Geto Boys

A pioneering gangsta crew repping Houston's Fifth Ward, the Geto Boys were the first southern group to find national fame. They began as the Ghetto Boys back in the mid-1980s, and released debut Grip It! On That Other Level in 1989. Fusing fierce production with ultra-hardcore rhymes that casually detailed lifestyles rife with drugs, sex, and murder, they found love in the new but fast-growing Gangsta Rap circuit. Their 1991 release We Can't Be Stopped contained the breakthrough hit "Mind Playing Tricks On Me," a classic track about drug-induced paranoia. The core group split up in 1993, and all the members embarked on solo careers. Former Convicts emcee Big Mike was added to the fold, and a revamped lineup continued to record. The original three got back together in '96 for The Resurrection. Willie D released a solo LP in '00, and Bushwick Bill has put a few albums out as well. Scarface has worked steadily through the years, dropping new records and cameos at a feverish pace.