Ronan O'BrienThe nineties in the UK music scene had a single burning question: Oasis or Blur? Across the Atlantic, in the States, the question was different but attracted the same heat of emotion. Here, the hip-hop scene was on the steady rise, and the rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rap was fierce. While the attention was mostly on artists from the East Coast and West Coast, the Southern hip-hop movement was growing. This scene birthed some absolute legendary artists like OutKast and Lil Wayne, but the real foundations were laid by none other than Geto Boys.
The Dirty South
Years before the rise of “The Dirty Decade”, where artists from the Southern hip-hop scene became most prominent, we had Geto Boys. Originally stylised as “Ghetto Boys“, Rap-A-Lot Records put together the group with a vision of putting the Southern states on the map. The original group consisted of Raheem, The Sire Jukebox and Sir Rap-A-Lot, but nothing seemed to click and the group dispersed. This was not the end, however, but rather the beginning.
The lineup changed to include Willie D, Scarface and Bushwick Bill, becoming the Geto Boys we know today. In 1989, the group released their first album as a new lineup, Grip It on That Other Level. The following year saw the release of The Geto Boys, which caught the attention of Rick Rubin, who signed the group to his label. It was through this label that the group released their most acclaimed project, We Can’t Be Stopped.
The album is visceral, unapologetic and mesmerising in its excellence. The album opener introduces the group, “The mastermind of wreckin’ shit, Mr. Scarface / The gangster of love, Willie D / Bushwick motherfuckin’ Bill / And DJ Ready Red, the musical enforcer / Would form a family known as the Geto Boys”. Interestingly, the album is divided almost perfectly into tracks whereby each member takes the lead. Willie D’s aggravated and harsh delivery is characteristically evident. Scarface’s approach is melodic and lyrically vivid. And for Bushwick Bill; well, his style is as crazy as the situation he got into which gave us one of the most iconic album covers of all time.
We Can’t Be Stopped
The album art was captured in Ben Taub Hospital in Houston. Tour manager Tony Randle had called Willie D and Scarface informing them of a situation with Bushwick Bill. While intoxicated on PCP and Everclear grain alcohol, Bill confronted his then girlfriend with a gun. Handing her the weapon, he insisted she kill him. A tussle ensued, at which point the gun went off, injuring Bill. He was rushed to hospital where his eye had to be removed.
The group, obviously worried about their friend and bandmate, were relieved that his injuries were not fatal. Their discussion in the hospital lobby went back to the album, which had recently been finished. The only absence was the album cover. It was at this point that the idea was conceived.
The ultimate shooting aftermath photoshoot
After asking a nurse for a gurney, Willie D and Scarface wheeled their injured friend down the hall, and the shot was taken. The bandage was removed from Bill’s eye, which exposed open wound. Gruesome and shock-provoking, it symbolises Geto Boys‘ music in perfect fashion. The hospital scene after a shooting is befitting to gangsta rap style. Moreover, the mental health struggles which led to the incident is immortalised in the biggest hit from the album, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me”.
Living with the Image
Despite the success of the infamous album, the members did have some regrets on choosing the artwork cover. Scarface’s expressions are notably uncomfortable. He was worried about the group taking advantage of the tragic situation and for his friend’s welfare. “How many people have gotten their eye shot out and captured it on an album cover for everyone to remember? It’s hard to wake up in the morning and deal with that one”.
Bushwick Bill himself had similar regrets. At first, he was on board with the idea. Highly sedated, he initially responded to Willie D’s idea with “I don’t care”. Later, he expressed the pain he felt looking back on the situation. He admitted “[I] still feel the pain from the fact that I’ve got a bullet in my brain. To see that picture only brings it back more so”. Willie D seems to have less regret than his cohorts, “All I know is, at the time, we all was down with it and we agreed to do it”.
Regardless of the guilt felt by the group, the album went platinum and the cover art remains iconic. True to the gritty Southern hip-hop music they produced, the group affirmed they were big hitters on the scene. Commercial or personal setbacks, they had one response to the world. “We can’t be stopped”.
Mind Playing Tricks on Me
The lead single from the album has a cover that is similarly jarring. The trio can be seen again, this time with Bill in a wooden wheelchair and the patch covering the missing eye. The song itself went on to be the group’s biggest hit, reaching 23rd place on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The song itself explores themes of mental anguish and paranoia of gangster lifestyle. The beat is an iconic sample of Isaac Hayes‘ “Hung Up On My Baby“, which was featured in the 1974 film Three Though Guys. Interestingly, the film the track was adapted in, features three men from different backgrounds thrown into crime. This theme is synonymous with the style of Geto Boys, as the three men depict a similar lifestyle throughout their music.
Fear, Paranoia, and the Human Side of Gangsta Rap
Lyrically, the song is one of their best. Penned by Scarface, he notes the state of mind he was in which conceived the legendary hit: “I think my manic depressive state and suicidal tendencies played a huge role on who I was back then”. The first verse opens the narration, where our storyteller expresses his paranoia. “I can see him when I’m deep in the covers / When I awake I don’t see the motherfucker”.
The mic is passed to Willie D for the second verse, whose aggravated flows cut through ferociously. The paranoia experienced by the narrator continues, with them constantly looking over their shoulder for trouble. He is resigned to his fate in a way, detailing “I live by the sword / I take my boys everywhere I go because I’m paranoid”. Scarface returns on the third verse, delivering more hauntingly vivid images. The lyrics are becoming more manic, showing that the gangster lifestyle of the individual is becoming harder and harder to manage. “Day by day it’s more impossible to cope / I feel like I’m the one that’s doin’ dope”.
The final verse is delivered by Bushwick Bill, which is more poignant than the rest. Paranoia and angst are rife with the individual as the song evolves, and the stalker is worryingly described to the listener. Confronting his fears, the gangster attacks with all his might just to realise there is still nobody there. “It was dark as fuck on the streets, my hands were all bloody from punchin’ on the concrete”. The song ends with no resolution, and shows in grim detail the stresses associated with living a gangster lifestyle.
Final Notes
While the group were known for their confrontational and explicit themes, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me“ is an outlier. Gangsta rap had never shown a vulnerable side until this song came on the scene. With lyrics detailing the angst and anxiety faced by an otherwise assertive figure, the song became relatable with so many. For a group associated with themes of violence and deviancy, lowering the mask to reveal human emotions is commendable. This song in particular really pushed the album from being stuck in its era to a timeless classic.
