“Ghetto D is the Michael Jordan of our catalog, hands-down. Even though it was a Master P record, it was the first record where everybody was in the studio together. It showcased all the No Limit artists. This is also one of those rare Southern albums that sold over four million records – and we had fun doing it.” - KLC “GHETTO DOPE” This song is straight crack, no pun intended, giving detailed instructions on how to whip, flip, and distribute that Peruvian flake. I wouldn’t recommend doing this type of song nowadays because the hip-hop police are everywhere, but it’s definitely a way to grab your listener’s attention. “BACK UP PLAN” The chemistry between Master P and Mia X stands out to this day, and hasn’t been matched by any other male/female duo.
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ESSENTIAL SOUTHERN ALBUMS
“I MISS MY HOMIES” Anyone who’s lost someone can relate to this song, and if you haven’t, Master P, Pimp C, and Silkk make you feel their pan. No matter how hard you claim to be, this song is going to make you softer than wet tissue. Tear-jerker of the century.
MASTER P GHETTO D
“BURBONS AND LACS” Whether you had a Pinto, a Honda, a Ford, or a beat-up Lincoln, this song was bumpin’ in your ride all summer.
by DJ Chuck T
“MAKE ‘EM SAY UGH” One of Master P’s only songs to get heavy radio and video play, this song was also the start of his downfall. After this track’s success, he started to really go commercial.
No Limit/Priority - 1997
W
hile some may tend to disagree, Master P’s Ghetto D had a revolutionary effect on hip-hop and rap music. It sparked a movement in the hip-hop world that not only influenced us musically, but economically as well - not just throughout the South, but throughout the entire rap world. Today, almost ten years after its release, Ghetto D’s effects are still felt in the music business.
Damn near every No Limit soldier appeared on this CD: Mystikal, Fiend, Mia X, C-Murder, Silkk, Mac, Prime Suspects, Sons of Funk, The Gambino Family, and even Kane and Abel. Unfortunately, this would be one of the last albums that the original No Limit camp would rep on together as a family. Shortly after this album’s release, the members of the No Limit army started going AWOL, one by one.
From a musical standpoint, Ghetto D was Master P’s best album. It was the pinnacle of his rap career, and it dropped at a time when his label was the strongest indie label in the industry. His production crew Beats By The Pound brought an innovative style to the game and created the No Limit sound.
“This was the first album where everybody [on No Limit] was in the studio at the same time and put effort in,” recalls KLC of Beats by the Pound. “Just because you hear P on the hook, that don’t mean he wrote the hook. A lot of the hooks came from Fiend and a lot of the ideas came from Mac. Everybody just put they all into this one record. It wasn’t no egos on this record, and P wasn’t acting like a bitch. He was open to any ideas. We didn’t waste no time. Whatever came to mind, we recorded it right then and there. That’s how people fuck up records, they think too much.”
Master P’s lyrics were also a whole lot better than they are now. If you pop the CD in, you can definitely tell that there was something there that he no longer has. From start to finish, this is a complete album. Master P puts it down for the thugs on songs like “We Riders”, “Throw It Up,” and “Come Get Some,” but also reaches out to the ladies on joints like “Tryin’ To Do Something” and “Gangstas Need Love Too.” P even drops knowledge, speaking on the ills of the dope game on tracks like “Only Time Will Tell” and “Eyes On Your Enemies.” He dropped something for the weed smokers (“Pass Me Da Green”) and the niggas ridin’ in candy painted ol’ schools (“Burbons and Lacs”). Tracks like “Stop Hatin’” and “Captain Kirk” give the niggas layin’ their pimp game down something to listen to, while the amped-up, crunk heads get more than their fair share of ig’nant fight music from “Make ‘Em Say Uhhhh,” another certified Southern classic. Ghetto D also touched on a subject that many hip-hop albums today fail to address: the loss of a loved one. “I Miss My Homies” is a Southern classic that will still bring tears to even the hardest thug’s eyes. I specifically remember not being able to listen to that song with a group of people for fear of breaking down in public while thinking of the many friends and family members I’ve lost over senseless bullshit. This CD covers every aspect of the streets, from the roota to the toota.
Ghetto D was not only a handbook on how to put together a musically and lyrically complete album, but a handbook on how to properly market, promote, and distribute one also. First and foremost, P damn sure let you know that this album was coming out and it was going to be one of the biggest albums in hip-hip history. Everyone can remember the six pages of ads in The Source, Rap Pages, Vibe and XXL that No Limit Records ran to promote their albums. If not, you must have been blind from 1996-1999. Ghetto D always had its own full page and was advertised for almost a year in advance. And with “Make ‘Em Say Ugh” getting heavy radio and video play all over the country, this album was almost guaranteed commercial and mainstream success. Without a doubt, Ghetto D changed the face of hip-hop music. Some East coast heads may argue over my claim that it’s musically one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. But nobody can argue with the significance that it had in helping to shape the hip-hop culture. This album played an extremely-pivotal role in putting the South on the map and marked the beginning of a new era in rap music. The colonel of the tank did more than just put out a good album with Ghetto D: he changed the world! OZONE
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