Geto Boys Biography
The Geto Boys that we knew as Scarface, Bushwick Bill and Willie D died in the year 1993...
Born in Jamaica, Bushwick Bill moved to New York, then in 1987, tired of NYC and anxious for a change of scenery, moved to Houston. While he was a dancer around the Houston club scene he met James "Lil' J" Smith, Rap-A-Lot Records CEO. James convinced him that he could rap and the rest is history. Bushwick became a member of the Geto Boys in 1987.
"I'd rather be hated for what I am than loved for what I'm not." - Bushwick Bill
Born in the South Acres area of southeast Houston, Scarface, AKA Mr. Scarface, managed to find trouble quite frequently. At an early age he was put out of his mother's house, moved into his grandparent's home that was full of nieces and nephews, and he started selling drugs. In 1986 at age 16, he recorded his first single "Big Time" under the name Akshun (action). People heard him and knew he was ahead of his time. James Smith heard the single and felt with a little work and better production he might have something. Scarface joined the Geto Boys in 1989.
"I'm always gonna be true to the streets. That's what I deal with on my albums, things that go on in everyday life in the ghettos all over the world --- survival." - Scarface
Willie D was born and raised in the 5th Ward section of Houston. An aspiring rapper, he performed locally whenever possible. In a strange coincidence, Rap-A-Lot Records CEO James Smith and Willie D happened to share the same barber. The barber knew Willie rapped and that James was looking for talent, so he gave Willie's phone number to James, and the rest is history. Willie D first signed to Rap-A-Lot Records as a solo artist. He became a member of the Geto Boys in 1989.
"Every day above ground is a good day." - Willie D
Bio Courtesy of Virgin Records
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Reality Rap | Reviewer: Anonymous | 11/7/11
Sneddly and Sistah...
You guys have a powerful critique... But, what you don't get is that this is ART...
These guys are ARTISTS expressing their deep inner frustration with a racist, oppressive society and its myriad injustices. These guys don't just speak for themselves. They speak for millions of people, of all colors, in ghettos ALL OVER THE WORLD. That's what ARTISTS are suppossed to DO. BE the voice of a people. In this case, these guys are the voice of a deeply down trodden, poverty-stricken people. Like it or not, these guys speak for one segment of the African American underclass. And they speak poetically and eloquently within the parameters of the speech of that community. Although, I don't always agree with their point of view, I respect them for expressing it honestly.
Not everyone has the recourses to claw their way out of the ghetto. For the MILLIONS that are still dealing with day to day SURVIVAL, the Geto Boys are a voice of solace and REALITY.
Thank you "the truth will set you free... | Reviewer: Anonymous | 8/22/10
First let me say that I've lived both places, the Ghetto and the Burbs'. And the rhetoric spouted by these "so called" disenfranchised African Americans Is just to justify the fact that the refuse to take responsibility for their own lives. We ALL come from that same place, somewhere down the line. Where we've had to scrape and scratch to get ahead. None of US originated from an affluent background. Someone in ALL OF OUR genealogies had to say enough is enough. That they wouldn't make poverty and slave mentality, crabs in a bucket mentality and house slave-field slave mentality a way of life. It's true, many of us don't have alot of choices growing up. But once we become men and women, we have to take responsibility for our futures and the futures of our progeny. If you take the same energy and motivation to try to do something positive with your life try to get ahead within the confines of society-then at least no one can take that away from you. Hustling ain't easy and neither is life. They both have their pros and cons. However, most 'hustlers' prey on their own communities. And to glorify a life spent destroying your own communities, or to justify it, for any reason is a disease that our community can no longer afford or fall back on. Our President did not come from an affluent background. His parents were poor students, from non affluent backgrounds and look what they accomplished in their son. If he could do it, why can't WE ALL. In this age of technology and internet access, you can no longer rely on the fact that that's all you know, that you grew up poor and that you "did what you had to do" as a way of life. Poverty is a curse that we have perpetuated to a science in our community. Even gave it false glamour to make it seem like the right thing to do. Knowledge is at the fingertips of everyone in this country...Just visit your public library!!! Everyone has a chance in this day and age. Speaking proper English and going to school, does not make you "trying to be white" It get's you taken seriously in life and not labeled as ignorant, illiterate and unteachable. Likewise, all of us who have made it out of the ghettos have a responsibility to go back and show someone else the way. In his own way, I believe that is what the previous blogger was trying to do. Sometimes you have to give it to them "str8, no-chaser". To make people realize that no matter how you try to justify and moralize...what's being passed as truth and reality, is an illusion. All set to make you remain the slaves they once had in your ancestry. If they can't physically own you, they will manipulate you to enslave your minds. The only trouble now, is that their own weak-minded progeny has bought into it as well... And that too many millionaires are being made by the Hip-Hop culture. Also have you noticed how the medias are trying to break hip-hop from the mainstream? Cut back or stopped using it for soundtracks and commercials as much as b4??? Trying to destroy black radio, by making radio a payola system--which used to be illegal and immoral because it was unfair to those WITHOUT MONEY???? Just a few examples of how we are being manipulated by the rich and powerful!!!!! Don't buy into these longstanding myths and allow them to keep us denigrating our selves, our MEN, WOMEN and CHILDREN with this hate mongering of our own people. WAKE UP, PLEASE!!!!
I love you!!!!
A Sista....
