The Real Untouchables "N**ga's From Cali" (prod. by E-A-Ski & CMT)(No Limit, 1992)
The Real Untouchables "Understanding The Criminal Mind" (prod. by E-A-Ski & CMT)
The Real Untouchables "Tell Them What's Going On" (prod. by Master P)
Originally an underground "super group" consisting of Master P, Big Ed, Silkk The Shocker, C-Murder, KG, Sonya C, Fonzo, Milkman, Markest Bank, King George, Mia X, Mr. Serv-On, and Daniel Fry, The Real Untouchables (TRU) released two LPs before No Limit relocated to New Orleans and P trimmed the roster to only himself, Silkk, and C-Murder. (It should probably be noted, however, that some of these members failed to contribute verses to any of the TRU releases, and are probably better described as associates of Master P than as recording artists.)
Though far less heralded than 1995's classic True, Understanding The Criminal Mind features surprisingly soulful production from E-A-Ski, CMT, and P, himself, with K. Lou and Ken Franklin lending a hand with the mixing and engineering, respectively.
The tracks here typically feature chopped drum breaks, funk basslines, Marvin Gaye samples and even a "We Are the World" interpolation ("We are the world, we are the dealers...") -- which is to say, they bore little resemblance to the creeping, minimalist backdrops that Beats By the Pound would use to launch the label into multi-platinum status in the late-90s.
The lyrical content is straight gangsta rap and street tales, exemplified by tracks like "N**gas From Cali", "Fuck the System" ("no justice, no motherfuckin' peace, bitch!/Fuck, fuck, fuck the system"), "I Wear A Bullet Proof Vest" ("Big Ed in the back with the 9, bitch/And Silkk got the uzi sayin' let's do this shit") and the title track, though there is an attempt at "conscious" rap (filtered through the mind of Master P) in "Tell Them What's Going On" ("money and dope was a trade/but not enough money to save his mother from AIDs). Though long out-of-print, this LP should appeal to any fan of early 90s West Coast g-funk, and can be found floating around in its digital form.
I'll be revisiting TRU's 1993 release, Who's Da Killer, in Part II later this week.
(All tracks ripped @ 320 kbps)
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Niggas From Cali is a cool joint. P actually has the best verse on that, flowing quite nice there. Is it known if P wrote his verses himself or were they ghostwritten? I'm asking because I never thought about him as a real rapper (I always thought about him as being just another label boss traying to rap, like Diddy). But that's probably because I'm only starting to listen to No Limit music. I guess I will learn to appreciate a Percy Miller rhyme while diving deeper into his discog. He doesn't sound convincing on "What's Going On", though. And his beat on there isn't really convincing either.
ReplyDeleteBut it's really interesting to see how natural he's flowing on the G-Funk/Mobb Muzik type beats. No "uuhhs", no soldier talk to be heard there. Quite a difference to a song like No Limit Soldiers II (my favorite NL song to date).
Thanks for the music and all the info.