Rap-A-Lot left, the group added DJ Ready Red, Prince Johnny C, and Little Billy (the dancer who later came to be known as Bushwick Bill). 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. The group released their debut album in 1988 entitled, Making Trouble. With the release receiving very little attention, the group broke up shortly thereafter and a new line-up was put together with the inclusion of Scarface and Willie D, both aspiring solo artists. This new line-up recorded the 1989 album, Grip It! On That Other Level. The group's 1990 self-titled album, The Geto Boys, caused Def American Recordings, the label to which the group was signed at the time, to switch distributors from Geffen Records to Warner Bros. Records (with marketing for the album done by WB sister label Giant Records) because of controversy over the lyrics.
In the early 1990s, several American politicians attacked rap artists associated with the subgenre gangsta rap, including the Geto Boys. A high-profile incident in which Bushwick Bill lost an eye in a shooting helped boost sales of the group's 1991 album, We Can't Be Stopped. The album cover features a graphic picture of the injured Bushwick being carted through a hospital by Scarface and Willie D. On the album's title track, the group responded to Geffen Records ending its distribution deal with Def American. The album featured the single, "Mind Playing Tricks on Me", which became a big hit in the hip-hop community and charted at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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