Thowed | Reviewer: smoki | 3/4/10
i grew up jammin dis niggas m dey all wreck dey tell da truth on dey flows n deyve kept it real fo us youngstas still stuck in da hood...n to dat mudafucka talkin shit..dats only cuz u aint neva been in a real hood u dont know how its down here we aint got many choices so we go wit wat we see its a fasta way of stackin ends cuz money dont just come to us we gotta go out n get it cuz its eitha dat or starve n get evicted so see shit from our prespective bitchmade mudafucka
Another Racsit Dumb Redneck | Reviewer: Chad | 10/23/09
Hey anyone wanna listen to someone really retarded go off. Listen to this racsit below me. I think its great that people actually can let themselves think things like that without smoking crack. All i'm saying is that if he smoked crack atleast he'd have an excuse. And I guess being the president of these United States is a just tap-dancing entertainer huh? Its a shame that people have had to wait around for their chance because a of stupid racsit redneck dumbmotherfucker like sneddly who probably shoves his hands in his pockets puts his hat down low and cross the street if there is a black person on the same side of the street. Cuz he's scared...
The Truth Will Set You FREE | Reviewer: Sneddly | 9/11/09
Yea, the Geto Boyz-
Awesome to behold the illiterati touting their own as "Genius".
To be expected, I suppose. The sad truth about American Africans is that they are a a totally broken people, who have lost the "Taste In Their Mouth" of their language and the lineage of their own culture.
What we see on display here with such stark clarity are foolish slaves caught up in the maze of SOUL DESTROYING "Gangsterism" which has been crafted and provided for them by their imperial Masters, who still own American Africans as surely as their plantation-Master ancestors did. Only now it's an unseen prison of the mind, far more devastating to the American African than the chains of slavery were...These fools think they've chosen this "Lifestyle" for themselves! They think this is some noble reaction to the injustice of their present condition!! Of course the truth is that these are SLAVES with a SLAVE mentality. They think they are Gangsters because that's what they've been told about gangsters in movies and pop culture...and they believe it. But, I assure you they are fools, playing roles that were provided for them by their Masters,The Real Gangsters: the Banksters, The Royals, the Church, etc,etc, who hold the keys to the getto, who have broken this people and programmed them to self-destruction, who have created this fatherless-clueless DEPENDENCY upon The Man, upon his destructive mentality, upon his Dollar, upon his system...How Y'all goin' get free if you keep on acting the way he's programmed you to act? How can you EVER be free as long as you keep thinking like him, chasing his money, playing his game by his rules?
Perhaps the American African is not nearly as Gangster as he thinketh himself to be?
A REAL Gangster owns the game, controlls the game.
The American African gangster owns nothing more than his Master allows...is still subserviant to the Just-us system, still has to resort to tap-dancing and entertaining to be allowed to accumulate and maintain any real wealth, while his master sells him the drugs, the guns, poisons his food and water, destroys his enviornment, sickens his people with disease, etc. The American African Gangster is mere illusion, meant only to "mind pattern program" vapid fatherless fools into it's life destroying hoax, which it has done with great success...If the powers that be did not want this archetypical image emblazoned into the mush minds of the youth, it would never have see the light of day in any corporate owned media. Clearly, your Masters want you baboonin' and buffoonin' it up, so they may be proven right when they say you are sub-human apes, violent beasts that need to be quellled and subdued.
Get wise to the real game that's being played here and realize that you've never had an original though in your life. You have been PROGRAMMED, sucker.
You don't know the slightest thing about who you really are, where you're from and where you're being led, because you're too busy sustaining your Master's illusions and hustles.
He's the Gangster, owns all the rackets.
You're a prankster. You think you're the gangster, but you're just play-acting in his game, and you're so dangerously stupid that you think it's real, G.
They Is raw as shit | Reviewer: euey | 4/28/09
i just started listening to them but i been listenin to Scarface i didn't know he was in da geto boys but dey is raw as hell though. Keep it real wit it i like dat song. and if half the people joined in 1989 and they broke up in 1993 they didn't last very long.
real shit | Reviewer: blackmore mavura | 11/7/08
You know what, the geto boys are one of the best rap groups ever. You see these guys have a unique and graphic way of describing geto harsh life that sometimes you can actually feel as if you are expericing what they are saying. In fact i think The secret is one of the best rap tunes ever, together with Mind Playing tricks on Me, I've never Seen a man cry, Aint Nuthing but A g Thing and so forth. The Geto Boys are a truly unique and talented musical outfit and their legacy in rap in cast in stone. See i have a feeling that my 5 year old son will exactly say the same shit about the geto boys when he is my age.
The Black Don.
G-Code | Reviewer: Paul H | 8/14/07
G-Code has to be one of the best written song ever. it has everything you want, Sick beat, and excellent lyrics. it also has a great message about bein true and not snitchin people out.
"Now you cryin' in your jail cell, stressin' on the case
And the D.A. is at a nigga every other day
I can see it in your face, in the middle of your soul
You in question of your manhood homey - keep the code"
It just explains itself
Geto Boys True Poets | Reviewer: Koorosh | 7/26/07
If you want to listen to what rap is supposed to be about, listen to these guys. At first glance you might think that they are just some dumb thug hoodlems just trying to get shock value. Listen to the lyrics and you will see a true mastery of the English language, and a profound understanding of the political and justice systems. These guys are NOT DUMB, in fact they are Genius.
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